Fakahatchee Strand is known for its incredible biodiversity
Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park is a swamp forest in southern Florida. The park runs north to south and the dimensions are roughly 20 miles long by 5 miles wide. It is a part of the Everglades hydrologic system. These waters eventually drain to the Ten Thousand Islands, off the coast of southwest Florida.
The park is known for its incredible biodiversity. It is also Florida’s largest state park. Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park is ~80,000 acres. Although it is a vast wetland, the park is also comprised of prairies, hardwood hammocks, and pinelands. The park is known for its diversity of orchids, of which there are over 40 species. Fakahatchee is home to the elusive Florida panther. Other park predators include black bears, crocodiles, and alligators. In the air, you can spot bald eagles and osprey.
If you explore the history of these lands, you will find they were heavily exploited. The land we call Fakahatchee Strand was purchased in 1913 by the Lee-Tidewater Cypress Company. From 1944-1954 the strand was logged for its valuable cypress trees. Roads were built to remove the timber. Some of these old logging roads are now hiking trails through the state park, giving you access to otherwise difficult to reach wilderness.
Behind the photo
I enjoy this photo because it gives you a feeling of how vast this landscape truly is. My friend (the silhouette in this photo) and I were hiking through the swamp. I let him continue ahead of me. I stayed back, and let the water around me flatten out. Once my friend got far enough ahead I shot a series of photos, including this one. For black and white photography, having a silhouette in the photo can help provide some depth of field and scale. I think it can sometimes make the image feel more 3D.
If you don’t want to get your feet wet, don’t worry you don’t have to. Check out the 2,500-foot-long Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk. This allows easy access to the dense royal palm and bald cypress swamp.
Some of the old logging roads are now hiking trails through the state park
Did you know?!
There has never been a reported Florida panther attack on a human. Perhaps the key word there is “reported”.
Fakahatchee Strand State Park is open 365 days a year! Entrance fees are only $3 for a motorized vehicle, or $2 for walking or bicycling.
Archaeologists have identified signs of human activity dating in the area dating back 2,500 years!
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