The Everglades, sometimes called the "river of grass," is seasonally dominated by a shallow, slow-moving sheet of water that flows from Lake Okeechobee to the Gulf of Mexico and Florida Bay. During the wet summer months, the vast grassy prairie acts both as a home to a tremendous variety of plants and animals and as a filter for the fresh water river.

Dispersed throughout the Everglades are large tree islands called "tropical hardwood hammocks" and smaller shrubby islands known as "bayheads." The hammocks exist on limestone ridges rising a few feet above the seasonally wet sawgrass prairie. These higher elevation areas provide a flood-free environment with a thin layer of soil that can support a multitude of tropical and temperate zone vegetation. Bayhead communities also exist on ridges, but since the elevation change is less than that of a hammock environment, these ridges are periodically inundated by water. This results in an equally varied but different assemblage of plants.

The tram road, shaped in a "U", is 15 miles (24 km) round trip. There are no short cuts in the 7.5 mile segments. If you become tired or are unable to complete the entire 15 mile trip, turn around, if necessary, and travel north. Bicycling the road takes an average of 2 to 3 hours, but varies with physical stamina and personal interests.

Never approach alligators! Maintain a safe distance (10-15 feet / 3-5 m) if you see alligators on the road.

The name "Shark Valley" is just to confuse you. There are no sharks and there is no valley. (Please read guests comments below photos.)