State: Florida
Location: Everglades National Park
Length, Round Trip: 0.3 miles
Trail Type: Out and Back
Minimum Elevation: 0 feet
Maximum Elevation: 5 feet
Elevation Change: 5 feet
Best Season: Spring, Fall, Winter
Difficulty: Easy
Usage: Heavy
Florida Caverns State Park
Trail Information
Located half mile down the popular tram road from the Shark Valley Visitor Center, the Otter Cave Trail carries you into a Caribbean hardwood hammock with sights of gumbo-limbo and stranger fig. The Otter Cave Trail is a short hiking path offering glimpses of wildlife which are more prevalent early in the morning before the bulk of the visitors enter the region. The name Otter Cave is a little misleading since there is not a cave along this trail but you may see otters. Markings along this rough limestone trail are poor so watch your direction. This trail tends to be flooded during summer.
This trail is a good complement to the loop road leading to the wildlife observation tower.
Directions
From Miami:
Travel west for 30 miles along U. S. Highway 41. Shark Valley is on the left, adjacent to the Miccosukee Indian Valley. From the visitor center, hike down the tram road about half mile to reach the trailhead.
