Everglades National Park protects more than 1.5 million acres at Florida’s southern tip, preserving the southern part of the original Everglades as the largest tropical wilderness in the United States and the largest wilderness east of the Mississippi River. Created as concern grew over wetland loss and dedicated as canal building was reshaping South Florida, it safeguards a fragile ecosystem defined by slow-moving water from Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay. Its wetlands, prairies, hammocks, and mangroves support extraordinary biodiversity, including many threatened species. Internationally recognized, the park also stands at the center of major restoration efforts driven by damaged water flow and rising sea levels.