Monument Lake Campground in Everglades National Park

January 17, 2009

We are dry camping near Loop Trail in Everglades National Park at Monument Lake National Park Campground on US 41 midway between Naples and Miami.

We were dry camping in Monument Lake National Park Campground $8 with my NP "geezer-pass". The campground features a gravel road and grass sites with NO utilities, not even water or a central dump. It is nothing more than a camping spot in paradise. During the winter in South Florida you do not need a full hookup site and many folks spend the winter here or in a variety of other dry camping campgrounds deep in Everglades National Park.

Monument Lake Campground in Florida's Everglades National Park

Each morning at Monument Lake thousands upon thousands of green tree swallows arrive for a drink of water. They fly in from the west like a never ending swarm of mosquitos and drift off to the east after quenching their thirst. To drink they just fly low over the lake and take a sip on the fly. They never stop flying

The sheer number of these swallows is truly amazing. This procession goes on for the better part of an hour.

Palm trees in Everglades National Park, Florida

Beautiful palm trees.

Gold stringy vine in Everglades National Park, Florida

We see this gold stringy vine all over South Florida but I do not know what it is.

Great blue heron wading for lunch along Loop Road in Everglades National Park, Florida

This great blue heron is an efficient stalker.

Sunset at Monument Lake Campground in Everglades National Park, Florida

Joyce took some time to get these sunset pictures over a cypress dome in the Everglades from our campsite at Monument Lake Campground in Everglades National Park.

Monument Lake in Everglades National Park, Florida

After the sun went down the sky turned purple and reflected on Monument Lake.

Monument Lake campground, where we were staying, was situated on both sides of a limestone (gravel) road that circled the lake. Tent camping sites were further back from the road to keep them as far from resident alligators as possible. Several camp sites along the western edge were closed because that is where the resident alligators like to sun. On cool mornings the rising sun warms the western side and alligators vie for the best "basking" sites. Camp host do not want folks stepping out of their RV's in the morning and finding a big alligator occupying their front porch. VBG