It can be difficult to get some people excited about Everglades National Park in Florida; there aren’t any mountains, it’s humid, the mosquitoes can be terrible. Some people are afraid of alligators. But beyond its ecological importance, this park has an understated beauty and a fascinating history. Exploring this seemingly endless sea of grass by land or water is a chance to see an incredible variety of birds and learn how much difference a few inches of elevation can make. For a living classroom, the sunsets are pretty good, too. Photo by Caitlin Rivas, National Park Service.