Pinelands and Pa-hay-okee on the Main Park Road

The route is a short wooden boardwalk that cuts through the grass and ends at a raised observation platform. It is wheelchair accessible, but bicycles are not permitted on the boardwalk, so plan to walk it.

From the platform, the view is what many people call the river of grass. Shark River Slough, which flows from the northern part of the park, is a wide, shallow river rather than the marsh it appears to be. The park was the first national park set aside for its variety of life instead of its views, so the appeal here is the broad, quiet expanse rather than mountains. Bring bug spray before you head out over the grass.

The Pinelands Trail is a short paved loop of roughly four tenths of a mile, about seven miles in from the entrance. Along the path you will see pines, palmetto plants and wildflowers, and the route is wheelchair accessible.

The Long Pine Key Trail network adds up to more than 22 miles of connecting paths. Walkers and riders pass through pine forest growing on rock, open prairie and shady hammocks of tropical hardwoods. The main leg heads west from the Long Pine Key campground for seven miles to Pine Glades Lake, running beside the main park road. The surface is dirt and bicycles are allowed, so a round trip by bike comes to about 14 miles. Watch for mammals and birds, and at the lake you can picnic or look for alligators and fish.

Rock Reef Pass is marked by a sign along the main park road, a small bit of park humor. For the exact location of the Long Pine Key trailhead, ask at a park visitor center or check the park map.