Alligator Alley, highway in Florida
Alligator Alley is a highway stretching about 80 miles from Naples on the southwest coast to Fort Lauderdale on the east, running through the Everglades. The road cuts across Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve as a four-lane divided highway connecting grassland and swamp areas filled with sawgrass and cypress trees.
The road was built in the late 1960s and completed in 1968 as a two-lane toll road, originally called State Road 84 and later the Everglades Parkway. In the 1980s it was expanded to four lanes and became part of Interstate 75, improving travel across southern Florida's Everglades.
Alligator Alley takes its name from the alligators living in the waters beside the road, especially visible during winter months. The highway shapes how visitors experience crossing the Everglades and encountering the natural environment directly.
Fill your gas tank before driving as there is only one fuel station along the route at the Miccosukee Service Plaza. Parking areas and rest stops are located at mile markers where you can stop to rest, use facilities, or watch for wildlife, especially during winter months.
The nickname originated in the early twentieth century and became official despite some viewing it as a joking criticism of a seemingly useless road through alligator territory. Winter is the best time to spot alligators and wildlife from vehicles, especially from larger vehicles like RVs which offer higher vantage points.
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