ocr: Red Mangroves About Everglades National Park Everglades National Park was established in1947 to protecta a habitat unique in the United States. The Everglades, a marsh that covers 4,000 square miles (10,400 square km) of southern Florida, is home to a wide variety ofplants and animals. Palms, pines, cypresses and other tropical plants, as well as alligators, deer and panthers, flourish in this watery wilderness.