In October 1962, a U.S. U2 spy plane made a chilling discovery: a Soviet ballistic missile site in Cuba, less than 100 miles from American soil. This was the beginning of the Cuban Missile Crisis, arguably the closest the world has been to all-out nuclear war. In the aftermath, the U.S. built four Nike Hercules anti-aircraft missile sites to defend South Florida against an attack. One of them sits beyond this gate in the heart of Everglades National Park. This site, home of the Army's Alpha Battery, 2nd Missile Battalion, 52nd Air Artillery, remained active until 1979.
There are ranger-led tours of the site primarily in the cooler months and through the Everglades Institute at other times of the year. Check the website for details. You can hike or bike to the site, and, according to Tropical Audubon Society, birders can get the code to open the gate and drive to it by asking at the Edgar Coe Visitors' Center. We don't know if this is still true but there is no harm in asking. You can just see the buildings in the left-center of the photo. We're guessing from the park map that the site is about two miles from this gate.
Below is a sign near the gate explaining the history and signficance of the missile site.
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There are ranger-led tours of the site primarily in the cooler months and through the Everglades Institute at other times of the year. Check the website for details. You can hike or bike to the site, and, according to Tropical Audubon Society, birders can get the code to open the gate and drive to it by asking at the Edgar Coe Visitors' Center. We don't know if this is still true but there is no harm in asking. You can just see the buildings in the left-center of the photo. We're guessing from the park map that the site is about two miles from this gate.
Below is a sign near the gate explaining the history and signficance of the missile site.
NEXT STOP: Back To Our First Stop
RETURN TO THE TOUR PAGE —||— RETURN TO THE MAIN PAGE