Everglades National Park
The Everglades: America’s Most Misunderstood Wilderness
The Everglades is not a swamp. That distinction matters because it shaped the park’s history. For most of the twentieth century, the public and the government treated it as wasted land suitable for drainage and development. The ecosystem lost more than half its original area to agriculture and flood control infrastructure before Marjory Stoneman Douglas published “The Everglades: River of Grass” in 1947, reframing public understanding of a vast, shallow sheet of water moving slowly southward from Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay. Douglas’s book shifted the politics enough to enable the park’s establishment that same year.
The Everglades is now the only place on earth where American alligators and American crocodiles coexist in the wild. It holds more than 2,000 plant and animal species, including over 70 federally endangered or threatened species. It is simultaneously a UNESCO World Heritage Site, an International Biosphere Reserve, and a Wetland of International Importance. The Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, authorised by Congress in 2000, is the largest hydrological restoration project ever undertaken in the United States and is still actively under way. In 2025, drought conditions and associated wildfires in South Florida underscored how fragile the ecosystem remains.
Understanding what the Everglades is, not just what it contains, makes visiting it considerably more rewarding.
Entrance Fees and Access
The standard vehicle entrance fee is 35 USD per car, valid for seven consecutive days at all park entrances. Motorcycles pay 30 USD. Individual visitors (on foot or bicycle) aged 16 and over pay 20 USD. Children 15 and under enter free. Annual passes for the park cost 55 USD; the America the Beautiful National Parks Pass (80 USD) covers entrance to all US national parks and monuments for a full year and is worth purchasing if you plan to visit more than three.
Important: starting January 2026, non-US residents aged 16 and over pay an additional 100 USD nonresident fee on top of standard entrance charges. Confirm current fee status on the NPS website before visiting.
The main Homestead entrance on the Ernest Coe side is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The Shark Valley entrance on US-41 opens at 8:30am. The Gulf Coast entrance near Everglades City operates on standard daytime hours.
When to Go
The dry season runs from approximately December through mid-May. This is when the Everglades is most accessible and most rewarding as a wildlife destination. Water levels drop progressively, concentrating fish, alligators, wading birds, and other animals around the remaining ponds and sloughs. January through March represents the peak of the dry season: mosquito populations are low, temperatures are comfortable (low 50s to upper 70s Fahrenheit), rainfall is minimal, and wildlife sightings are at their highest density.
The wet season from June through November brings heavy daily rainfall, very high mosquito pressure, flooding of some trails, and significantly reduced wildlife visibility as animals disperse across the flooded landscape. Visiting in summer is possible but requires full-body insect protection and realistic expectations about wildlife encounters. On the positive side, summer brings lower hotel rates in the surrounding area and fewer other visitors.
Where to Go Inside the Park
Ernest Coe Visitor Center (Main Entrance)
The visitor centre near the main Homestead entrance is the logical first stop for first-time visitors. Exhibits explain the ecosystem, current restoration efforts, and seasonal conditions. Rangers here give accurate current information about trail conditions and wildlife activity. The centre is the departure point for the main park road that runs 61 kilometres to Flamingo.
Anhinga Trail
A 1.2-kilometre boardwalk loop at the Royal Palm area, about eight kilometres from the main entrance. This is the single most productive wildlife-viewing spot in the park on a per-hour basis, particularly in the dry season. Anhinga birds dry their wings on the railings at close range. Alligators are routinely present in the water below the boardwalk. Herons, egrets, and turtles are consistent year-round. The short length and paved surface make it accessible to virtually all visitors.
Shark Valley
On the northern edge of the park, accessible from US-41 (the Tamiami Trail). The main attraction is a 24-kilometre loop road through sawgrass marsh, traversable by bicycle (rentals available on site) or by guided tram. The tram tour runs approximately two hours and includes narration by a ranger-trained guide. A 12-metre observation tower at the midpoint provides elevated views across the sawgrass. Alligator density along this route is among the highest in the park. Shark Valley is a separate entrance with the same fee structure; arrive by 9am in peak season to avoid the busiest conditions.
Flamingo Area
At the southern end of the park road, Flamingo sits at the edge of Florida Bay and the start of the backcountry boat routes. This is the best location for seeing roseate spoonbills, which are frequently confused with flamingos despite the different shape and colour. Wood storks, white pelicans (in winter), and occasionally manatees in the marina area are also regular sightings. Flamingo Marina rents kayaks, canoes, and small motorboats. The backcountry camping routes accessible from here are among the most remote wilderness camping experiences in the continental United States.
Ten Thousand Islands and Everglades City
The Gulf Coast entrance at Everglades City accesses the Ten Thousand Islands, a maze of mangrove-covered islands along the Gulf coast. This is primarily a boating and kayaking zone and is most practically accessed on a guided boat tour from the Gulf Coast Visitor Center. American crocodiles are more reliably seen in this area than elsewhere in the park.
Activities
Kayaking and Canoeing
The Wilderness Waterway is a 99-mile paddling route connecting Flamingo to Everglades City, passing through mangrove tunnels, estuaries, and open bay. Most paddlers take five to seven days to complete the full route using designated backcountry campsites. Day paddles through the mangrove channels near Flamingo and in the Nine Mile Pond area are accessible without backcountry permits and offer excellent wildlife contact.
Biking at Shark Valley
The 24-kilometre loop at Shark Valley is flat and paved, making it suitable for all fitness levels. Bicycle rentals are available at the Shark Valley Visitor Center for approximately 9 USD per hour. This is the most rewarding physical activity the park offers for the effort required: the alligator density along the path is genuinely remarkable.
Airboat Tours (Outside Park Boundaries)
Airboat tours are not operated within Everglades National Park itself; they operate in adjacent private wetlands and in Big Cypress National Preserve. Several operators are located along US-41 and near the park entrances. These tours are loud, fast, and provide good opportunities for alligator sightings, but they operate in managed water rather than the park’s protected wilderness. They are a separate experience from the park itself.
Ranger-Led Programs
The park runs free ranger-led walks, canoe trips, and talks during the dry season. Schedules are posted at each visitor centre and on the NPS website. The ranger programs at Anhinga Trail are particularly good for understanding the ecology in context.
Where to Stay
Flamingo Campground
Within the park at the south end, Flamingo Campground has drive-in sites and offers the most direct access to sunrise over Florida Bay and evening wildlife activity. Reservations are made through Recreation.gov; book well in advance for January through March, which sells out quickly.
Long Pine Key Campground
Also within the park, on the main park road between the main entrance and Flamingo. More sheltered than Flamingo, with pine forest sites. Less exposed to wind but also fewer bay views.
Hotels in Homestead and Florida City
The gateway towns of Homestead and Florida City, about 15-30 minutes from the main entrance, have a full range of budget to mid-range hotel chains. This is the practical option for visitors not camping. Prices are substantially lower than Miami Beach and the drive is not burdensome if you start early.
Everglades City
On the Gulf Coast side, Everglades City has a small number of fishing lodges and B&Bs. The town has a distinct character separate from the resort towns of South Florida and is the best base for exploring the Ten Thousand Islands.
Where to Eat
There are no full-service restaurants inside the national park. The Flamingo area has a snack bar with basic food during operating hours, and the visitor centres carry vending machines.
Homestead and Florida City have a variety of restaurants covering all price ranges. Robert Is Here, a famous fruit stand and café on SW 344th Street in Homestead, sells tropical fruits, milkshakes, and local jams and has operated continuously since 1959. It is worth a stop on the way to or from the park.
Everglades City has a handful of seafood restaurants serving stone crab, grouper, and shrimp from the local fishery. The Oyster House Restaurant near the Gulf Coast Visitor Center is the most established option.
Practical Notes
Mosquito protection is essential from April through November and useful even in the dry season at dusk. DEET-based repellent is the most effective option. Sunscreen matters throughout the year; the flat, reflective landscape intensifies UV exposure.
Carry more water than you expect to need. The dry-season heat is deceptive and dehydration is a consistent problem for visitors who underestimate it.
Cell coverage is unreliable throughout most of the park, including at Flamingo. Download offline maps before entering.
The wildlife on the Anhinga Trail is habituated to people but remains wild. Feeding animals is illegal and results in their removal from the park. The minimum safe distance for alligators is 4.5 metres (15 feet) and this applies especially to large adults, which can move faster than most people expect.
Ranger station staff at each visitor centre are the most useful source of real-time information on current wildlife activity, trail conditions after rain, and any temporary closures.