All About Everglades National Park in South Florida
Everglades National Park is a large sawgrass prairie with unparalleled landscape in Southern Florida.
Visit the largest subtropical wilderness on this side of the Mississippi River and marvel at the Greater Everglades ecosystem teeming with native wildlife. One of the most common sights is the American Alligator that calls this area home.
What to do at Everglades National Park
The Best Trails and Best Hikes at Everglades
Pine Island
- Anhinga Trail
- Gumbo Limbo Trail
- Pinelands Trail
- Pahayokee Overlook
- Mahogany Hammock Trail
Flamingo
- West Lake Trail
- Snake Bight Trail
- Bear Lake Trail
- Bayshore Trail
Shark Valley
- Otter Cave Hammock Trail
- Bobcat Boardwalk
Canoe Trails
- Hells Bay Canoe Trail
- Nine Mile Pond Canoe Trail
Things to do at Everglades National Park
- Hike one of the many trails
- Go on a canoe or kayak trip
- Take one of the airboat tours from companies along Highway 41
- Stargaze down in the Flamingo region in the dark skies over the Florida Bay
- Marvel at the plethora of wildlife and hopefully catch sight of the elusive Florida Panther
What to see at Everglades National Park
Everglades Visitor Centers
There are 4 different visitor centers in Everglades National Park. They are all quite a ways apart from each other, so the one you visit will be based on which entrance you use for the park and what you are planning to do while there.
Gulf Coast Visitor Center
The Gulf Coast Visitor Center is the easternmost visitor center near Everglades City. As of 2024, this visitor center is still closed because of damages taken during Hurricane Ian in September 2022. There are informational kiosks outside that visitors can get a map from.
Passport Book Stamp Location
Shark Valley Visitor Center
Shark Valley has a park video, informational brochures, and educational displays. You can also stop at the bookstore and gift shop for a Passport Book stamp, Junior Ranger book, and other souvenirs.
From the Shark Valley Visitor Center, you can take Tram Road to the Observation Tower, or join a guided tour on the tram, rent bicycles, or walk the Bobcat Boardwalk or Ottercave Trail.
Passport Book Stamp Location
Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center
This is the main visitor center for the park and is open year-round. There are a variety of walking trails that start just a short drive from the visitor center. You can visit the bookstore and gift shop, talk with a park ranger, get a passport stamp, and visit the educational displays.
Passport Book Stamp Location
Flamingo Visitor Center
Also known as the Guy Bradley Visitor Center, this is the newest visitor center in the Everglades. There are state-of-the-art educational displays to peruse while talking with a park ranger. You can purchase backcountry permits here and pay your park entrance fee.
Flamingo also has campground facilities, a public boat ramp, a marina store, and hiking and canoeing trails. There are also two boat tours offered in the Flamingo area that depart from the marina.
The Guy Bradley Center is also an event space with options for meetings and weddings!
Passport Book Stamp Location
National Park Passport Book Stamp Locations
- Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center
- Gulf Coast Visitor Center
- Guy Bradley Visitor Center (at Flamingo)
- Historic Nike Missile Site
- Shark Valley Visitor Center
Everglades National Park Basics
40001 State Hwy 9336,
Homestead, FL 33034
$35 per vehicle
Valid for 7 days
Eastern
May 30, 1934
Location, Phone Number, and Address
Everglades National Park is located in South Florida and covers the lower 20% of the Florida Peninsula all the way down to the Florida Bay.
What are the Entrance Fees for Everglades?
For those entering through one of the official park entrances, there are entrance fees that must be paid, based on the size of the vehicle and the type of pass you are purchasing.
A standard pass will gain entry into the park for up to 7 days from the date of purchase.
Private Vehicle: $35 per vehicle
Motorcycle: $30 per vehicle
Pedestrian: $20 per person
An Everglades Annual Pass is available for $70 or the $80 America the Beautiful Pass also works here.
Current as of July 2024
What Time Zone is Everglades National Park in?
Everglades National Park is in the Eastern Time Zone in the United States.
When is the Best Time to Visit?
There are two very distinct seasons in Southern Florida and the Everglades that determine when you want to visit.
Dry season is typically December through April which is the busiest season for the park due to mild winter temperatures and dry land to hike the trails.
Wet season is from May to November which is also the hottest time of the year here. There are fewer visitors in this season to many of the ranger programs are not available.
When did Everglades become a National Park?
Everglades was established as a National Park on May 30, 1934, to preserve the important habitat and ecosystem of the quickly vanishing Everglades. It was dedicated in 1947 when major canal-building projects were initiated in South Florida.
The park was declared as Everglades & Dry Tortugas Biosphere Reserve in 1976 by UNESCO and then a World Heritage Site in 1979. In 1987 the park was included on the list of Wetlands of International Importance by the Ramsar Convention.
How Big is Everglades National Park?
Everglades is the largest tropical wilderness east of the Mississippi River and the third-largest National Park in the contiguous United States (behind only Death Valley and Yellowstone). The park boundaries protect an area of 1,508,976 acres (about 2,350 square miles) of wetlands, which is only about 20% of the original Everglades swampland.
Park Website
Always check the official park site for the most up-to-date information, hours, prices, and conditions.
Travel Tips for Everglades National Park
Driving Through Everglades National Park
There are a few entrances to the National Park, and they are not connected within the park. Due to the size of the park, you’ll need a vehicle to navigate this one as some points are over an hour’s drive away from each other.
The Main Park Road is accessed from the entrance in Homestead, Florida, at the Ernest Coe Visitor Center which will take you all the way down to the Flamingo Visitor Center. Shark Valley Visitor Center is on US Highway 41, also known as Tamiami Trail.
Where are the National Park Entrances?
The main entrance is via Homestead and the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center on the southeast side of the park.
The entrance from the northeastern side of the park to the Shark Valley Visitor Center is closest to Miami, Florida.
Everglades City, just south of Tamiami Trail, is the easternmost point in the park. This will lead you in via the Gulf Coast Visitor Center.
What is the Nearest City to Everglades?
There are a few cities that are gateways to the Everglades: Homestead and Florida City, Miami, and Everglades City. The park is so large it is in three different counties in South Florida: Miami-Dade County, Monroe County, and Collier County.
What is the Nearest Airport to Everglades?
The closest airport to the park is Miami International Airport (MIA) which is about 45 miles from the Miami entrance. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) is also close to the Miami entrance about 70 miles away.
On the Gulf Coast side, the closest airport is the Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) in Fort Myers which is about 70 miles from the park. There’s also a small regional airport in Naples, Naples Municipal Airport (APF) that is only 40 miles from the park.
Lodging Near Everglades National Park
Where to Stay
There are plenty of options for places to stay in and around Everglades National Park. Stay at the Flamingo Lodge in the Flamingo area or on a houseboat rental.
Outside of the park, look for a hotel or a rental home in Homestead, Miami, Florida City, Everglades City, or Naples.
Campgrounds in the Area
There are two designated campgrounds in Everglades. The Long Pine Key Campground is just a few minutes from the Ernest Visitor Center near Homestead and the Flamingo Campground is in the southern Flamingo region of the park.
You can also do some backcountry camping, but most of the backcountry areas are only accessible by water. You have to make advanced reservations through recreation.gov for a $21 administrative fee and an additional $2 per person per night fee on top of your park entrance fee.
What are the Closest National Parks to Everglades National Park?
The closest National Parks are Dry Tortugas National Park in the Florida Keys and Biscayne National Park off of the Miami coastline. It’s hard to estimate their distance since Everglades is such a large park. Just north of the Everglades, and part of the National Park Service, is Big Cypress National Preserve.
- Biscayne National Park in Florida is about 20 miles or a 30-minute drive.
- Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida is about 135 miles or a 3-hour drive to Key West, where you then have to board a boat or sea plane to reach the island.
Facts about Evergaldes National Park
The Plants and Animals of Everglades
The Florida Everglades is home to a variety of ecosystems including freshwater sloughs, marl prairies, tropical hardwood hammocks, pinelands, cypress, mangroves, coastal lowlands, marine, and estuaries.
36 federally protected endangered species live in the park including the American Crocodile which only lives in South Florida and the Florida Panther which is one of the most endangered mammals on Earth.
Unfortunately, the Burmese Python has become a major concern in the Everglades. They are an invasive species that have overwhelmed the food chain and are eating the endangered animals in the park. They are probably the main reason that the number of mammals has sharply declined over the last decade since the python was “accidentally or intentionally released” into Everglades National Park. Non-native species compete with the native species in the park which limits resources for those endangered native species.
Freshwater Sloughs and Marl Prairies
- Sawgrass
- Herons
- Egrets
- Roseate Spoonbills
- Ibis
- Freshwater Turtle
- Alligator
- Water Moccasin
- Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
Tropical Hardwood Hammocks
- Live Oaks
- Wild Coffee
- White Indigoberry
- Saw Palmetto
- Wild Tamarind
- American Green Treefrog
- Barred Owls
- Woodpeckers
- Northern Cardinals
- Southern Bald Eagles
- Florida Black Bear
- Red Fox
- Mink
- Marsh Rabbit
- Florida Panther
Pinelands
- Slash Pines
- Woodpeckers
- Eastern Meadowlarks
- Mockingbirds
- Black Bears
- Panthers
Cypress and Mangroves
- Cypress Trees
- Mangrove Trees
- Bromeliads
- Spanish Moss
- Orchids
- Ferns
- Wild Turkey
- Ibis
- Heron
- Egret
- Anhingas
- White-Tailed Deer
- Squirrels
- Raccoons
- River otters
- Bobcats
- Crabs
- Crayfish
- Pelicans
- Gulls
- Hawks
- Kites
- Green Turtle
- West Indian Manatee
Coastal Lowlands
- Saltwort
- Glasswort
- Cape Sable seaside sparrow
- Wood Stork
- Eastern Indigo Snake
- Rats
- Mice
- Rabbits
Marine and Estuaries
- Coral
- Sponges
- Seagrass
- Crustaceans
- Mollusks
- Sharks
- Stingrays
- Barracudas
- Pelicans
- Bottlenose Dolphin
- Snook
- Redfish
- Spotted Seatrout
- Tarpon
- Snapper
- Bluegill
- Bass
- Roseate Spoonbills
- Reddish Egrets
- Great White Herons
- Bald Eagle
- Osprey
- Opposums
- Bobcats
What is the Highest Point? What is the Lowest Point?
There are a few places in the park that reach 8 feet above sea level. This is the highest elevation within Everglades National Park. There is a Calusa-built shell mound on the Gulf Coast that reaches 20 feet above sea level. The lowest point is at 0 feet along the Gulf of Mexico.
Everglades Fun Facts
- The Everglades is one of only three places in the world designated as an International Biosphere Reserve, a World Heritage Site, and a Wetland of International Importance.
- Everglades National Park contains the largest mangrove ecosystem in the Western Hemisphere.
- The Everglades is part of a large watershed that reaches from the Kissimmee River through Lake Okeechobee down into the Everglades all the way to Florida Bay.
- Everglades National Park is the only ecosystem in the world where alligators and crocodiles co-exist side by side.