Everglades National Park


 * Everglades redirects here. For Noosa Everglades in Queensland, see Great Sandy National Park (Cooloola)



 Everglades National Park is a national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in southwestern Florida. It is also list on the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance. It is one of only three locations to appear on all three lists.

Understand
Everglades National Park, protecting more than 1.5 million acres, is the 3rd largest national park in the lower 48 states, behind Yellowstone National Park (2nd) and Death Valley National Park (1st). During the dry season most facilities are open and a full range of tours and programs are available to enjoy. During the wet season of June to October, facilities may have restricted hours or close altogether, and recreational opportunities may be at a minimum.

Landscape


It's flat but don't let that fool you into thinking there is no variety. A couple of inches of height brings a marked difference in flora and fauna. The highest ground is populated by Dade County Slash Pine forest, with underbrush that includes saw palmetto. Both plants encourage fire which keeps the hardwoods out. A little lower "altitude" brings cypress heads, and lower than that swampland (a river of grass). In the swampland, small hills (a couple of inches higher than water level) are covered with tropical hardwoods with dense foliage below. As you get to the south and southwest part of the 'glades, the tides bring in salt loving plants like mangroves and their kin. There is a lot to see but it takes paying attention to it—and it is well worth the time. Things that may seem small at first may be really big and bring fond memories.

Flora and fauna
The area is home to rare and endangered species, such as the American crocodile, Florida panther, and West Indian manatee. Several species of snakes live there. Most are nonvenomous like the black racer, banded water snake, and the corn snake and several more harmless species. Only 4 are venomous and dangerous which are the coral snake, cottonmouth/water moccasin, Pygmy rattlesnake, and eastern diamondback rattlesnake. Over 1,000 species of plants live here.

Collecting plants and animals in Everglades National Park is prohibited. This includes such things as orchids, airplants, seahorses, starfish, conch, tropical fish, coral, sponges, and driftwood (except for fuel). One quart of non-occupied sea shells may be collected per person.

Climate
Weather is mild and pleasant from December through April, though rare cold fronts may create near-freezing conditions. Average winter temperatures are: High 77°F (25°C); Low 53°F (12°C). Summers are hot and humid, with temperatures around 90°F (32°C) and humidity over 90%. Afternoon thunderstorms are common and mosquitoes are abundant. Hurricane season is June–November. Tropical storms or hurricanes may affect the area. The rainy season is June through October, coinciding with the mosquito season. Average Rainfall: 60 inches (152 cm) per year.

Visitor information
The park has four visitor centers:
 * Park website



By plane
The closest airport to the Everglades is Miami International Airport. It is a hub for American Airlines, which has service within the United States and to the Caribbean, South America, and Europe.

By car
Two US Highways serve the Everglades from Miami: Route 41 which runs west, and Route 1 which runs south. Fill up your tank before you come as gas stations in the park are limited.

Fees and permits
Entrance fees valid for seven days. Fees as of 2023 are:
 * $15 per individual on foot/bike
 * $25 per motorcycle
 * $30 per vehicle
 * $55 Everglades National Park Annual Pass. Valid for 12 months from the date of purchase. It admits the purchaser and any accompanying persons in a single, private, non-commercial vehicle, or the purchaser and accompanying immediate family (spouse, children, parents) when entry is by other means (bicycle, foot, and boat).

Activity fees: Camping fees vary by campground. Backcountry camping requires a permit for a fee and is allowed at designated backcountry sites only, mostly only accessible by watercraft.

Get around
Most people visit the Everglades by car. There is no public transit within the park, unless you count boat tours and the Shark Valley tour shuttle.

There are many hiking trails and canoe trails as well, but you will usually want a car to reach the trailheads. Most viewpoints and other sites marked on the park map are not within easy walking distance of each other.

Cycling is possible (including on some hiking trails), and there are bicycle rentals at Shark Valley Visitor Center and Flamingo Marina. Cycling to Flamingo from the Homestead park entrance will take quite a while, and is not recommended for inexperienced cyclists.

See
There are some worthwhile parks and points of interest that are not within the park itself but are part of the scenic region.

Do

 * Fishing for tarpon, bonefish, redfish, snook, snapper, and sea trout. Separate Florida licenses are necessary for freshwater and saltwater. There are very few areas where fishing from shore is possible. If you want to fish, consider hiring a local guide. There are plenty of great Florida guides that will meet you in the Everglades for a day of amazing saltwater fishing, whether you want use a fly, conventional tackle, or bait. The back country is word renowned for snook and baby tarpon. A state license is required for fishing.
 * Boating. Boat ramps within Everglades National Park are at Flamingo, Little Blackwater Sound, and West Lake. Several commercial boat ramps are in Everglades City and Chokoloskee. There are closed areas, motor-restricted areas and no wake zones. See the Park's Boating Regulations.
 * Water skiing and use of personal watercraft such as jet skis is prohibited.
 * Kayak and canoe rentals. Available at Flamingo Marina.
 * Fishing for tarpon, bonefish, redfish, snook, snapper, and sea trout. Separate Florida licenses are necessary for freshwater and saltwater. There are very few areas where fishing from shore is possible. If you want to fish, consider hiring a local guide. There are plenty of great Florida guides that will meet you in the Everglades for a day of amazing saltwater fishing, whether you want use a fly, conventional tackle, or bait. The back country is word renowned for snook and baby tarpon. A state license is required for fishing.
 * Boating. Boat ramps within Everglades National Park are at Flamingo, Little Blackwater Sound, and West Lake. Several commercial boat ramps are in Everglades City and Chokoloskee. There are closed areas, motor-restricted areas and no wake zones. See the Park's Boating Regulations.
 * Water skiing and use of personal watercraft such as jet skis is prohibited.
 * Kayak and canoe rentals. Available at Flamingo Marina.
 * Fishing for tarpon, bonefish, redfish, snook, snapper, and sea trout. Separate Florida licenses are necessary for freshwater and saltwater. There are very few areas where fishing from shore is possible. If you want to fish, consider hiring a local guide. There are plenty of great Florida guides that will meet you in the Everglades for a day of amazing saltwater fishing, whether you want use a fly, conventional tackle, or bait. The back country is word renowned for snook and baby tarpon. A state license is required for fishing.
 * Boating. Boat ramps within Everglades National Park are at Flamingo, Little Blackwater Sound, and West Lake. Several commercial boat ramps are in Everglades City and Chokoloskee. There are closed areas, motor-restricted areas and no wake zones. See the Park's Boating Regulations.
 * Water skiing and use of personal watercraft such as jet skis is prohibited.
 * Kayak and canoe rentals. Available at Flamingo Marina.

Eat
Everglades City has a few great seafood restaurants that serve local fare, including fried alligator.

There are no restaurants in the southern Everglades (the stretch from Homestead to Flamingo). The only places to buy food or drinks inside the park entrance are the Flamingo Marina store (more or less a full-service convenience store, open until June 29, 2024 in the winter), the Royal Palms nature center (a refrigerator with drinks and a few sandwiches).

Drink
There are no bars inside the national park itself, and the only drinks to be had will come from the small stores and vending machines at or near the visitor centers (non-alcoholic, except for the Flamingo Marina Store which also has beer).

Note that if you are visiting the southern Everglades, there is no portable water available anywhere between Long Pine Key Campground and the Flamingo Marina. If you are traversing the park by bicycle or foot, be prepared. The campgrounds do have running water that you can drink.

Lodging
There is no indoor lodging within the national park, unless you count the "eco tents" (permanent box-like shelters) at Flamingo Campground (see below)

Camping
Two drive-in campgrounds are in the park. Both campgrounds can accommodate tents and RVs. A limited number of group sites are also available. Leave-no-trace camping principles apply.

Fees: Nightly fees are $25 per site at either campground (2020). Word is that Golden Age cards and Golden Access cards no longer get a discount now that the campgrounds have been privatized. Owing to limited usage and difficult conditions, camping was at one time free of charge during the wet season - check with the park website or visitor centers to find if this is still the case.





Backcountry
Visitors can select between a variety of ground sites, beach sites and elevated camping platforms (sometimes called chickees). Most sites are accessible by canoe, kayak or motorboat, though a few may be reached by hikers depending on trail conditions (ask the visitor centers). None of the park's 47 backcountry sites are accessible by car. Backcountry trips here require more planning than most. Refer to the park'sWilderness Trip Planner.

A backcountry permit is required for all wilderness campsites. Permits are only issued the day before or the day of the start of your camping trip. Permits are not issued over the telephone. Wilderness permits are written from the Ernest Coe Visitor Center only for two land sites in the Long Pine Key area: Ernest Coe and Ingraham Highway. For all other campsites, permits may be obtained at the Flamingo and Gulf Coast Visitor Centers. Winter wilderness users whose trips originate from the Florida Keys can obtain permits by phone by calling +1 239-695-2945 for the following locations only: North Nest Key, Little Rabbit Key, Carl Ross Key, and the Cape Sable Beaches. Permit fees: $10 per permit plus $2 per person per night.

Stay safe

 * The American alligator can be a very dangerous predator but it rarely attacks humans. Avoid interacting with alligators during mating season, and you will be fine. It is extremely common in the Everglades and it is estimated that more than 1 million alligators reside in Florida alone- that is more than all other populations of crocodilian species combined- so caution should always be taken. Take those numbers and measure them against the number of people who swim in Florida's rivers each year and you will find that the chance of attack is very low. In contrast, if people swam in northern Australia's rivers as much as they do in Florida's they would have hundreds or thousands of crocodile related fatalities every year. The alligator grows to 14.5 feet, although seeing individuals over 13 feet is extremely rare for this species.
 * American crocodiles exist in some parts of the Everglades and can grow considerably larger than their alligator relatives. They are, however, very rare and can only be found in considerable numbers in a few isolated pockets along the southern coast. There have been no official documented attacks on humans in Florida by this species, mainly due to its poor distribution (there are estimated to be between 500 and 1000 crocodiles in Florida). They have been known to grow up to 20 feet in length in Costa Rica, but crocodiles of 15 feet are considered large in Florida. This species, like Crocodylus porosus, can be found out to sea and does occasionally swim between islands in the Caribbean and in Florida.
 * Mosquitos: What the species of mosquitoes at the Everglades lack in size, they make up for in quantity. The mosquitoes are abundant during summer months, descriptions include being dense enough to suffocate cattle and camping lanterns. They can make a visit to Flamingo unbearable if one is not prepared. There are restrictions on use of insecticides. Mosquito level information is available at +1 305-242-7700 (8:30AM-4PM), during summer months.
 * Raccoons: The Everglades has a species of masked raccoons that grow to be the size of small bears. The mask is very appropriate, as they will quietly burglarize your camp site if given the opportunity.
 * Reptiles: The Everglades are home to an extensive variety of reptiles (alligators, crocodiles, snakes and such). Being the cold blooded animals that they are, they are always looking for opportunities to warm up in the Florida sun during the colder months and the heat from the road pavement at night. When driving through the park to Flamingo at the tip of the Everglades, you may encounter large alligators and snakes basking in the sun in the middle of the road or soaking up the heat from the road at night. Alligators will likely move on, others may not. Avoid touching or hitting any, it will not be a good experience.
 * Selfies with animals: People throw all common sense out the window when it comes to taking selfies with animals. If you're going to take one especially with an alligator, crocodile or snake, try not to do something worthy of the Darwin Awards.

Go next
Big Cypress National Preserve is adjacent to the northern edge of the park. The Miami area is within reach.