This sprawling national park is an easy day trip from major cities like Miami and Fort Lauderdale—but the impossibly green, wildlife-filled region often feels like a world of its own. The Everglades is famous for being the only place on earth where alligators and crocodiles coexist, alongside other creatures such as Florida panthers, manatees, bottlenose dolphins, and even black bears. The best things to do in Everglades National Park all take place on the water: Be sure to book an airboat tour to learn about the environment in true Florida fashion.
November to April is the high and dry season in the Everglades—it’s during these months that visitors flock to the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States. With fewer mosquitos, wintering bird populations, and excellent weather, a winter visit can seem like a no-brainer. That being said, the spring mating season is a serious draw for wildlife lovers, and baby alligators hit their first waters in early August.
The Everglades is massive—some 1.5 million acres of wetlands, marshes, freshwater sloughs, pinelands, and mangroves. Though there are three separate entrances to Everglades National Park, they do not connect to each other. The Homestead entrance is arguably the best for first-time visitors, as it connects to many iconic viewpoints, trails (like the famed Anhinga Trail), and things to do. If you want to ditch the car, opt for a boat trip around the Thousand Islands area, near Everglades City.
If you do opt for the Homestead entrance, pack a picnic. Make your way to the park, walk the .8-mile Anhinga Trail—expect alligators, herons, egrets, cormorants, and more, up close—and then move to Long Pine Key Trail or Nine Mile Pond Trail. You’re deep in the slough now; either continue on toward Flamingo or retrace your steps, grabbing a milkshake on your way out of the park at Robert Is Here Fruit Stand, in Homestead.
Local Currency US Dollar ($) | Time Zone EDT (UTC -5) | Country Code +1 | Language(s) English | Attractions 12 | Tours 15 | Reviews 596 |
Everglades National Park protects the largest remaining subtropical wilderness in the US—it’s famous for its endless maze of slow-moving waterways flowing among the marsh grass. The park is also well-known for its incredible birdlife (think ibises, roseate spoonbills, egrets, and herons) and wildlife such as alligators, panthers, crocodiles, and turtles.
...MoreIf you can only visit one region of the Everglades, choose Shark Valley. It’s accessible from Miami, and it’s really the heart of the ecosystem. From here, you can walk, bike, or ride the tram along a 15-mile loop road to check out the landscapes and search for the park’s best wildlife.
...MoreThree days is a solid amount of time to see the diversity of the Everglades. That’ll give you enough time to explore the 15-mile loop road in Shark Valley, hike the Anhinga Trail—a world-famous boardwalk trail bordering Taylor Slough—and get out to the Gulf Coast Visitor Center and the Tamiami Trail.
...MoreYes. Everglades National Park has many incredible trails that are great for exploring on foot. Definitely check out the Anhinga Trail at Royal Palm—a world-famous boardwalk trail—and Shark Valley, a 15-mile car-free road that offers some of the park’s best wildlife viewing. If you’re heading toward Flamingo, there are a lot of trails off the main park road as well.
...MoreOne of the most popular things to do in Everglades National Park is exploring Shark Valley, which is easily accessible from Miami. The 15-mile loop road isn’t open to private vehicles—you can walk, bike, or ride the Shark Valley tram to search for wildlife and take in the park’s incredible wetland panoramas.
...MoreMost of Everglades National Park is water, which means boating, kayaking, and canoeing are great ways to explore it and the adjacent wilderness areas. But you can also hike the trails, take a scenic drive down the Tamiami Trail, dive into history at the visitor centers, attend ranger talks, scout for wildlife, and more.
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