We are planning a trip to Florida in the end of April and beginning of May and wanted to visit the Everglades NP. How bad are the mosquitoes and heat at this time of year? Also how long would the drive be to Key West from Homestead on a weekday? Thanks for the help.

Mosquitoes don't get really bad until mid May. April is actually a pretty good month because there's lots of wind which is a good deterrent to mosquitoes. Of course, you should always bring mosquito spray anytime you visit the Everglades, even in the mid winter.

The advantage of April/May is that alligators will be active and you'll get to see many of them. Early April is my favorite time to visit. You don't get all the hordes of Northern tourists, the wildlife is very active, and the mosquitoes are not yet bad.

I don't really find the heat to be bad at all in late April/early May, but I realize that is a personal deal. It might get into the mid 80's, but the humidity is still not that bad, although you can get some humid days. Wear a protective hat and sunscreen, especially if you're fair skinned or from a Northern climate.

I agree with the above post.
It's probably 3 or 3.5 hours from KW to Homestead on a weekday. Longer if you spend lots of time at Robert is Here getting your fresh fruit milkshake!

Thanks for the replies!