The Everglades
We’ve compiled the best of the best in The Everglades - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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1. Anhinga Trail
One of the most popular trails in the Everglades, Anhinga is known for its ample wildlife viewing opportunities. The 0.8-mile, wheelchair-accessible trail cuts through sawgrass marsh and allows you to see alligators, egrets, and herons, and, of course, the trail's namesake waterbirds: anhingas. It also provides close encounters (sometimes too close) with alligators that find it pleasing to sun themselves just feet from the walkways. Easy.
Everglades National Park, Florida, 33034, USA305-242--7700 -
2. Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center
The park's main visitor center is named after the Connecticut landscape designer, Ernest F. Coe, who moved to Miami at the age of 60 where he was at first intrigued by, and then fell in love with, the Everglades. It was Coe who became the leading proponent to turn this region into a national park; he raised funds, generated support, and worked out ways visitors could see the Everglades with minimal impact on the environment. This is a convenient first stop to pick up a map, watch an introductory film providing an overview of the Everglades, and view exhibits that reveal the nature of the park. The visitor center is outside park gates, so you can stop in without paying park admission (and use the restrooms). Also, due to the remoteness of this location, visitors arriving via ride-sharing services (Uber, Lyft) should plan for return transportation before starting their adventure. There's no public transportation to this site.
40001 State Rd. 9336, Homestead, Florida, 33034, USA305-242–7700Sight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
3. Flamingo Marina Store—Everglades National Park Boat Tours 2
Next to the Flamingo Visitor Center, the only general store within Everglades National Park stocks limited groceries, snacks, souvenirs, bait, tackle, firewood, and camping supplies, as well as fuel for boats and vehicles. It's a sister operation to Everglades National Park Boat Tours in Everglades City.
1 Flamingo Lodge Hwy., Everglades National Park, Florida, 33034, USA855-708--2207 -
4. Flamingo Visitor Center
Flamingo features a visitor center where you can consult with rangers and join walking tours, and it's also where you'll find a well-stocked marina store with beverages, snacks, camping provisions, and a gift shop. There are also boat rentals, guided boat tours, walking trails, an RV and tent campground, and a collection of "eco-tents" on the shores of Florida Bay that lean toward "glamping." The winter season is traditionally the busiest, so be sure to arrive with reservations in hand, while during the hot and rainy summer season, portions of the campground may be closed due to flooding.
1 Flamingo Lodge Hwy., Florida, 33034, USA239-695–2945 -
5. Gulf Coast Visitor Center
The best place to start exploring Everglades National Park's watery western side is at this visitor center just south of Everglades City (5 miles south of U.S./Highway 41/Tamiami Trail), where rangers can give you the park lowdown and provide you with informational brochures and backcountry permits. The Gulf Coast Visitor Center serves as the gateway for exploring the Ten Thousand Islands, a maze of mangrove islands and waterways that extends to Flamingo and Florida Bay and are accessible only by boat in this region. Naturalist-led boat trips are handled by Everglades Florida Adventures of Guest Services, Inc., the concessioner that also rents canoes and kayaks.
815 Oyster Bar La., Everglades City, Florida, 34139, USA239-695–3311 -
Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. Mahogany Hammock Trail
This half-mile boardwalk trail, accessible for those with disabilities, takes you through a hardwood hammock where the lush vegetation includes gumbo-limbo trees and air plants. This thick canopy forest is typical of South Florida and also happens to be home to America's largest mahogany tree. Along the way, listen for the calls of birds that are hidden within the thick forest. Easy.
Everglades National Park, Florida, 33034, USA305-242--7700 -
7. Nine Mile Pond
Located just off the park's main road 11 miles north of Flamingo, this marked kayak trail leads through freshwater marsh and mangrove tunnels that make it a favorite spot for paddlers. You can rent a kayak or canoe at the Flamingo Marina or go on a ranger-led tour from the Flamingo Visitor Center. Don't be shocked if you see an alligator or two swimming nearby. In fact, be surprised if you don't.
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8. Pa-hay-okee Lookout Tower
For expansive views of the River of Grass and a chance to glimpse Everglades wildlife, walk the short Pa-hay-okee Overlook Trail, which ends at a covered observation tower. Take your time here, look around, and tune into the silence of this immense landscape. It's really something.
Everglades National Park, Florida, 33034, USA305-242--7700 -
9. Royal Palm Information Station and Bookstore
Just a few miles past the park entrance, this is an ideal stop if you have limited time to visit the Everglades. When you arrive, note the medallion attached to the building's wall, which pays tribute to members of the Florida Federation of Women’s Clubs who donated the 4,000 surrounding acres in 1916. At the small bookstore, you’ll find nature guidebooks along with a limited inventory of souvenirs and snack items, while just outside in a covered pavilion, rangers present talks on the park’s history and wildlife. The park's Pine Island Trails (Anhinga Trail, Gumbo Limbo Trail, Lone Pine Key Trails, Pineland Trail, Pahayokee Overlook, and Mahogany Hammock Trail) are also around the visitor center. As always, arm yourself with insect repellent.
Everglades National Park, Florida, 33034, USA305-242–7237 -
10. Shark Valley Observation Tower
At the halfway point of the Shark Valley loop or tram tour, you’ll see (and likely be persuaded to scale) the observation tower, which, at 50 feet, is the highest accessible point in Everglades National Park. From the summit you’ll be able to see roughly 20 miles in any direction; do the math and that's 1,600 square miles of Everglades goodness. As you take in the River of Grass in all its subtle glory, observe waterbirds as well as alligators and maybe even river otters crossing the road. The tower has a wheelchair-accessible ramp to the top. If you don't want to take the tram from the Shark Valley Visitor Center, you can either hike or bike in, but private cars are not allowed.
36000 S.W. 8th St., Miami, Florida, 33194, USA -
11. Shark Valley Visitor Center
If Flamingo feels too far away, Shark Valley can provide an idea of the Everglades through educational displays, a park video, and informational brochures. Books and other goods, such as hats, sunscreen, insect repellent, and postcards are available, along with restrooms. Park rangers are also available, ready for your questions. Provided the valley isn't flooded, this is where you'll find the two-hour tram tour and Observation Tower.
36000 S.W. 8th St., Miami, Florida, 33194, USA305-221–8776 -
12. Ten Thousand Islands
A surreal landscape by any measure, the Ten Thousand Islands are a 35,000-acre chain of islands and smaller mangrove islets south of Marco Island. The Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge is a magnet for kayakers, naturalists, birdwatchers, and photographers thanks to the refuge's proliferation of fish, birds, and other wildlife. Finding your way through the islands can be confusing, so the National Park Service recommends that visitors consult NOAA Charts #11430 and #11432. While the northern islands lie in the national refuge, the lower islands lie within Everglades National Park and are best accessed by boat tours leaving from the Gulf Coast Visitor Center. If you're driving from Naples, you can also park at the Marsh Trail, the best spot for accessing trails. Kayaking and hiking are popular activities for day visitors, who may spot endangered species such as Florida manatees, peregrine falcons, and Atlantic loggerheads.
815 Oyster Bar La., Everglades City, Florida, 34139, USA239-657--8001
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