🥾 Anhinga Trail (0.8 miles, flat): This wheelchair-accessible trail provides excellent opportunities to view the park’s wildlife. Visit in the morning for best results.
🥾 Pa-hay-okee Overlook (0.2 miles, flat): Another wheelchair-accessible trail, this loop provides a beautiful overlook of the park’s freshwater slough and freshwater marl prairie. It’s not a bad spot to view sunsets, either.
🥾 Mahogany Hammock (0.4 miles, flat): Another wheelchair-accessible trail, the loop’s boardwalk takes you through one of the hardwood hammock “islands” in the park. Once you enter the trees, it feels as if you have been transported to another place entirely.
🥾 Snake Bight Trail (3.6 miles, flat): This trail is more rugged but still an easy walk for those used to more difficult hikes. The trail itself is rather boring, but the boardwalk view at the end makes the walk worthwhile. Rowdy Bend Trail is a bit longer and ends at the same spot, and Christian Point Trail is nearby and provides a similar end-of-trail view.

🚴 Bike the Shark Valley Tram Trail: This 15-mile loop provides ample opportunity to view alligators and birds. Halfway through, you can stop at an observation tower that provides beautiful views in all directions. If you can’t bike 15 miles, a guided tram tour is offered as well.
🚣‍♂️ Canoeing/Kayaking: The park is a kayaker’s paradise. Whether you are venturing out for a multi-day adventure on the Wilderness Waterway or along the coast, or you just want to spend a half-day on the Buttonwood Canal or Nine Mile Pond, you will be satisfied. Flamingo Adventures offers canoe and kayak rentals.
⛺ Camping: For most national parks, there’s no better way to experience your surroundings than through camping. Everglades is no exception. Be sure to book at Long Pine Key’s campground – not at the Flamingo campground – to avoid mosquitoes.
🪖 HM69 Nike Missile Base: This cool historical spot can easily be overlooked if you don’t know about it. Check visitation hours on the park’s website or by talking to a ranger.
🛥️ Airboat Ride: For many, this is the essential Everglades experience. There are only three authorized concessioners for airboat rides: Coopertown Airboats, Gator Park, and Everglades Safari Park. If you’re short on time in Everglades, you can skip this. In my opinion, it’s a very touristy and impersonal experience.

🏞️ Biscayne National Park: Located about 35 minutes from the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, this watery national park makes for a good 1-day stop while you’re in Florida.
🏞️ Big Cypress National Preserve: If you enjoyed Everglades, Big Cypress will give you more of the same adventure. This NPS unit shares its border with Everglades and is a short drive from the Shark Valley Visitor Center
🏖️ Florida Keys: You don’t have to drive far to reach Key Largo and the remaining Keys. There’s plenty to do, see, and eat here to keep tourists busy for days.
🚗 U.S. Highway 1: This scenic drive takes you from the Florida mainland all the way to Key West. Among other things, you’ll see and cross the Seven Mile Bridge.
🏞️ Dry Tortugas National Park: My personal favorite of the three Florida national parks is accessible by boat from Key West, which is ~3 hours from Everglades’ east entrance.

📅 When to Visit: You should visit Everglades during the dry season, which runs from November/December to March/April. This is when you can experience fewer bugs, lower humidity, less rain, and less heat. I visited in March and had great weather.
⌚ How Long to Visit: 2-3 days in Everglades will give you enough time to hit all the major attractions. Those seeking adventure in the wilderness can easily spend a week kayaking through the heart of the park.
🚗 How to Get There: Everglades is easily accessible by car from nearby cities, including Homestead, Miami, Tampa, and Orlando.
🛏️ Where to Stay: The park offers both frontcountry and wilderness camping. Long Pine Key and Flamingo both house reservation-based campgrounds. I recommend staying at Long Pine Key’s campground to avoid mosquitoes, but you might be OK to stay at Flamingo’s campground during the dry season. Eco-Tents are also offered. Outside of the park, the nearby population centers offer plenty of hotels and Airbnbs.
🧳 What to Bring: You can rent bikes and watercraft in the park, but bring your own if you can. Otherwise, bring hiking boots, water containers, camping gear, sunscreen, and lots of bug spray. A good pair of binoculars will serve you well in bird-watching.

✅ DO visit both the Shark Valley and the Flamingo/Pine Island areas. I haven’t heard much great about the Gulf Coast area.
✅ DO bring binoculars to more fully enjoy the wildlife.
✅ DO prepare for mosquitoes and other biting insects, no matter what time of year it is.
✅ DO educate yourself about the big issues that the park faces. See my blog post (linked above) for more.
❌ DON’T approach alligators. Give them at least 15 feet of space.
❌ DON’T feed alligators, crocodiles, or any other wildlife. In some cases, this can be a death sentence to the animal you feed. Don’t do it.
❌ DON’T touch or disturb vegetation in the park. STAY ON THE TRAILS.