Everglades National Park Park

Address: Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, 40001 State Road 9336, Homestead, FL 33034, USA (Everglades National Park)

Website: https://www.nps.gov/ever

Hours: Park lands open 24 hours; visitor centers have limited hours

Admission: Entrance fee US$30 per private vehicle (valid 7 days); US$15 per person (walk-in/bike) - check NPS for current rates

Everglades National Park is a large subtropical wilderness at the southern tip of Florida protecting extensive sawgrass marshes, mangroves, hammocks and coastal estuaries. The park preserves a unique ecosystem that supports a wide range of wildlife, including wading birds, manatees and both American alligators and American crocodiles.

Visitors use several distinct access areas and trailheads to experience different habitats - short boardwalk trails and observation towers for wildlife viewing, canoe and kayak routes for backcountry access, and ranger-led programs. Notable visitor activities include wildlife photography, guided tram or bike tours in Shark Valley, and paddling segments of the 99-mile Wilderness Waterway.

The park was established in the 1930s to protect the region’s waters and habitats and was later recognized internationally for its biological importance. Since then it has been central to conservation and water management efforts in South Florida.

Everglades National Park spans the southern portion of the Florida peninsula, bordering Miami-Dade, Monroe and Collier counties, and extends from the urban fringe near Homestead to the Gulf Coast; main visitor entrances include Shark Valley, Royal Palm and Flamingo.

• Size and status: The park covers about 1.5 million acres (roughly 6,000 km²) of subtropical wetlands and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site and international biosphere reserve.
• Best time to visit: Dry season (November-April) generally offers easier access and better wildlife viewing; the wet season brings mosquitoes and higher water levels that may limit some trails.

What to See#

• Shark Valley: Shark Valley - a visitor area on the park’s northern edge with a 24-km loop road, an observation tower and paved trails for walking and cycling.
• Royal Palm (Anhinga Trail): Anhinga Trail and Royal Palm - short boardwalk and trail near the Royal Palm area noted for close wildlife viewing of wading birds and alligators.
• Flamingo: Flamingo - the park’s southern visitor area at Florida Bay with boat launches, shoreline wildlife viewing and access to the southern Everglades and Gulf coast.

Everglades National Park has several main visitor access points from the Miami area. From Miami take US‑41 (Tamiami Trail) west to reach the Shark Valley entrance (central access) or take Florida’s Turnpike south and then US‑1 to reach the Homestead/Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center (main entrance to the park’s eastern side). Travel times from central Miami vary but are generally under 1.5 hours depending on destination and traffic.

Most park units require driving to trailheads or visitor centers; parking areas are adjacent to visitor facilities or trailheads and walking distances within the park are typically short. There is limited public transit into the park itself.

• Plan visits during the dry season (roughly November-April) for better wildlife viewing and lower mosquito activity; mornings at Shark Valley and Anhinga Trail are particularly productive for spotting birds and alligators.
• Enter via the Flamingo Visitor Center for the southern coastal areas and via the Shark Valley entrance off Tamiami Trail for the inland sawgrass prairies - each area offers very different wildlife and viewing infrastructure (tram/bike at Shark Valley).
• Avoid peak mid‑day heat and the busiest weekend windows by arriving early on weekdays; guided boat tours into the mangroves and ranger programs often highlight species and habitats that casual trail visitors miss.