Things to Do in Everglades National Park (A Local Guide, Area by Area)

Everglades National Park is huge (1.5 million acres) and it doesn't have one front door. It has four very different entrances, and the right plan depends on which side of Florida you're coming from and whether you want to walk, bike, or get out on the water. Here's how our guides would break it down, area by area.

First, know the four areas

• Homestead / Ernest F. Coe entrance (east): the main entrance, with the Royal Palm area, the classic boardwalks, and the 38-mile road to Flamingo.
• Shark Valley (north, on US-41): a 15-mile loop road with a tram tour and an observation tower.
• Flamingo (far south): the end of the road on Florida Bay, with a marina, campground and boat tours.
• Gulf Coast / Everglades City (west): the gateway to the Ten Thousand Islands, which you can only explore by boat, canoe or kayak. This is our backyard.

They aren't connected inside the park. Shark Valley and Everglades City are both on the Tamiami Trail (US-41) side, while Royal Palm and Flamingo are reached from Homestead, so most people pick one side per day.

1. Walk the Anhinga Trail at Royal Palm

If you only do one short walk in the park, make it this one. The Anhinga Trail is a 0.8-mile, wheelchair-accessible boardwalk and paved path over sawgrass marsh, and it's one of the most reliable places in the park to see alligators, turtles, and wading birds up close. Right next to it, the Gumbo Limbo Trail (0.4 mile) loops through a shady hardwood hammock that feels like a different world.

Farther down the main park road, two more short boardwalks are worth the stop: Pa-hay-okee Overlook (0.16 mile, reopened in 2026 after a full renovation) looks out over the "river of grass," and Mahogany Hammock (0.5 mile) passes the largest living mahogany tree in the United States.

2. Ride or bike the Shark Valley loop

Shark Valley is the easiest big-picture Everglades experience. A 15-mile paved loop runs out into the sawgrass to a 70-foot observation tower at the halfway point, the highest spot visitors can reach in the park. You can do it three ways:

• The tram tour: a two-hour narrated ride. Reservations are strongly recommended November through April.
• By bike: rentals are available at Shark Valley. Plan on 2 to 4 hours and carry your own water.
• On foot: even a mile or two out and back usually turns up gators sunning beside the road.

3. Paddle the Ten Thousand Islands

The Gulf Coast side of the park is a maze of mangrove islands and waterways that stretches all the way down to Flamingo and Florida Bay, and none of it is reachable by car. This is where you find dolphins, manatees, ospreys, and quiet sandbars you'll have to yourself.

The park's new Marjory Stoneman Douglas Visitor Center in Everglades City opened in 2026, with a kayak launch and wildlife viewing. From here, marked paddling routes include the Sandfly Island loop (about 6.5 miles) and the Turner River (8.5 miles to Chokoloskee). The famous Wilderness Waterway runs 99 miles from Everglades City to Flamingo; most paddlers allow at least 8 days, and it's for experienced paddlers only.

If you're not an experienced sea kayaker, go with a guide. Tides, oyster bars, and a thousand look-alike islands make it easy to get turned around. Our guided kayak and canoe tours launch from Chokoloskee and Everglades City, including paddles through mangrove tunnels and down the Turner River. Want to cover more water? A boat-assisted kayak tour carries you out to the good paddling, or you can stay dry on our 2-hour dolphin and birding boat tour.

4. Drive to Flamingo

Flamingo sits at the end of the 38-mile main park road, on the edge of Florida Bay. The Guy Bradley Visitor Center, marina, and campground are here, along with bike, canoe, kayak and boat rentals and 90-minute boat tours of Florida Bay and the backcountry. Paddlers can try the Nine Mile Pond canoe trail, a 5.2-mile loop marked with numbered poles. In winter, huge flocks of American white pelicans gather on Florida Bay.

5. Go birding

More than 360 bird species have been recorded in the park. The dry season is the best time, when wading birds such as herons, egrets, ibis, wood storks and roseate spoonbills gather around the shrinking water. Good spots include the Anhinga Trail, Shark Valley, Flamingo, and the mangrove islands of the Gulf Coast. Serious birders and photographers can book one of our birding and photography tours with a Florida Master Naturalist guide.

6. Get your feet wet on a swamp walk

Boardwalks are great, but wading into a cypress strand is how you really meet the Everglades. On a guided swamp walk or hike, you'll look for wild orchids, bromeliads, and the small creatures that live in the water, with a naturalist to point it all out.

7. Camp overnight

The park has two drive-in campgrounds, Flamingo and Long Pine Key. For something wilder, the backcountry has beach sites, ground sites, and elevated platforms called chickees, most of them reachable only by boat. Backcountry sites need a wilderness permit booked on Recreation.gov up to 90 days ahead; walk-up permits ended in 2023. We run a boat shuttle service for paddlers heading into the backcountry.

Fees, hours, and when to go

• Entrance fee: $35 per private vehicle, good for 7 days at every entrance. $20 per person on foot or bike, $70 for an annual pass. No cash is accepted.
• Best season: the dry season, roughly November through April. It's the busiest time, with the best weather and the most birds.
• Wet season (May to November): hot, with frequent afternoon storms and a lot of mosquitoes. Bring repellent and go early in the day.
• Airboats: they aren't allowed inside the park. The airboat rides near Shark Valley run along US-41 outside the boundary.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to enter Everglades National Park?
A private vehicle pass is $35 and is good for 7 days at every park entrance. It's $20 per person on foot or bike, $30 for a motorcycle, and $70 for an annual Everglades pass. The park does not accept cash.

What is the best time of year to visit Everglades National Park?
The dry season, roughly November through April, is the most popular time: cooler weather, fewer mosquitoes, and wading birds concentrated around the remaining water. The wet season (May to November) is hot, rainy and buggy, with fewer ranger programs.

Can you see the Ten Thousand Islands without a boat?
No. The Ten Thousand Islands are a maze of mangrove islands and waterways that can only be explored by boat, canoe or kayak. Most visitors go with a guided kayak or boat tour from Everglades City or Chokoloskee.

Are airboat rides allowed in Everglades National Park?
Airboat tours are not offered inside Everglades National Park. The airboat operators near Shark Valley run on land along US-41 outside the park boundary.

Ready to meet them? Call 239-695-3633 or book online above.