Snapshot Planning Your VisitWhen we visited the park We visited the park the second week of March. The weather was good for being outside. We were warm, but not hot and uncomfortable. The mornings were cool at times, but nothing that we couldn't accommodate with long sleeves or hoodies. There were still some large crowds are popular areas in the park. We had the most success exploring without too many people around at the Gulf Coast area and Big Cypress. The Shark Valley area was the most busy, we were not able to enter the park at that entrance.  weather-us.com Things to Consider 1. The first thing to know is, this park is large! There are three different entrances, and four different visitor centers. 2. The main visitor center is Ernest F. Coe, and it is nearest to the Anhinga Trail, flamingos, and eco pond. 3. Consider taking an airboat ride through the Mangroves. There are different options for the type of tour you take, but there is nothing like going through the Mangroves. 4. Come prepared for the elements! There are bugs and sun here. Bring both bug spray and sunscreen to protect yourself. 5. Consider staying in Naples instead of Miami if you are looking for a quieter vacation, it is not far from the Northern Park of Everglades National Park, and it is on the gulf side of Florida, so great for swimming!  How to Get There Unlike most National Parks, Everglades National Park has three entrances in 3 different cities that are not connected. On busy weekends in the winter, the Homestead and Shark Valley entrances can become extremely congested. Long lines can form at the entrance gates, and it can be difficult or impossible to find parking at the visitor centers. Homestead Entrance - Take the Florida Turnpike (Route 821) south until it ends, merge with U.S. 1 at Florida City. Turn right at the first traffic light onto Palm Drive (State Road 9336/SW 344 St.) and follow the signs to the park. There is a Trolley service that can transfer you from the Miami area to the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center from December to April. Everglades City (Gulf Coast) Entrance - Drive west on U.S. 41 (Tamiami Trail) for 40 miles, then turn left on State Road 29. Once in Everglades City, follow the signs to the park. The Gulf Coast Visitor Center is on the right. Miami (Shark Valley) Entrance - From the Florida Turnpike, get off on exit 25A (from the north) or exit 25 (from the south) take U.S. 41 (Tamiami Trail / SW 8th St.) 25 miles west to Shark Valley. Where to Stay Inside the Park Flamingo Campground This 274-site campground is accessible from the main entrance by Homestead is for tents and RVs. Sites are available to reserve for $27-$55 a night depending on equipment and electrical needed. Reservations can be made through Everglades Guest Services, linked above. This service also has information on their website about restaurants, houseboats, boat tours, and more. Long Pine Key This 108-site campground is accessible from the main entrance by Homestead between November to May. You can use a tent or RV at this campground. Sites are available to reserve for $27-$35 a night depending on equipment and electrical needed. Reservations can be made through Everglades Guest Services, linked above. This service also has information on their website about restaurants, houseboats, boat tours, and more. Outside the Park Miami Visitor Bureau There are countless places to stay in the Miami area. The Miami Visitor Bureau has a user-friendly website that can help direct you to places to stay and activities to do while you are in the area. Naples   What We Did There were two things that we wanted to do with our time in the Everglades. The first was to get my son and husband out on a guided peacock bass fishing trip. This was something they will always remember, as fishing for peacock bass has been on my husband's bucket list and my son loves anything to do with the Amazon or jungle. They met their guide northwest of Miami in a county park, and headed out for a full day trip. They had so much success, not just with the peacock bass, but with other unique fish to this area. All within a 30 minute drive to the Miami area. This will be something they always remember! The second thing that we booked was an airboat tour through the Mangroves. This was tour was so amazing! We loved every second of it, even if we didn't see alligators around every corner. We still were able to see about five gators, but the fun was in the guides and their storytelling. We also loved being able to talk through the headsets to one another and listen to our laughter as they we flew through the mangroves. There are many different options for airboat tours. We decided to book with Captain Jack's Airboat Tours. This is located near Everglades City and the Gulf Coast section of the Everglades. What we loved about Captain Jack's was that there were other things to do with our admission. There was an alligator show, an animal sanctuary, and the opportunity to hug a baby alligator. So after we got back from the airboat tour, we headed down the road to the sanctuary to see some of the animals and shows. It was a great afternoon! One thing we were not able to do was to visit the Shark Valley area of the park. We had tried to get into this entrance, however it was very backed up and the rangers had closed it off until some of the parking lots opened up. We decided that we would head over to Big Cypress Nature Preserve and see what we could find there. This area of the park has very limited service, so be prepared if you have to change your plans. Big Cypress did not disappoint. The visitor center was significantly better than the Gulf Coast one, which felt more like an office. We also saw alligators all along the boardwalk they had along the visitor center parking lot. There is a fence between the waterway and visitors, so you feel like you are able to safely get a good view of these reptiles. As an alternative to going to some of the busier areas of the park, this was great! I would recommend Big Cypress to anyone. The one thing I regret not going to is the main visitor center at Ernest F. Coe. I would have really liked to have seen the flamingos that aren't too far from here and to explore the eco pond. I think my kids would have liked seeing all the wildlife in this area as well. With our days so full though, we were running out of steam to fit more in. Where this fit in our Road Trip This was the third national park we visited on our Florida Keys Road Trip. We saved this for last because we were flying out of Miami. Because of this, we tried to stay closer to the Miami area of the park. It was very congested, and eventually we head to the much quiet Gulf Coast. As this was the last thing we were exploring in the park, we took advantage of different areas of the park, and finally getting onto the water. After this day, we relaxed at the hotel before heading back home. NPS App and All Trails Maps I highly recommend using the National Park Service (NPS) App, as well as the All Trails App for hiking. There is limited service in the park, so planning ahead is helpful. These two apps allow you to download sights, maps, and trails so that you can access information anywhere. The NPS app also links to the full National Parks Website, with a plethora of information.
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