Everglades National Park in One Day (9 Amazing Things You Can’t Miss)

The Everglades National Park is vast! It covers more than 1.5 million acres in South Florida.

And no wonder that there are three entrances to the park and they are hours apart from each other.

You can enter Everglades National Park through:

• Main Entrance of the park if you are coming from Homestead or Miami
• Or, through Shark Valley, if you are traveling from Miami
• or, the Gulf Coast in Everglades City

There is no best or worst entrance, it just all depends on where you are coming from. This post is about exploring Everglades National Park coming from Homestead or Miami and entering the park through the Main Entrance.

My recommendation is to rent a car in Miami. I am pretty sure you will get the best rates. Also, make sure to check out Fort Lauderdale for flights and car rentals. I found out that it is sometimes less expensive to fly into Fort Lauderdale than in Miami and rent a car in Fort Lauderdale. But, it all depends on where you are coming from.

There is no public transportation in Everglades National Park. The only way to get around in the park is to either by car or go on a tour. Once in the park, you can kayak or canoe.

• By Car

First of all, if you are flying into Florida, then make sure to do a flight search. Sometimes flying into smaller airports is less expensive. However, it all depends on where you are coming from. Next, compare the rates for car rentals. I use Dicovercars.com to get the best rate.

• Go on a Tour

Going on a tour has a lot of advantages. First of all, you. do not need to drive and second, the tour guides know the best places for wildlife viewing. My choice would be to check out Everglades National Park Biologist Led Adventure: Cruise, Hike + Airboat.

All park visitors are required to pay an entrance fee.

Pre-paid digital passes may be purchased online before entering the park and displayed on a mobile device or printed out for display at the fee station.

Entrance passes may also be purchased at the Homestead and Shark Valley entrance stations and the Gulf Coast Visitor Center. Digital passes or credit cards are preferred at all fee collection areas. Entrance passes are non-transferable.  Entrance passes are good for seven days.

• Private vehicle or vessel: $30.00
• Motorcycle: $25.00
• Pedestrian / Cyclist / Paddle-craft: $15.00

Two places that I have stayed and I can recommend are located in Homestead, Florida. Homestead is an excellent location if you are exploring Florida’s National Parks, as well as doing any day trips to the Florida Keys and Key West.

Courtyard By Marriott Miami Homestead is my first choice. The rooms are nice and clean, the beds are comfortable, and breakfast is available as well. Each room has a refrigerator and a microwave.

If Courtyard By Marriott is booked, then my second choice is Hilton Garden Inn Homestead. It is a bit worn out, and not as well maintained as Courtyard By Marriott. However, the rooms are clean and good size.

• Everglades National Park is home to one of the largest wetlands in the world.
• In reality, the Everglades is a slow-moving river flowing north to south from Lake Okeechobee.
• Several different habitats are found in the Everglades: pine rocklands, coastal lowlands, and marine waters. However, the park is best known for its mangroves, sawgrass prairies, and freshwater slough.

• In 1928, landscape architect Ernest Coe began an effort to designate a national park in south Florida. His persistence paid off when Congress passed legislation in 1934 to establish Everglades National Park. It took another 13 years to acquire the land and define the boundaries of the new park.
• Everglades National Park is teeming with plant and animal species not found anywhere else on the planet. The Everglades provides important habitat for numerous species like the manatee, American crocodile, and the elusive Florida panther. The park has long been a birder’s paradise — it is the winter home of more than 360 different species of birds.

• The Everglades receives an average of 60 inches of rain a year. It is a lot of water!
• The Everglades is the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles coexist. Crocodiles exist in much smaller numbers and tend to remain near coastal areas. Alligators prefer to stay inland, near freshwater.

South Florida has two seasons: wet and dry.

• Wet Season (May through November)

The Everglades are typically hot and humid from May through November. Temperatures reach average highs of 90°F, with humidity over 90%! Afternoon thunderstorms can be expected daily with heavy rainfalls however they subside quickly.

As water levels rise, animals disperse making wildlife viewing more challenging.

Insects such as mosquitoes and biting flies make outdoor activities very uncomfortable.

• Dry Season (November through April)

The Everglades are mild and pleasant from November through April, with low humidity and clear skies. Temperatures reach average highs of 77°F and lows of 53°F.

Occasionally, strong cold fronts may create near-freezing conditions. They are rare but do happen, so plan accordingly!

Wildlife viewing is excellent during the dry season as water levels drop and animals congregate around remnant water holes. If you are into bird watching, then be ready for a special treat since many bird species visit southern Florida during the dry season.

Mosquitos and biting flies are scarce making all outdoor activities enjoyable!

Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center is definitely where you want to start your one-day trip into Everglades National Park.

First of all, there are plenty of educational displays telling you about the park and what you might see.

Second, there is an information desk where you can check in with the Rangers to find out if any trails are closed or if they have additional information for new good spots for wildlife viewing. Finally, pick up some maps and brochures and watch a short movie about the park.

There is a gift shop as well that you might want to check out. And, don’t forget to use the restroom and refuel your water bottles.

In the back of the visitor center is a nice porch with rocking chairs overlooking a pond. It is a great place to stop and relax and have a bite to eat.

After you are done checking out all the displays at the Visitor Center, jump back into your vehicle and proceed to the Park Entrance Sation. All visitors to Everglades National Park are required to pay an entrance fee. You can purchase your pass at the entrance to the park, or you can purchase it online. The single-vehicle pass is $30 and it is good for 7 days.

The first stop that you want to make is at Royal Palm Information Station. There are restrooms here, vending machines, and a small bookstore.

At the Royal Palm Information Station, you will find the trailheads for two short trails: the Anhinga Trail named after a bird, and the Gumbo Limbo Trail named after a tree. As you might expect, the Gumbo Limbo Trail focuses on the trees and vegetation in the area, and the Anhinga Trail is all about animals.

You should see if there are any Royal Palm Ranger Guided Tours scheduled for the day. The best ones are Anhinga Amble (Year-round) at 10:30 am, and Slough Slog/Wet Walk (Reservations Required, December – March 31) also at 10:30 am where you wade through the River of Grass.

They also have Starlight Walk where you experience the Anhinga Trail by starlight. So, these are just some additional ideas, and if your time allows check them all out. They are fun and educational!

Start your hike with the Anhinga Trail, which is about 0.8 miles round trip. What you need to know is that the Anhinga Trail was named after the waterbird Anhinga.

• The Anhinga’s distinctive shape earned it the nickname “water turkey” for its turkeylike tail, and “snake bird” for its long snakelike neck as it slithers through the water.
• Unlike most waterbirds, the Anhinga doesn’t have waterproof feathers. While that may seem like a disadvantage for their watery lifestyle, their wet feathers and dense bones help them slowly submerge their bodies under the water so they can slyly stalk fish.
• When Anhingas aren’t slyly swimming through shallow waters with only their head sticking out, they are easy to spot hanging themselves out to dry. Look around the borders of lakes and ponds with forested edges for a sunning bird.

Source: All About Birds

Anhinga Trail gives a great opportunity at viewing wildlife up close including alligators, turtles, birds, and fish which makes it one of the most popular trails in the park. And, I do hope that you see all of the above!

The first part of the trail is paved, but it eventually becomes a raised boardwalk over some slow-moving open water among the grasses.

Be on the lookout for alligators. This is a perfect place to see them!

Next, take the Gumbo Limbo Trail (named after the tree). It is an easy trail with no elevation change that is about 0.4 miles round trip.

The trail weaves through tropical hardwood trees in a hammock. Just so you know, a hammock is a term for stands of trees, usually, hardwood, that grow on elevated areas, often just a few inches high, surrounded by wetlands.

Now, make sure you identify the gumbo limbo trees as you are hiking. The gumbo limbo trees are big and beautiful, with showy red bark and interesting branches low to the ground.

The gumbo limbo trees develop unusual red bark that peels back – reminiscent of sunburned skin – which gives gumbo limbo the nickname of “Tourist Tree.”

Next, head to the Nike Missile Base.

Everglades National Park houses one of the best-preserved relics of the Cold War in Florida, a historic Nike Hercules missile site called “Alpha Battery” or “HM69”. It is really interesting to see the base, and a missile, and learn about the individuals posted here during the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

You can visit the site most days between early December and late March. There is an open house program, as well as Ranger-guided tours. Make sure to check with the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center for scheduled programs at the site.

The next stop in Everglades National Park is Pineland Trail. Pineland Trailhead is located 6.6 miles (11 min drive) from Ernest E. Coe Visitor Center.

The trail is a 0.4 miles paved loop that meanders through one of the most varied habitats in the park ranging from cactus on high ground to the jungle tangle at the edge of the hammock.

Many educational displays along the trail provide invaluable insight into this diverse habitat.

The trail starts with lined rows of saw palmetto and the Coontie.

Did you know that saw palmetto possesses special characteristics which make them resistant to wildfire, which is a regular threat in this area? Saw palmetto plants wrap their buds in a protective tissue that shields them from fire and allows for easy rebirth.

Similarly, the Coontie, a fern-like under-plant, grows deep root systems that enable quick sprouting after a fire. The pine trees themselves have special bark which takes the brunt of the fire, leaving their undersides healthy to re-grow.

In the distance, you will see Slash Pines. The Slash Pine forests used to extend up the Atlantic coast of Florida. However, due to heavy logging, today the 20,000 acres of Everglades pineland forest is now the most endangered pine community in North America and represents virtually all that is left of this habitat.

The Slash Pines’ special bark takes the brunt of the fire, leaving their undersides healthy to re-grow.

Be on the lookout for solution holes! These are pits in karst that formed when the sea level and the water table were lower than the present levels.

Solution holes provide winter (dry-season) refuge for aquatic animals and are a repopulation source for species upon reflooding of the marsh during summer (wet season).

Pa-hay-okee Trail and Lookout Tower are located 13 miles from the main park entrance.

The trail is an easy hike/walk along an elevated boardwalk about 0.16 miles round trip ending with a lookout tower that offers sweeping vistas of the Everglades river of grass.

Did you know that Pa-hay-okee is a Seminole word meaning grassy waters and this land has long been inhabited by American Indians?

The trail starts on a boardwalk lined with Magnolia trees. Then it opens up to Bald Cypress Forest. The Bald Cypress Trees are tall deciduous trees with needle-like leaves and distinctive “knees” that rise from the soil or water around them.

Do not miss interpretive signs explaining the ecology of the Shark River Slough. The slough is an 8-mile wide sheet of slowly moving water. It flows southwest towards the Gulf of Mexico and is the central support system of the Everglades.

Mahogany Hammock Trailhead is located 20 miles from the park entrance. It is an easy boardwalk trail about 0.5 miles long (loop).

The trail meanders through a dense, jungle-like hardwood “hammock.” Lush vegetation includes gumbo-limbo trees, air plants, and the largest living mahogany tree (Swietenia mahogani) in the United States.

Mahogany Hammock is surrounded on all sides by wetlands, making it an island of sorts.

In either direction, you will see stately ancient mahogany trees, peeling gumbo-limbo, and strange-looking strangler figs.

The West Lake Trail wanders through a forest of white mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa), black mangrove (Avicennia nitida), red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle), and buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus) trees to the edge of West Lake.

The trail is a boardwalk that is 0.5 miles in length round trip. It begins by going through the mangrove forest. You will see bromeliads and giant leather ferns.

Continue hiking along the boardwalk until you reach a T-intersection, this begins the lollipop portion of the loop. Eventually, you will reach the shores of West Lake.

Be on the lookout for waterfowl, alligators, and American crocodiles that call this lake home. Eventually, the boardwalk returns to the shade of the mangrove forest, completing the loop.

There is a lot to do at the Flamingo Visitor Center.

First of all, you should check out Backcountry Boat Tour, which is a 90-minute Everglades Backcountry Tour that departs daily at 11 am, 1 pm, and 3 pm. This boat tour ventures up the Buttonwood Canal through Coot Bay and Tarpon Creek into the mouth of Whitewater Bay.

Second, check out Florida Bay Tour, another 90-minute tour that departs daily at 12 noon, 2 pm, and 4:30 pm. Along the way, the naturalist will highlight the unique plant and animal life the Everglades has to offer while outlining the rich history of Flamingo and Everglades National Park. Tickets may be purchased in the Marina Store. Visit www.flamingoeverglades.com or call (239) 695-1095 for more information.

Also, there are kayaks to rent and you can paddle the Buttonwood Canal through the mangrove trees up to Coot Bay.

If you are not interested in any boat tours or kayaking, then take a stroll around the marina. Hands down, it is the best place in the park to see crocodiles and manatees!

However, one of my favorite places that I always go back to is Eco Pond Trail. The trailhead is on the right just past the Flamingo Visitor Center.

Eco Pond Trail is about 0.5 miles round trip easy boardwalk trail that I will ensure you find a wide variety of wading birds, songbirds, ducks, and other wildlife. Alligators and Florida softshell turtles often cruise the pond.

Once you are done exploring the Flamingo area, jump back in your car and head to Shark Valley.

There is no way around it and you basically will have to drive back to Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, which takes about 1 hour.

Next, the drive from the visitor center to Shark Valley is about 50 miles long, however, because you will be going through some residential and industrial areas, the drive will take you about 1 hour and 20 minutes.

If it is getting late and you are running short on time, then my recommendation is to save Shark Valley for another visit and combine it with Scenic Loop Drive in Big Cypress National Preserve!

However, if you are ready to continue, then head to Shark Valley in Everglades National Park. First of all, you should check out Shark Valley Visitor Center. It is small, but the displays are informative and rangers are there to answer all your questions.

Hands down, the highlight of Shark Valley is a 15-mile loop road around the area with a is a raised observation tower at the back of the loop.

You can walk, ride a bike or ride a tram around the loop. My recommendation is to rent a bike, it gives you the flexibility of going at your own pace and stopping and taking pictures. The loop is paved and you just need to move aside when the tram is passing you by.

Bikes may be reserved online, otherwise, it is on a first-come, first-served basis. My recommendation is to make the reservations as soon as you finalize the details of your trip because there is only a limited amount of bikes to rent.

Now, bike renters can take the tram back for free. So, if you get tired, you can leave the bike at the observation tower and then hop on the tram.

If you decide to take the tram, then what you need to know is that it is a two-hour escorted tour by Shark Valley naturalists who will give you an excellent insight into the ecosystem of the wetlands. Again, make your reservations way in advance.

Needless to say, whether you decide to walk, bike, or take the tram, you are guaranteed to see a ton of wildlife!

You will start along a man-made canal and right from the start, you see lots of different birds: blue herons, cormorants, and green herons, just to name a few.

Also, I am sure you will see a ton of alligators and various turtles.

Once you get to the observation tower ahead of you will be a short climb, however, you will be rewarded with awesome views!

One of the highlights of visiting Everglades National Park is taking an airboat ride. As a part of the restoration project, airboat rides are banned in the park. However, at the northeast corner, near Shark Valley, airboat rides are still permitted.

Several companies work in conjunction with the park. They all pretty much offer the same type of tours. My recommendation is to go with Coppertown. I liked their tour a lot and the guide was awesome!