Everglades National Park covers 1.5 million acres at the southern tip of Florida and is one of the most unique ecosystems on the planet. Here is everything you need to plan your visit from anywhere in South Florida.
Everglades National Park is one of the most extraordinary places on Earth. Covering 1.5 million acres at the southern tip of Florida, it is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For residents of Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties, it is also remarkably close to home.
Most people picture the Everglades as a swamp, but it is more accurately described as a slow-moving river. Water flows from Lake Okeechobee southward through a wide, shallow sheet of freshwater that eventually meets the saltwater of Florida Bay. This creates a mosaic of habitats including sawgrass prairies, mangrove forests, cypress swamps, and coastal estuaries.
The biodiversity here is staggering. American alligators, Florida panthers, manatees, roseate spoonbills, and hundreds of other species call the Everglades home. It is one of the few places in the world where alligators and crocodiles coexist.
The main entrance near Homestead gives you access to the Royal Palm area, where the Anhinga Trail and Gumbo Limbo Trail are perfect for first-time visitors. Both are short, paved, and offer excellent wildlife viewing year-round.
For a more immersive experience, kayaking or canoeing through the mangrove tunnels of the Ten Thousand Islands is unforgettable. Airboat tours are available outside the park boundary and give you a fast-paced overview of the sawgrass prairies.
The dry season, November through April, is the best time to visit. Wildlife concentrates around water sources, making sightings more frequent. The summer wet season brings intense heat, humidity, and mosquitoes, though the park is still open and can be beautiful in its own way.
Plan your trip with the full Everglades National Park listing on SoFloSpark.
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