Everglades National Park Travel Guide
From Wikitravel
Everglades National Park [1] is a United States National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in South West Florida in the state of Florida.
Contents |
Understand
Everglades National Park, protecting more than 1.5 million acres, is the 3rd largest national park in the lower 48 states, behind Yellowstone National Park (2nd) and Death Valley National Park (1st). During the dry season most facilities are open and a full range of tours and programs are available to enjoy. During the wet season of June to October, facilities may have restricted hours or close altogether, and recreational opportunities may be at a minimum. The park has four Visitor Centers:
- Ernest Coe Visitor Center, Homestead, Phone: 305-242-7700. Nov-Apr: 8AM-5PM; May-Oct: 9AM-5PM. Open year round, this center offers educational displays, orientation films, informational brochures and a series of walking trails a short drive away. A bookstore with film, postcards, and insect repellent. Restrooms.
- Flamingo Visitor Center, Flamingo, Phone: 239-695-2945. Generally open from 8:30AM-5PM from mid-November to mid-April. Summer hours are intermittent and subject to change. Educational displays, informational brochures, backcountry permits and restrooms. Public boat ramps are also located nearby. Several hiking and canoeing trails begin nearby. No lodging, food service, or boat tours are currently available due to damage sustained by Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma(2006).
- Shark Valley Visitor Center, Highway 41 (Tamiami Trail) (25 miles west of the Florida Turnpike exit for S.W. 8th Street), Phone: 305-221-8776. Daily 8:45AM-5:15PM in winter, 9:15AM-5:15PM in summer. Hours subject to change. In the heart of the "River of Grass", with educational displays, informational brochures, and guided tram tours. Bicycles may be rented at the center. Books, postcards, film, insect repellent, and other items are available for sale. Vending machines dispense snacks and soft drinks. Restrooms.
- Gulf Coast Visitor Center, Everglades City, Phone: 239-695-3311. Daily, 8AM-4:30PM in winter; 9AM-4:30PM in summer. The gateway for exploring the Ten Thousand Islands, a maze of mangrove islands and waterways that extends to Flamingo and Florida Bay. Offers educational displays, orientation films, informational brochures, boat tours and canoe rentals. Backcountry permits available. Restaurants, stores, lodging and campgrounds are nearby. Restrooms.
History
Landscape
Flora and fauna
- The area is home to rare and endangered species, such as the American crocodile, Florida panther, and West Indian manatee. Over 1,000 species of plants live here.
- Collecting plants and animals in Everglades National Park is prohibited. This includes such things as orchids, airplants, seahorses, starfish, conch, tropical fish, coral, sponges, and driftwood (except for fuel). One quart of non-occupied sea shells may be collected per person.
Climate
Weather is mild and pleasant from December through April, though rare cold fronts may create near-freezing conditions. Average winter temperatures are: High 77°F (25°C); Low 53°F (12°C). Summers are hot and humid, with temperatures around 90°F (32°C) and humidity over 90%. Afternoon thunderstorms are common and mosquitoes are abundant. Hurricane season is June-November. Tropical storms or hurricanes may affect the area. The rainy season is June through October, coinciding with the mosquito season. Average Rainfall: 60 inches (152 cm) per year.
Get in
Fees/Permits
Entrance fees: Vehicles $10 for 7 days. Pedestrian/bicyclist $5 for 7 days. Everglades National Park Annual Pass $25.00 is valid for twelve months from the date of purchase. It admits the purchaser and any accompanying persons in a single, private, non-commercial vehicle, or the purchaser and accompanying immediate family (spouse, children, parents) when entry is by other means (bicycle, foot, and boat). Activity fees: Camping Fees at park campgrounds: $14.00 per night. Backcountry Camping Fees (Permit Required): $10.00 per permit plus $2.00 per person per night. Maximum 14 days.
Get around
See
Do
- Ranger-led tours, [2].
- Shark Valley Tram Tours, Phone: 305-221-8455. A guided two-hour narrated tram tour along a fifteen-mile loop in the heart of the "River of Grass". Tours depart from the Shark Valley Visitor Center and provide a great opportunity to see wildlife, while escaping the heat and bugs of the wet season. Reservations are strongly recommended for the dry season. Bicycle rentals are also available here.
- Everglades National Park Boat Tours, Gulf Coast Visitor Center. Phone: 239-695-2591. A narrated boat tour of the Ten-Thousand Islands. Canoe rentals are also available to explore nearby waterways. Reservations are strongly encouraged during the busy dry season.
- Flamingo Lodge, Marina, and Outpost Resort, Phone: 239-695-3101. Offers boat tours through the Florida Bay and Whitewater Bay areas of the park. Reservations are strongly recommended during the busy dry season. The Flamingo Lodge and Marina sustained major damage due to Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma. Boat rentals, lodging and restaurants are not currently available (2006). While some boat tours have resumed, visitors are strongly encouraged to phone for current schedules and pricing.
- Cypress Airboat Rides, Phone: 561-798-2884, [3]. Open year round. Explore this ecosystem on a heart pounding ride, or a more relaxed airboat tour.
- Fishing for snapper, sea trout, redfish, bass, and bluegill. Separate Florida licenses are necessary for freshwater and saltwater. There are very few areas where fishing from shore is possible.
- Boating. Boat ramps within Everglades National Park are located at Flamingo, Little Blackwater Sound, and West Lake. Several commercial boat ramps are located in Everglades City and Chokoloskee. Note that there are closed areas, motor-restricted areas and no wake zones. See the Park's Boating Regulations.
- Water skiing and use of personal watercraft such as jet skis is prohibited.
Buy
Eat
Drink
Sleep
Lodging
Camping
Two drive-in campgrounds are located within the park. Both campgrounds can accommodate tents and RVs. A limited number of group sites are also available. Leave-no-trace camping principles apply.
- Long Pine Key Campground is located six miles from the Ernest Coe Visitor Center. Sites are available in the Long Pine Key Campground on a first-come, first-serve basis only. Reservations are not accepted.
- Flamingo Campground is located near the Flamingo Visitor Center on the shores of Florida Bay. Reservations are accepted at the Flamingo Campground, and are strongly recommended. Reservations can either be made online or by calling 1-800-365-CAMP.
Fees: Nightly fees are $16.00 per site at either campground (2006). If you have a Golden Age card (U.S. Citizen 62 or over) or a Golden Access Card (permanently disabled), camping is half price. This does not apply to group sites, which are $30.00 per night. Owing to limited usage and difficult conditions, camping is typically free of charge during the wet season.
Backcountry
Visitors can select between a variety of ground sites, beach sites and elevated camping platforms (sometimes called chickees). Most sites are accessible by canoe, kayak or motorboat, though a few may be reached by hikers. Visitors should be aware that none of the park's 47 backcountry sites are accessible by car. Backcountry trips here require more planning than most. Reference the Park's Wilderness Trip Planner [4].
A backcountry permit is required for all wilderness campsites. Permits are only issued the day before or the day of the start of your camping trip. Permits are not issued over the telephone. Wilderness permits are written from the Ernest Coe Visitor Center only for two land sites in the Long Pine Key area: Ernest Coe and Ingraham Highway. For all other campsites, permits may be obtained at the Flamingo and Gulf Coast Visitor Centers. Winter wilderness users whose trips originate from the Florida Keys can obtain permits by phone by calling 239-695-2945 for the following locations only: North Nest Key, Little Rabbit Key, Carl Ross Key, and the Cape Sable Beaches. Permit Fees: $10 per permit plus $2 per person per night.
Stay safe
Get out
Big Cypress National Preserve is adjacent to the northern edge of the park. The Miami area is within reach.
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