Everglades National Park

A 1.5-million-acre national park of sawgrass, mangrove and gators, reached from Miami, Homestead or Everglades City.

Проверено ноябрь 2026 г.

For anyone who wants alligators and wading birds in the wild on a day trip from Miami. The trade-off is scale and season: it's huge, summer brings rain and mosquitoes, and you need to pick your entrance first.

Pick your entrance

The park covers 1.5 million acres, so your first decision is which way in. The park describes three main areas: the northern section, reached from Miami or from Everglades City on the Gulf side, and the southern section, reached through Homestead. Each entrance opens onto a different stretch of landscape, so treat them as separate trips rather than stops on one loop. The 2-hour tram tour and the Anhinga Trail are the names that come up most, and the park's own photos show an alligator strolling right across that trail. Check the directions and entrance pages before you drive, since services differ by area.

Dry season or wet

December through April is dry season, and it's the busy one for a reason: the mild winter draws the widest mix of wading birds and the animals that hunt them. May to November is wet season, rainy and thick with mosquitoes, and many ranger-led programs pause because fewer people show up. Guided tours run by park partners and concessions keep going, so summer still works if you book one of those. Either way, the park tells you to come ready for heat and bugs. For a first visit, winter is the easier sell.

What you'll actually see

Alligators, wading birds, turtles and fish are the regulars where marsh meets mangrove. Past the walk-up trails, the park points to paddling, hiking, biking and ranger programs, plus backcountry camping on raised platforms called chickees, like Sweetwater. It was set up in 1947 as the first national park created for its biodiversity, and it's still a major source of drinking water for South Florida, which is worth remembering as you look out over the sawgrass. A 4.6 from about 13,500 Google reviews says most people leave happy, bug bites aside.

Как добраться

1. Look up the park's trolley option if you'd rather not drive out yourself.

Полезно знать

Download the free NPS app and save the Everglades maps for offline use; cell coverage in remote areas isn't a given.

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