Top 5 Ways to See Everglades National Park
Spanning 1.5 million acres in South Florida, Everglades National Park is huge, and there are so many ways to explore it. From tram tours along a popular loop to boat trips that take you to stretches of sand most visitors never reach.
Keep this list in mind whether it’s your first visit or you’re a seasoned Everglades explorer looking for a new adventure.
1: Explore Shark Valley by Bike or Tram
Shark Valley is one of the most popular areas to visit in Everglades National Park. You can either take a tram around the 15-mile loop or bike the whole way. Both of which bring you right up close to the wildlife. Alligators are often basking along the road, making sightings almost guaranteed.
About seven miles in, you’ll reach the observation tower, where you can climb the spiral ramp for panoramic views of the park. On a clear day, you can see for miles across the Everglades.
Bikers, beware: you’ll still have to pedal eight miles back to the visitor center from the observation tower.
2. Take an Everglades Airboat Tour
Just east of the Shark Valley Visitor Center, heading toward Miami, you’ll find several airboat tour operators offering rides through the Everglades. I’ve had a great experience at Everglades Safari Park.
On the “Original Everglades National Park Airboat Ride,” you’ll spend about 30 to 40 minutes gliding across the water while spotting alligators along the way. Your captain will make a few turns that will likely get you a little wet.
At Everglades Safari Park, your airboat ticket also includes access to the park and an alligator show.
3. Go on a Guided Cypress Dome Wet Walk
Experience a quieter side of Everglades National Park on a Cypress Dome Wet Walk with the Everglades Institute. Guided tours depart daily from the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center in Homestead.
On this two-hour adventure, naturalists lead you through a cypress dome, using a walking stick to help you feel your way through the water. Along the way, take in the stillness, towering trees, and air plants, and keep an eye out for wildlife.
This experience is best for ages 12+ (at least 54 inches tall). Long pants, long socks, and fully closed-toe shoes are required.
4. See Cape Sable on an Eco Tour from Flamingo
Most visitors never make it to the remote beaches of Cape Sable in Everglades National Park, but you can experience them on an eco tour with the Everglades Institute.
The Institute’s Florida Bay Eco Adventure departs daily from the Flamingo Visitor Center, about a 45-minute drive from the Ernest F. Coe entrance in Homestead.
On this six-hour tour, your captain takes you out on a small, six-passenger powerboat to cruise through Florida Bay. Along the way, you’ll stop to paddle through remote mangrove forests and step onto the wild, natural beaches of Cape Sable, places that few visitors ever get to see.
Have your camera ready for wildlife. We saw white pelicans, roseate spoonbills, and several crocodiles.
This experience is best for adventurous travelers (ages 12 and up) who are comfortable paddling.
5. Spend the Night at Flamingo Lodge
If you’re planning to do the Florida Bay Eco Adventure, consider spending the night in Flamingo. The tour departs right from the marina, and staying overnight gives you more time to hike, bike, kayak, and explore this remote part of Everglades National Park.
The newly reopened Flamingo Everglades Lodge, rebuilt after hurricane damage, features 24 elevated rooms made from shipping containers. Options include cozy studios, one- and two-bedroom suites, and ADA-accessible rooms. Each room includes a kitchenette stocked with silverware, plates, and other basics, making longer stays easy.
Flamingo is well known for its mosquitoes, so the lodge offers a comfortable place to retreat, especially during warmer months. Houseboats and glamping tents are also available for those who want a more immersive experience.
