When you think of the Everglades, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Mosquitos, alligators, and hot, humid weather? Yes, you can find those things here (and in great abundance depending on the time of year you visit), but there is so much more to the Everglades than hot, sticky weather and dangerous wildlife.
Everglades National Park is one of the largest parks in the United States, and unless you have a boat, you can only visit a fraction of the park. With one day, you can walk through wetlands filled with wildlife, spot alligators and crocodiles, look for manatees, and explore one of the most unique ecosystems in the United States.
In this one day Everglades itinerary, we’ll show you how to visit the park’s highlights, including the Anhinga Trail, Flamingo, Shark Valley, and an airboat ride. We’ll also share our favorite experiences, what we’d skip if time is limited, and practical tips to help you plan your visit.
Our Experience in Everglades National Park: We’ve visited 56 of the 64 US national parks, including all three of Florida’s national parks: Everglades, Biscayne, and Dry Tortugas. Tim and I visited the Everglades in February, spending one full day exploring the park, from the short boardwalk trails near Homestead to Flamingo, Shark Valley, and an airboat tour. We spotted manatees, an American crocodile, and alligators, and learned firsthand just how challenging the biting insects can be! This itinerary is based on our experience, with recommendations on what is worth your time and how to make the most of one day in the Everglades.
One Day in Everglades: The Essentials
BEST TIME TO VISIT | December through March, when temperatures are cooler, humidity is lower, and wildlife viewing is generally excellent.
BEST EXPERIENCES | Anhinga Trail, spotting manatees and crocodiles at Flamingo, Shark Valley, and an airboat tour.
OUR FAVORITE EXPERIENCE | Taking an airboat ride through the wetlands.
GETTING AROUND | You’ll need a car. The Flamingo and Shark Valley areas are not connected by roads within the park.
WHERE TO STAY | Homestead or Florida City for easy access to the main park entrance.
IMPORTANT TO KNOW | This is an ambitious itinerary that combines two areas of the park. Reserve the Shark Valley tram in advance if you plan to take it, and be prepared for substantial driving.
October 2026 Update: We updated this guide with current park information, visitor center hours, tram tour prices, and tips for visiting Shark Valley. We also added more advice on how to customize this itinerary, based on our experience visiting Everglades National Park.
About Everglades National Park
Everglades National Park is the third largest park in the lower 48 states, after Death Valley and Yellowstone. The park is home to manatees, American crocodiles, a huge number of birds, and even panthers. This fragile ecosystem is listed as a World Heritage Site and it is an International Biosphere Reserve.
The Everglades is an enormous wetland that is fed by water from Lake Okeechobee. For hundreds of years, humans have been encroaching on the Everglades. In the 1900’s, canals were built, diverting water from Lake Okeechobee to cities and residential areas, and this has dramatically altered the ecosystem of the Everglades. Wildlife populations plummeted and now some animal species are on the verge of extinction.
The Everglades once covered a much larger area of South Florida, but decades of development, agriculture, and water management dramatically altered the natural flow of water through this ecosystem.
In 2000, Congress authorized the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), one of the largest environmental restoration projects in the world. This ongoing effort aims to restore the natural movement of water through the Everglades, improve water quality, and protect habitats for native plants and animals.
Restoration projects are still underway, with the ultimate goal of creating a healthier, more resilient Everglades ecosystem for future generations.
Visiting the Everglades
How to Use This Map: Click the tab in the top left corner of the map to see a list of the points of interest and to turn layers on/off. Click the icons on the map to get more information about each point of interest.
To take this map with you, click the star next to the title of the map which adds it to your Google account. Next, within your Google Maps app, select ‘Saved’ and then select ‘Maps’. This map title will now appear in your list.
The southernmost section (the orange points on the map), which includes the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center and the Guy Bradley Visitor Center, is one of the most popular spots for visitors. Highway 9336 links these two visitor centers with short walks, viewpoints, hiking trails, and opportunities to go kayaking.
Shark Valley (the blue points on this map), which sits due west of Miami, is the place to go on airboat rides and take a tour by tram or bicycle to see the wildlife.
The Gulf Coast Visitor Center is located on the western side of the Everglades, at Everglades City, just south of Naples. This part of the park was hit hard by Hurricane Irma in 2017 and was not open during our visit. A park ranger told us that this is the best spot to explore the Everglades by kayak. Since it is located on the opposite side of the Everglades, most visitors choose either the eastern side (Shark Valley and Ernest F. Coe) or the Gulf Coast. This article focuses on the eastern side, since this is what was open during our visit.
Planning a road trip through the Florida Keys? Take a look at our Florida Keys Itinerary, which includes Everglades National Park, plus Biscayne National Park, Dry Tortugas National Park, the Florida Keys, and Key West ↓
7 – 10 Day Florida Keys Itinerary: Miami, Key West & the National Parks
Several different ways to plan a Florida Keys itinerary, depending on your interests and time available.One Day in the Everglades
This itinerary covers a lot of ground and visiting both Flamingo and Shark Valley in one day requires an early start and careful planning. Here are a few ways to modify it based on your interests.
If seeing wildlife is your top priority: Focus on the Anhinga Trail and Shark Valley. At Shark Valley, take the two-hour tram tour or rent bicycles to explore the 15-mile loop. This gives you more time to look for alligators, turtles, and birds without rushing between the park’s two main areas.
If you want to spend less time driving: Explore the main park road from Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center to Flamingo. Walk the Anhinga Trail, stop at the scenic viewpoints, and look for manatees and crocodiles near Flamingo Marina. You could also add a boat tour if time allows.
If you want to take an airboat ride: We highly recommend it! This was our favorite experience in the Everglades. For a more relaxed day, combine an airboat tour with Shark Valley and skip the long drive to Flamingo.
If you want to follow our complete itinerary: Start early, keep the shorter trail stops brief, and make reservations for any timed tours. Just be aware that you may not have enough time for both a full Shark Valley tram tour and an airboat ride, especially if you’re visiting during the busy winter season.
Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center
This Visitor Center is a good place to get an overview of the Everglades. You have the option to view the exhibits and learn a little more about the park.
Plan on arriving here at 8 am. This will give you plenty of time to visit both areas of the park and you will miss most of the crowds.
The distance from the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center to the Flamingo Visitor Center is 38 miles and takes about one hour to drive (one way). There are several short hikes and viewpoints to visit along the way.
Just past the visitor center is the pay booth ($35 per vehicle).
Anhinga Trail
The Anhinga Trail is a 0.8 mile paved and boardwalk trail through a small section of wetlands. This is your best chance to spot alligators and Anhingas, the bird this trail is named for. We were not so lucky in spotting alligators (we didn’t see any) but I have heard that those luckier than us have seen bunches of alligators at this location.
Pa-Hay-Okee Lookout Tower
13 miles from the Anhinga Trail is the Pa-Hay-Okee Lookout Tower. From here, you have somewhat of an aerial view of the park. Stretched out in front of you is the Shark River Slough. This marshy area is really a very wide, shallow river that flows through the Everglades from the northern part of the park.
We took this photo from the Pa-Hay-Okee Lookout Tower
Mahogany Hammock
Mahogany Hammock is a cluster of mahogany trees and some of them are the oldest and largest in the United States.
A park ranger told us that mahogany trees were logged from the Everglades in the 1800’s. This part of the park was inaccessible at the time, which is why this last old grove of trees remains standing.
A 0.5 mile boardwalk trail makes a loop through this cluster of trees. It is here that you get to leave the wetland landscape behind and walk through what looks to be a tropical rainforest.
I think we have the world record for the fastest visit to Mahogany Hammock. As soon as we set foot onto the boardwalk, biting flies attacked us. They were in our hair, in our ears, and even bit us through our shirts. We picked up the pace and eventually ended up running through most of the loop, snapping just a few photos along the way.
I got the worst of it. Maybe it was the scent of my lotion, or maybe it was my aqua colored shirt, but I got destroyed by these flies. Tim had a few around him, but nothing like I did. For the next week, I would be scratching these itchy bumps on my neck, hands, and arms.
Later in the day, we talked to a park ranger about these flies. He told us that there is nothing you can do to repel them. Insect repellent has no effect on these flies, although it will help against the mosquitos.
Fortunately, this was the worst encounter we would have in the Everglades with the biting flies, although we were on the lookout for them for the rest of the day.
Paurotis Pond
Paurotis Pond is a very quick stop. If you are into bird watching, this is one of the bird nesting sites in the Everglades. Just pop out of your car and enjoy the view.
The birds are nesting in the trees on the far side of the pond.
Guy Bradley Visitor Center
The road ends at the Guy Bradly Visitor Center (what was once called the Flamingo Visitor Center). It features exhibits about the Everglades ecosystem, a gift shop, restrooms, and park rangers who can answer questions about the area.
Nearby is Flamingo Marina, one of the best places in the park to look for manatees and American crocodiles. You can also take a guided boat tour, rent kayaks or canoes, or simply enjoy the views of Florida Bay. In the marina, we got to see two manatees doing an underwater mating dance, which was pretty cool.
The canal that heads north from the marina is one of the best spots to see the American crocodile. We saw one of these guys basking in the sun on the edge of the water.
There are several ranger guided tours by boat held in the afternoon. Learn more on the NPS website.
You can also walk along the Guy Bradley Trail for views out to the ocean. We found this walk to be rather boring so we turned around early.
A view out to the ocean with the Florida Keys off in the distance.
Once you are finished at the Flamingo area, drive back to the exit of the park. This drive takes approximately one hour.
Lunch at the Gator Grill
For lunch, you can drive into Homestead or you try the Gator Grill. The Gator Grill serves alligator, frog legs, burgers, and more. It is conveniently located a short drive from the entrance into the park, just 10 minutes from the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center. We ate the frog legs and the alligator and both were very good.
Shark Valley
The drive from Ernest F. Coe to Shark Valley is long and rather annoying. You will be driving through an area that is a mix of residential and industrial areas, on roads with stoplights and stop signs. It is a 50-mile drive but it can take up to an hour and a half.
Shark Valley is one of the best spots in the Everglades for animal viewing. This is the spot to see turtles, birds, and tons of alligators.
The main attraction is a 15-mile paved loop that winds through the freshwater marshes. Approximately halfway around the loop is a 70-foot observation tower, where you can enjoy panoramic views across the seemingly endless landscape of the Everglades.
There are three ways to explore Shark Valley: take a guided tram tour, ride a bicycle, or walk a portion of the trail. The tram is the easiest option, particularly if you want to see the entire loop without spending several hours biking.
IMPORTANT: Shark Valley is one of the busiest areas of Everglades National Park. During the winter dry season, the small parking lot can fill, resulting in long waits to enter. If you’re following this itinerary and arriving in the afternoon, factor in possible parking delays.
Shark Valley Tram Tour
The Shark Valley Tram Tour is a two-hour, narrated tour of the 15-mile loop. Along the way, a naturalist explains the Everglades ecosystem and points out wildlife. The tour includes a stop at the observation tower, where you can climb to the top for sweeping views across the wetlands.
Cost: $36 per adult, $27 for seniors (62+), and $19 for children ages 3 to 12. Children under 3 are free. These fees are in addition to the national park entrance fee.
Reservations: We recommend booking your tram tour in advance, particularly from December through March. Reservations can be made on the Shark Valley Tram Tours website. Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before your scheduled departure.
Our Recommendation: If you have two hours to spend at Shark Valley, the tram tour is a great way to see the entire loop and learn about the park. If you’re short on time, walking a portion of the trail near the visitor center is a good alternative. You can still see alligators and other wildlife without committing to the full tour.
Learn more about renting bicycles, the Shark Valley Tram Tour, and book your tram seats here.
Airboat Ride in the Everglades
We debated doing this. As part of the Everglades restoration project, airboat rides are banned in the majority of the park. At the northeast corner, near Shark Valley, airboat rides are still permitted. These companies now operate in conjunction with the National Park Service.
At the Flamingo Visitor Center, we had an interesting talk with a park ranger. He told us that the best way to see the Everglades is not by car, hiking, or tram. It’s by boat. Kayaking and canoe trips are very popular, but he also recommended that we take an airboat ride. So we did.
And I am so glad we did. This was our best experience in the Everglades.
There are several companies that offer tours of the wetlands. They are located in a cluster just a short drive from Shark Valley. We picked Coopertown simply because it was at the top of the list on the National Park Service website. The other two companies that are authorized to provide airboat tours in the Everglades are Gator Park and Everglades Safari Park.
It was a slow day, so we only had a few people on our airboat. For approximately 40 minutes, our driver took us on a tour of the wetlands. What a blast!
The boat is propelled by a giant fan, so there is no propeller blade sitting in the water. Once this fan gets cranking, these boats can really move. It was a thrill racing through the wetlands and watching the tall grasses fly by.
But it’s not meant to be just a fast-paced thrill ride. Our driver took his time on the way back, pointing out birds and several alligators resting in the shallow water.
The airboat ride is a beautiful, thrilling way to see the Everglades. If you are visiting the Everglades with kids, they will love this. It can be loud but cotton balls are handed out to help with the noise. There was a 2 year old on our boat. She was given earmuffs to wear and she smiled through the whole ride.
For updated pricing and hours, visit the Coopertown website here.
Airboat Tours
Tips to Have the Best Experience
Bring sunscreen and insect repellent. There is very little shade here so having sunscreen is very important. If you are visiting the Everglades between December and March, mosquitos are generally not an issue. However, at all other times of the year, make sure you are wearing insect repellent!
Gasoline. Fill up your gas tank before entering Everglades National Park. The drive from the main park entrance to Flamingo is approximately 38 miles, and services along this road are limited. Gasoline and diesel are available at Flamingo Marina, but we recommend starting your day with a full tank so you won’t need to rely on the fuel station in this remote part of the park.
Consider skipping Flamingo Visitor Center. If seeing manatees and American crocodiles are not that important to you, and if you have no desire to go on a kayaking trip, consider skipping the Flamingo area of the park. There is no guarantee that you will even see manatees or crocodiles if you drive all of the way down here. You could turn around at Paurotis Pond or Mahogany Hammock, saving time for Shark Valley.
Best Time to Go to the Everglades
December through March is the best time to visit the Everglades. Temperatures and mosquito levels are low. If you visit during the remaining months of the year, expect hot, humid conditions, swarms of mosquitos, and from July through November, there is the chance of a hurricane.
We were here in early February. Temperatures were in the 80’s and we did get rained on several times. Mosquitos were not an issue at all, however, those biting flies were a big nuisance!
Mosquitoes are present in late fall and early winter, but they are not as bad as they are in the summer. From talking to locals, if you want to visit the Everglades when mosquitoes are at their lowest, plan your trip for February.
Where We Stayed
We stayed in Homestead at the Courtyard by Marriott, which is just a 30-minute drive from the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center. It is in a decent location, right off Florida’s Turnpike, with lots of restaurants in the area.
Plan Your Trip to Florida
- Exploring more of Florida? → Our Florida Travel Guide covers the best places to visit, national parks, road trips, and more.
- Visiting Biscayne National Park? → Discover the Best Things to Do in Biscayne National Park, from snorkeling and boat tours to exploring the park’s islands.
- Planning a trip to Dry Tortugas? → Our Dry Tortugas National Park Travel Guide explains how to get there by ferry or seaplane, what to do, and how to plan your visit.
- Want to turn your visit into a road trip? → Follow our Florida Keys Itinerary to visit Miami, Key West, and all three of Florida’s national parks in 7 to 10 days.
- Visiting more national parks? → We’ve explored 56 of the 64 US national parks. Our US National Parks Guide includes travel guides, itineraries, and planning tips to help you explore these incredible places.
Are you planning a trip to the Everglades? Comment below if you have any questions.
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