Everglades National Park

UNESCO World Heritage Site — 1.5 million acres of wetlands with airboat tours, alligators, and wildlife

Address

40001 State Road 9336, Homestead, FL 33034

Phone

(305) 242-7700

Hours

Open 24 hours (visitor centers vary)

Price

$30 per vehicle (valid 7 days)

About Everglades National Park

Everglades National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, International Biosphere Reserve, and one of the most unique natural environments on Earth. Located just 45 minutes west of downtown Miami, this 1.5-million-acre subtropical wilderness — known as the "River of Grass" — is home to American alligators, American crocodiles, manatees, Florida panthers, and over 360 species of birds. Popular ways to explore include airboat tours along Tamiami Trail, the Shark Valley tram tour with its 65-foot observation tower, the Anhinga Trail boardwalk (virtually guaranteed alligator sightings), and kayaking through the mangrove waterways of the Ten Thousand Islands. The park has multiple entrance points, with Shark Valley and the Ernest Coe Visitor Center being the most accessible from Miami. Dry season (December through April) is the best time to visit, when wildlife congregates around remaining water sources and mosquitoes are manageable. The Everglades is one of Miami's most popular day trip destinations, offering a dramatic contrast to the city's beaches and nightlife. Ranger-led programs are available daily and are free with park admission ($30 per vehicle, valid for 7 days).

Everglades National Park is a United States national park that protects the southern twenty percent of the original Everglades in Florida. The park is the largest tropical wilderness in the United States and the largest wilderness of any kind east of the Mississippi River. An average of one million people visit the park each year. Everglades is the third-largest national park in the contiguous United States after Death Valley and Yellowstone. It was declared a national park in 1947. UNESCO declared the Everglades & Dry Tortugas Biosphere Reserve in 1976 and listed the park as a World Heritage Site in 1979, and the Ramsar Convention included the park on its list of Wetlands of International Importance in 1987. Everglades is one of only three locations in the world to appear on all three lists.