This sprawling national park is an easy day trip from major cities like Miami and Fort Lauderdale—but the impossibly green, wildlife-filled region often feels like a world of its own. The Everglades is famous for being the only place on earth where alligators and crocodiles coexist, alongside other creatures such as Florida panthers, manatees, bottlenose dolphins, and even black bears. The best things to do in Everglades National Park all take place on the water: Be sure to book an airboat tour to learn about the environment in true Florida fashion.
November to April is the high and dry season in the Everglades—it’s during these months that visitors flock to the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States. With fewer mosquitos, wintering bird populations, and excellent weather, a winter visit can seem like a no-brainer. That being said, the spring mating season is a serious draw for wildlife lovers, and baby alligators hit their first waters in early August.
The Everglades is massive—some 1.5 million acres of wetlands, marshes, freshwater sloughs, pinelands, and mangroves. Though there are three separate entrances to Everglades National Park, they do not connect to each other. The Homestead entrance is arguably the best for first-time visitors, as it connects to many iconic viewpoints, trails (like the famed Anhinga Trail), and things to do. If you want to ditch the car, opt for a boat trip around the Thousand Islands area, near Everglades City.
If you do opt for the Homestead entrance, pack a picnic. Make your way to the park, walk the .8-mile Anhinga Trail—expect alligators, herons, egrets, cormorants, and more, up close—and then move to Long Pine Key Trail or Nine Mile Pond Trail. You’re deep in the slough now; either continue on toward Flamingo or retrace your steps, grabbing a milkshake on your way out of the park at Robert Is Here Fruit Stand, in Homestead.
