Home to a large population of American alligators, Everglades National Park is one of the best places to visit in southern Florida.
Last updated: October 11, 2025
Everglades National Park at Last
Everglades National Park has been on top of my bucket list for a while. Yet I almost underestimated it. A little nudging from Roshan, and I reluctantly extended our trip to one of Florida’s most remarkable jewels. Otherwise, we would probably miss the majority of the things you should do in Everglades National Park and fly to the Caribbean.
Why Should You Visit Everglades National Park?
Everglades National Park is one of the most bio-diverse parks in the USA. At least one of the most bio-diverse national parks we’ve been to. The area gives up the title of the most animal-rich places to another Florida’s favorite, Biscayne National Park.
While both parks abound with marine wildlife and those animals that can get by without water for a short while, Everglades shelters plenty of land creatures as well. The area is home to a wide range of wild living souls, from lethargic-looking alligators to subtropical birds, Florida panthers, American crocodiles, otters, manatees, turtles, diverse fish species, deer, and snakes galore.
The terrain of Everglades is as unique as its animal kingdom. It consists of vast marshes, coastal lowlands, alligator-infested swamps, and mangrove forests that cover nearly 1.5 million acres of land. In fact, Everglades National Park is the third-largest national park in the lower 48 states after Death Valley National Park and Yellowstone National Park.
With this size and wildlife abundance, things to do in Everglades National Park are endless. Places to visit are countless.
TOP THINGS TO DO IN EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK
1. Enter the Alligator Kingdom at Shark Valley
After stocking up on food, we left Miami and headed straight to Everglades National Park. The first place on the itinerary was Shark Valley. Spending a few hours in Shark Valley is one of the best things to do in Everglades National Park for many reasons.
Despite its name, there are no sharks in the freshwater lowland valley. But alligators thrive here. During the dry season (December through April) when we visited Everglades National Park, gators of all sizes lazed along the 15-mile road into Shark River Slough. With the arrival of the rainy season (May through November), the alligators move deeper into the swamp.
Shark Valley is located near the North Entrance. The area is famous as one of the best places in Everglades National Park to watch American alligators, turtles, and various species of wading birds, such as herons and egrets.
The most popular thing to do in the northern section of Everglades National Park is to gaze at the vast expanse of the gator kingdom from the Shark Valley Observation Tower. The 70-foot-tall structure is nestled at the halfway point of the 15-mile loop road. You can walk, bike (rent a bike at the visitor center), or ride a tram to get here.
The tram ride comes with a captivating narrative about the history of the park and zillions of opportunities to watch Everglades wildlife from a safe “haven”.
2. Hike in Shark Valley
The Shark Valley area is one of a few places in Everglades National Park where you can get your daily steps in. The longest hike is the 15-mile loop road into Shark River Slough, a route the majority prefer to conquer by a tram.
Bobcat Boardwalk Trail
Two shorter hikes are located near the Shark Valley Visitor Center. The one that we hiked while waiting for our tram tour to start (and one of the easiest and most popular things to do in Everglades National Park), is only 0.4 mile long. The Bobcat Boardwalk Trail is everything its names implied: a short hike along a raised boardwalk. The trail runs through a small section of shrubs and takes to the waterbody where you can watch turtles, fish, and birds before heading back to the visitor center.
- Distance: 0.4-mile loop trail
- Difficulty: Easy
- Elevation: 0 feet
- Time: 20-30 minutes
Otter Cave Hammock Trail
Hiking the Otter Cave Hammock Trail is another easy and quite popular thing to do in Everglades National Park. The 0.3-mile path runs through a tropical hardwood forest. The area is rougher and can be flooded during the summer months.
During our visit, the trail as well as the road to the trailhead were barricaded with some shrubs and fallen trees. We had no other choice but to skip it.
- Distance: 0.3-mile, round-trip trail
- Difficulty: Easy
- Elevation: 0 feet
- Time: 15-25 minutes
3. Check out the Long Loop Scenic Drive
If you visit the western section of Everglades National Park, the Long Loop Scenic Drive is one of a few things you don’t want to miss here. Strictly speaking, the 24-mile scenic drive is not a part of the national park, but the domain of Big Cypress National Preserve. It offers incredible opportunities to watch birds and alligators basking near the wetlands along the road.
TIP: The Long Loop Scenic Drive is in essence a detour from US-41. The road is mostly gravel. Yet you can easily drive along it in a sedan. Be sure to slow down, though, to both enjoy the views and be gentle on your car. The scenic drive eventually reconnects with US-41.
4. Tour Everglades National Park in an Airboat
Hands down one of the most unforgettable things we did in Everglades National Park was gliding above the shallow waters of the wetlands in an airboat. The activity is speedy and can be dampening if you sit in the front row.
The airboat changes its speed from relatively slow near the docks to up to 40 mph as it takes the riders deeper into the Everglades’s swamps where snakes, alligators, and all kinds of wildlife you wouldn’t want to stumble upon unexpectedly thrive.
5. Take a Buggy Ride
Buggy ride is another incredible thing to use to explore Everglades National Park and learn about its natural habitats, wildlife, interesting stories and history. During a 30-minute tour, you get to explore the park from a raised, open-doors, open-walls wagon that can easily go through the marsh, swamp, and forest with or without water all over the road.
If you are fortunate, you may also see some other wild inhabitants apart from the ever-present alligators. Yet wild animals are unpredictable and hard to come around, especially during mid-day hours.
TIP: Book an early morning buggy ride if you want to spot more elusive animals in Everglades National Park. The wild animals are usually more active during the early morning and late evening hours when they forage or hunt for food.
6. Boat around the Ten Thousand Islands
The Ten Thousand Islands is one of the most intricate places in Everglades National Park. As the name implies, the area consists of an extended labyrinth of hundreds of mangrove islands and water channels. Both the isles and shallow waters play a vital role as a nursery ground for marine life. Thus, plenty of wildlife watching opportunities are guaranteed.
TIP: The easiest way to visit the Ten Thousand Islands is to take a guided tour from the Gulf Coast Visitor Center. Alternatively, boat on your own if you feel competent and confident enough to navigate the shallow waters in the area prone to rapidly changing weather.
7. Walk the Anhinga Trail
Nestled behind the Royal Palm Visitor Center, the Anhinga Trail is an easy, 0.8-mile boardwalk loop. The place has everything you can expect to see in Everglades National Park.
Mangrove isles rise around the boardwalk, separated from each other and the trail by wetlands and lotus “ponds”. Anhingas soar above tirelessly before diving into the water and emerging with the prey in their beaks. Herons and egrets wade in the shallows, hunting fish.
Below the picturesque surface exists an even more complicated world, a realm of hundreds of American alligators, turtles, and multiple species of fish. Needless to say, walking along the Anhinga Trail is one of the best things to do in Everglades National Park for wildlife lovers and nature photographers.
- Distance: 0.8-mile loop trail
- Difficulty: Easy
- Elevation: 0 feet
- Time: 30-40 minutes
8. Hike the Gumbo Limbo Trail
Walk a few feet to the right of the Anhinga Trailhead, and you find another beautiful trail. The Gumbo Limbo Trail is the second favorite thing to do in the Royal Palm area in Everglades National Park.
The trail is even shorter, only 0.5 mile long. The terrain it runs through, however, differs significantly. The swamp with its rich bird and underwater world recedes. A tropical hardwood hammock with a dense canopy that shields you from the sun and shows a different facet of Everglades National Park takes its place.
- Distance: 0.5-mile loop trail
- Difficulty: Easy
- Elevation: 0 feet
- Time: 20-30 minutes
9. Admire Views from the Pa-Hay-Okee Overlook
The Pa-Hay-Okee Overlook is one of the easiest things to do and the shortest trails to hike in Everglades National Park. The elevated wooden boardwalk is located some 14 miles down Main Park Road and then Pa-Hay-Okee Road from the Royal Palm Visitor Center. The area is said to offer splendid views of the “river of grass” and showcase dwarf cypress trees, magnolia, and air plants.
I use the word “said” as we didn’t experience this section of Everglades National Park in person. To be exact, we did to some extent, all the way to the area leading to the parking lot in front of the overlook. Yet we had to turn back as the trail was closed for construction.
- Distance: 0.2-mile loop trail
- Difficulty: Easy
- Elevation: 0 feet
- Time: 15-20 minutes
10. Look for Elusive Owls along Mahogany Hammock Trail
The Mahogany Hammock Trail is a must-do thing in Everglades for bird lovers. The raised boardwalk runs through a dense hardwood hammock, dotted with old mahogany trees. Shading you from the blazing sun, the lush foliage and dense canopy offer rare opportunities to see nocturnal birds, in particular barred owls.
- Distance: 0.4-mile loop trail
- Difficulty: Easy
- Elevation: 0 feet
- Time: 20-30 minutes
11. Paddle through the Nine Mile Pond Trail
The Nine Mile Pond Trail is an excellent activity in Everglades National Park for beginner and experienced paddlers. While the first group may want to experience the 5.6-mile long journey with a guide, the latter are free to roam independently.
Firmly taking its spot on the list of the best things to do in Everglades National Park, the Nine Mile Pond Trail offers sweeping views of some of the most beautiful lakes in Florida and mangroves galore. If you keep your eyes peeled, which you certainly should or probably must in this area, you can spot plenty of marsh puppies – a nickname for alligators – crocodiles, and wading birds.
TIP: Whether you paddle by yourself or with a guide, stay strictly on the trail to avoid any unpleasant surprises while navigating through such challenging sections as mangrove tunnels.
- Distance: 5.6-mile loop paddle route
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Elevation: 0 feet
- Time: 4-5 hours
12. Enjoy the Scenic Drive through Everglades (RT 9336)
The 38-mile drive along Florida State Road 9336 is one of a few things you can’t miss in Everglades National Park. Yes, the road is indeed scenic and features the diverse flora and fauna of the park. If you drive early in the morning or in the evening, you will see many of Everglades’s wild inhabitants crossing or flying over the road.
But the main reason you can’t skip it is that it’s the only route that connects Homestead, a western gateway city to the park, with Flamingo, the southern point of Everglades.
One of the most scenic drives in Everglades National Park, RT 9336 is paved and features many lakes you can stop at to take in the views.
13. Visit the Guy Bradley Visitor Center
The Guy Bradley Visitor Center in Flamingo is nestled near the South Entrance to the park. Equipped with a large educational center, a gift shop, and nearby public boat ramps and hiking and canoeing trails, this section of Everglades offers a wide range of activities both on water and land.
TIP: The Flamingo area is notorious for its dangerous underwater world. Crocodiles (a baby croc was lingering right near the dock not far away from where we were standing) and snakes live in those murky waters. So, dipping your feet or hands in the water must be avoided.
14. See Manatees at Flamingo Marina
The main reason many visitors of Everglades National Park, us including, plan for any sightseeing or educational activities in the Flamingo area is the chance to spot manatees.
Manatees or “sea cows”, as they are affectionately known, are some of the most beloved animals in Everglades National Park.
The mammals are strict herbivores, feeding on seagrass in the warm, shallow waters of the park. Trying to get a sneak peek at them is one of the most rewarding things to do in Everglades National Park. The surest place to see manatees is near the Flamingo Marina.
Sure enough, we peered down into the murky water from the many spots near the Guy Bradley Visitor Center and the Flamingo Marina, all to no avail. None of the manatees immersed for a quick breath. Yet other visitors claimed to see one or two aquatic mammals swimming exactly in the same area several minutes earlier.
