WELCOME TO THE EVERGLADES
TOP REASONS TO GO
Fun fishing:
Cast for some of the world’s fightingest game fish—600 species in all—in the Everglades’ backwaters.
Abundant birdlife:
Check hundreds of birds off your life list, including—if you’re lucky—the rare Everglades snail kite.
Cool kayaking:
Do a half-day trip in Big Cypress National Preserve or grab a paddle for the ultimate—the 99-mile Wilderness Trail.
Swamp cuisine:
Want to chow down on alligator tail or frogs’ legs? Or how about swamp cabbage, made from hearts of palm? Better yet, try stone-crab claws fresh from the traps.
Gator-spotting:
This is ground zero for alligator viewing in the United States, and odds are you’ll leave having spotted your quota.
GETTING ORIENTED
The southern third of the Florida peninsula is largely taken up by protected government land that includes Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, and Biscayne National Park. Miami lies to the northeast, with Naples and Marco Island to the northwest. Land access to Everglades National Park is primarily by two roads. The park’s main road traverses the southern Everglades from the gateway towns of Homestead and Florida City to the outpost of Flamingo, on Florida Bay. To the north, Tamiami Trail (U.S. 41) cuts through the Everglades from Greater Miami on the east coast or from Naples on the west coast to the western park entrance near Everglades City at Route 29.
Everglades National Park.
Alligators, Florida panthers, black bears, manatees, dolphins, bald eagles, and roseate spoonbills call this vast habitat home.
Biscayne National Park.
Mostly under water, here’s where the string of coral reefs and islands that form the Florida Keys begins.
Big Cypress National Preserve.
Neighbor to Everglades National Park, it’s an outdoor-lover’s paradise.
Updated by Lynne Helm
More than 1.5 million acres of South Florida’s 4.3 million acres of subtropical, watery wilderness were given national-park status and protection in 1947 with the creation of Everglades National Park. It’s one of the country’s largest national parks and is recognized by the world community as a Wetland of International Importance, an International Biosphere Reserve, and a World Heritage Site. Come here if you want to spend the day biking, hiking, or boating in deep, raw wilderness with lots of wildlife.
To the east of Everglades National Park, Biscayne National Park brings forth a pristine, magical, subtropical Florida. It’s the nation’s largest marine park and the largest national park within the continental United States boasting living coral reefs. A small portion of the park’s 172,000 acres consists of mainland coast and outlying islands, but 95% remains submerged. Of particular interest are the mangroves and their tangled masses of stiltlike roots that thicken shorelines. These “walking trees,” as some locals call them, have curved prop roots arching down from trunks, and aerial roots that drop from branches. The roots of these trees can filter salt from water and create a coastal nursery that sustains myriad types of marine life. You can see Miami’s high-rise buildings from many of Biscayne’s 44 islands, but the park is virtually undeveloped and large enough for escaping everything that Miami and the Upper Keys have become. To truly escape, grab scuba-diving or snorkeling gear and lose yourself in the wonders of the coral reefs.
On the northern edge of Everglades National Park lies Big Cypress National Preserve, one of South Florida’s least developed watersheds. Established by Congress in 1974 to protect the Everglades, it comprises extensive tracts of prairie, marsh, pinelands, forested swamps, and sloughs. Hunting is allowed, as is off-road-vehicle use. Come here if you like alligators. Stop at the Oasis Visitor Center’s boardwalk with alligators lounging underneath, and then drive Loop Road for a backwoods experience. If time and desire for watery adventure permits, kayak or canoe the Turner River.
Surrounding the parks and preserve are communities where you’ll find useful outfitters: Everglades City, Florida City, and Homestead.
PLANNING
WHEN TO GO
Winter is the best, and busiest, time to visit the Everglades. Temperatures and mosquito activity are more tolerable, low water levels concentrate the resident wildlife, and migratory birds swell the avian population. In late spring the weather turns hot and rainy, and tours and facilities are less crowded. Migratory birds depart, and you must look harder to see wildlife. Summer brings intense sun and afternoon rainstorms. Water levels rise and mosquitoes descend, making outdoor activity virtually unbearable, unless you protect yourself with netting. Mosquito repellent is a necessity any time of year.
GETTING HERE AND AROUND
Miami International Airport (MIA) is 34 miles from Homestead and 47 miles from the eastern access to Everglades National Park. 
For MIA airline information, see the Travel Smart chapter.
Shuttles run between MIA and Homestead. Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW), in Fort Myers, a little over an hour’s drive from Everglades City, is the closest major airport to the Everglades’ western entrance. On-demand taxi transportation from the airport to Everglades City is available from MBA Airport Transportation and costs $150 for up to three passengers ($10 each for additional passengers).
Contacts
MBA Airport Transportation.
239/225–0428
www.mbaairport.com
.
HOTELS
Accommodations near the parks range from inexpensive to moderate and offer off-season rates in summer, when rampant mosquito populations discourage spending time outdoors, especially at dusk. If you’re devoting several days to exploring the east-coast Everglades, stay in park campgrounds; 11 miles away in Homestead–Florida City, where there are reasonably priced chain motels and RV parks; in the Florida Keys; or in the Greater Miami–Fort Lauderdale area. Lodgings and campgrounds are also plentiful on the Gulf Coast (in Everglades City, Marco Island, and Naples, the latter with the most upscale area accommodations).
RESTAURANTS
Dining in the Everglades area centers on mom-and-pop places serving hearty home-style food, and small eateries specializing in fresh local fare: alligator, fish, stone crab, frogs’ legs, and Florida lobster from the Keys. American Indian restaurants serve local favorites as well as catfish, Indian fry bread (a flour-and-water flatbread), and pumpkin bread. A growing Hispanic population around Homestead means plenty of authentic, inexpensive Latin cuisine, with an emphasis on Cuban and Mexican dishes. Restaurants in Everglades City, especially those along the river, specialize in fresh (often just hours out of the water) seafood including particularly succulent, sustainable stone crab. These mostly rustic places are ultracasual and often close in late summer or fall. For finer dining, head for Marco Island or Naples.
Hotel and restaurant reviews have been shortened. For full information, visit Fodors.com .
ABOUT ACTIVITIES
While outfitters are listed with the parks and preserve, see our What’s Nearby section later in this chapter for information about each town.
EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK
45 miles southwest of Miami International Airport.
If you’re heading across South Florida on U.S. 41 from Miami to Naples, you’ll breeze right through the Everglades. Also known as Tamiami Trail, this mostly two-lane road skirts the edge of Everglades National Park and cuts across the Big Cypress National Preserve. You’ll also be near the park if you’re en route from Miami to the Florida Keys on U.S. 1, which cuts through Homestead and Florida City—communities east of the main park entrance. Basically, if you’re in South Florida, you can’t escape at least fringes of the Everglades. With tourist strongholds like Miami, Naples, and the Florida Keys so close, travelers from all over the world typically make day trips to the park.
Everglades National Park has three main entry points: the park headquarters at Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, southwest of Homestead and Florida City; the Shark Valley area, accessed by Tamiami Trail (U.S. 41); and the Gulf Coast Visitor Center, south of Everglades City to the west and closest to Naples.
Explore on your own or participate in ranger-led hikes, bicycle or bird-watching tours, and canoe trips. The variety of these excursions is greatest from mid-December through Easter, and some adventures (canoe trips, for instance) typically aren’t offered in sweltering summer. Among the more popular are the Anhinga Amble, a 50-minute walk around the Taylor Slough (departs from the Royal Palm Visitor Center), and the Early Bird Special, a 90-minute walk centered on birdlife (departs from Flamingo Visitor Center). Check with visitor centers for details.
WAR ON PYTHONS
In 2013, Florida launched its first Python Challenge™ to put the kibosh on Burmese pythons, those deadly snakes literally squeezing the life out of Everglades wonders, from colorful birds to full-grown deer to gators.
The state-sponsored winter competition was a trailblazer, attracting amateurs and professionals alike from 38 states and Canada to help decimate this growing environmental threat. Sadly, only 68 pythons were captured of thousands estimated lurking in the Everglades.
Then the Challenge was scrapped, although the state continued its war with a python-removal program, issuing hunting permits to qualified applicants. In 2016, the Challenge made a comeback and now seems to be on again.
Even experienced Gladesmen with special permits to stalk these predators have trouble finding them—partly because tan, splotchy skin provides natural camouflage for slithering about and causing mayhem within the ecosystem. Unseasonably warm winter weather also leaves pythons, growing up to 26 feet long, without incentive to boldly expose themselves for sunning.
In 2012, the U.S. Department of the Interior—hailing a milestone in Everglades protection—announced a nationwide ban on the importation of Burmese pythons and other nonnative, large constrictor snakes, including African pythons and the yellow anaconda. The ban has stuck thus far and is helping with the problem.
No matter what the format for the state’s effort to eradicate pythons, its war against invasive species and the efforts to protect Everglades wildlife continue unabated.
—Lynne Helm
PARK ESSENTIALS
Admission Fees The fee is $25 per vehicle; and $8 per pedestrian, bicycle, or motorcycle. Payable at gates, the admission is good for seven consecutive days at all park entrances. Annual passes are $40.
Admission Hours Open daily, year-round, both the main entrance near Florida City and Homestead, and the Gulf Coast entrance are open 24 hours a day. The Shark Valley entrance is open 8:30 am to 6 pm.
COE VISITOR CENTER TO FLAMINGO
About 30 miles southwest of Miami.
The most utilized access to Everglades National Park is via the park headquarters entrance southwest of Homestead and Florida City. If you’re coming to the Everglades from Miami, take Route 836 West to Route 826/874 South to the Homestead Extension of Florida’s Turnpike, U.S. 1, and Krome Avenue (Route 997/old U.S. 27). To reach the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center from Homestead, go right (west) from U.S. 1 or Krome Avenue onto Route 9336 (Florida’s only four-digit route) in Florida City and follow signage to the park entrance.
Route 9336 travels 38 miles from the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center southwest to the Florida Bay at Flamingo. It crosses a section of the park’s eight distinct ecosystems: hardwood hammock, freshwater prairie, pinelands, freshwater slough, cypress, coastal prairie, mangrove, and marine-estuarine. Route highlights include a dwarf cypress forest, the transition zone between saw grass and mangrove forest, and a wealth of wading birds at Mrazek and Coot Bay ponds—where in early morning or late afternoon you can observe them feeding. Be forewarned, however, that flamingo sightings are extremely rare. Boardwalks, looped trails, several short spurs, and observation platforms help you stay dry. You may want to stop along the way to walk several short trails (each takes about 30 minutes): the wheelchair-accessible Anhinga Trail, which cuts through saw-grass marsh and allows you to see lots of wildlife (be on the lookout for alligators and the trail’s namesake waterbirds: anhingas); the junglelike—yet also wheelchair-accessible—Gumbo-Limbo Trail; the Pinelands Trail, where you can see the park’s limestone bedrock; the Pahayokee Overlook Trail, ending at an observation tower; and the Mahogany Hammock Trail, with its dense growth. ■ TIP → Before heading out on the trails, inquire about insect and weather conditions to plan accordingly, stocking up on bug repellent, sunscreen, and water as necessary. Even on seemingly sunny days, it’s smart to bring rain gear.
EXPLORING
To explore this section of the park, follow Route 9336 from the park entrance to Flamingo; you’ll find plenty of opportunities to stop along the way, and assorted activities to pursue in the Flamingo area. Other than campgrounds, there are no lodging options within the national park at this writing.
Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center.
FAMILY
Get your park map here, 365 days a year, but don’t just grab and go; this visitor center’s numerous interactive exhibits and films are well worth your time. The 15-minute film River of Life,
updated frequently, provides a succinct park overview. A movie on hurricanes and a 35-minute wildlife film for children are available upon request. Learn about the Great Water Debate, detailing how the last century’s gung ho draining of swampland for residential and agricultural development also cut off water-supply routes for precious wetlands in the Everglades ecosystem. You’ll also find a schedule of daily ranger-led activities, mainly walks and talks; information on the popular Nike missile site tour (harking back to the Cuban missile crisis era); and details about canoe rentals and boat tours at Flamingo. The Everglades Discovery Shop stocks books, kids’ stuff, plus insect repellent, sunscreen, and water. Coe Visitor Center, which has restrooms, is outside park gates, so you can stop in without paying park admission. 
40001 State Rd. 9336, Homestead
11 miles southwest of Homestead
305/242–7700
Free
.
Flamingo.
FAMILY
At the far end of the main road to the Flamingo community along Florida Bay, you’ll find a marina (with beverages, snacks, and a gift shop), visitor center, and campground, with nearby hiking and nature trails. Despite the name, what you are unlikely to find here are flamingos. To improve your luck for glimpsing these flamboyant pink birds with toothpick legs, check out Snake Bight Trail, starting about 5 miles from the Flamingo outpost, but they are a rare sight indeed. Before
Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma hit in 2005, a lodge, cabins, and restaurant facilities in Flamingo provided Everglades National Park’s only accommodations. Rebuilding of Flamingo Lodge, long projected, has yet to materialize. For now, you can still pitch tents or bring RVs to the campground, where improvements include solar-heated showers and electricity for RV sites. A houseboat rental concession offers a pair of 35-footers each sleeping six and equipped with shower, toilet, bedding, kitchenware, stereo, and depth finder. The houseboats (thankfully air-conditioned) have 60-horsepower outboards and rent for $350 per night, plus a $200 fuel deposit.
Flamingo
www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/flamdirections
.
Worthwhile spots to pull over for a picnic are Paurotis Pond, about 10 miles north of Florida Bay, or Nine Mile Pond, less than 30 miles from the main visitor center. Another option is along Bear Lake, 2 miles north of the Flamingo Visitor Center.
Flamingo Visitor Center.
FAMILY
Check the schedule here for ranger-led activities, such as naturalist talks, trail hikes, and evening programs in the 100-seat campground amphitheater, replacing the old gathering spot destroyed by 2005 hurricanes. Mosquito repellent will be your favorite take-along here. If you’re famished and haven’t packed your own picnic, the center’s Buttonwood Cafe (closed in summer) serves sandwiches, salads, and such. There’s no other option for miles. You’ll find natural history exhibits and pamphlets on canoe, hiking, and biking trails in the second-floor Florida Bay Flamingo Museum, accessible only by stairway and a steep ramp. You can get drinks and snacks at the marina store when the café is closed.
1 Flamingo Lodge Hwy., Flamingo
239/695–2945
, 239/695–3101
marina
Free
.
Royal Palm Visitor Center.
FAMILY
Ideal for when there’s limited time to experience the Everglades, this small center with a bookstore and vending machines permits access to the popular, paved Anhinga Trail boardwalk,
where in winter spotting alligators congregating in watering holes is virtually guaranteed. Neighboring Gumbo Limbo Trail
takes you through a hardwood hammock. Combining these short strolls (½ mile or so) allows you to experience two Everglades ecosystems. Rangers conduct Anhinga Ambles in season (call ahead for times). A Glades Glimpse program takes place afternoons in season, as do starlight walks and bike tours. As always, arm yourself with insect repellent. If you have a mind for history, ask about narrated Nike missile site tours, stemming from the ‘60s-era Cuban missile crisis.
Rte. 9336, Everglades National Park
4 miles west of Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center
305/242–7700
.
SPORTS AND THE OUTDOORS
BIRD-WATCHING
Some of the park’s best birding is in the Flamingo area.
BOATING
The 99-mile inland Wilderness Trail between Flamingo and Everglades City is open to motorboats as well as canoes, although, depending on water levels, powerboats may have trouble navigating above Whitewater Bay. Flat-water canoeing and kayaking are best in winter, when temperatures are moderate, rainfall diminishes, and mosquitoes back off—a little, anyway. You don’t need a permit for day trips, although there’s a seven-day, $5 launch fee for all motorized boats brought into the park. The Flamingo area has well-marked canoe trails, but be sure to tell someone where you’re going and when you expect to return. Getting lost is easy, and spending the night without proper gear can be unpleasant, if not dangerous.
Where birds of a feather flock, birders often do, too. Each January on the weekend before Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Everglades Birding Festival, which began in the mid-aughts, attracts enthusiasts from far and wide. Field workshops cover “birding by ear,” habitat, behavior, advanced skills, photography, and other topics. Target species range from the peregrine falcon to the purple swamp hen and plenty of feathered wonders in between. For info, check out
www.evergladesbirdingfestival.com
.
Flamingo Lodge, Marina, and Everglades National Park Tours.
FAMILY
Everglades National Park’s official concessionaire operates a marina, runs tours, and rents canoes, kayaks, and skiffs, secured by credit cards. A one-hour, 45-minute backcountry cruise aboard the 50-passenger Pelican
winds under a heavy canopy of mangroves, revealing abundant wildlife—from alligators, crocodiles, and turtles to herons, hawks, and egrets. You can rent a 17-foot, 40-hp skiff starting at 7 am for a full day (returning by 4 pm), a half day, or for as little as two hours; there is a $100 credit card deposit required. Canoes for up to three paddlers can be rented for two hours (minimum), four hours, eight hours, or overnight. Family canoes for up to four are available, and the concessionaire also rents bikes, binoculars, rods, reels, and other equipment for up to a full day. Feeling sticky after a day in the Glades? Hot showers are available ($). Flamingo Lodge, a victim of massive hurricane damage in 2005, remains closed pending a long-delayed fresh start.
■
TIP →
An experimental Eco Tent of canvas and wood, unveiled in winter 2012–13, was booked solid for the season. Built by University of Miami architecture students, Eco Tent sleeps four, has a table and chairs, and wins rave reviews from designers, park officials, and campers. It’s a prototype for up to 40 more units, once funding is secured.
1 Flamingo Lodge Hwy., on Buttonwood Canal, Flamingo
239/695–3101
, 239/695–0124
Eco Tent reservations
www.evergladesnationalparkboattoursflamingo.com
Pelican cruise from $37.63; skiff rentals from $80 (2 hrs); 3-person canoe rentals from $20
.
GULF COAST ENTRANCE
To reach the park’s western gateway, take U.S. 41 west from Miami for 77 miles, turn left (south) onto Route 29, and travel another 3 miles through Everglades City to the Gulf Coast Ranger Station. From Naples on the Gulf Coast, take U.S. 41 east for 35 miles, and turn right onto Route 29.
Gulf Coast Visitor Center.
FAMILY
The best place to bone up on Everglades National Park’s watery western side is at this center just south of Everglades City (5 miles south of Tamiami Trail) where rangers can give you the park lowdown and address your inquiries. In winter, backcountry campers purchase permits here and canoeists check in for trips to the Ten Thousand Islands and 99-mile Wilderness Waterway Trail. Nature lovers view interpretive exhibits on local flora and fauna while waiting for naturalist-led boat trips. In season (Christmas through Easter), rangers lead bike tours and canoe trips. A selection of about 30 nature presentations and orientation films are available by request for view on a TV screen. Admission is free only to this section, since no direct roads from here link to other parts of the park.
815 Oyster Bar La., off Rte. 29, Everglades City
239/695–3311
.
SPORTS AND THE OUTDOORS
BOATING AND KAYAKING
Everglades National Park Boat Tours.
FAMILY
In conjunction with boat tours at Flamingo, this operation runs 1½-hour trips through the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge. Adventure-seekers often see dolphins, manatees, bald eagles, and roseate spoonbills. In peak season (November–April), 49-passenger boats run on the hour and half hour daily. Mangrove wilderness tours on smaller boats are for up to six passengers. These one-hour, 45-minute trips are the best option to see alligators. The outfitter also rents canoes and kayaks. Ask about group discounts.
Gulf Coast Visitor Center, 815 Oyster Bar La., Everglades City
239/695–2591
, 866/628–7275
www.evergladesnationalparkboattoursgulfcoast.com/index.php
Tours from $40
.
Fodor’s
Choice
Everglades Rentals & Eco Adventures.
Ivey House Inn houses this established, year-round source for guided Everglades paddling tours and rentals for canoes and kayaks. Shuttles can deliver you to major launching areas such as Turner River. Highlights include bird and gator sightings, mangrove forests, no-man’s-land beaches, and spectacular sunsets. Longer adventures include equipment rental, guide, and meals.
Ivey House, 107 Camellia St., Everglades City
877/567–0679
, 239/695–3299
www.evergladesadventures.com
Rentals from $35
.
SHARK VALLEY
23½ miles west of Florida’s Turnpike, off Tamiami Trail. Approximately 45 mins west of Miami.
You won’t see sharks at Shark Valley. The name comes from the Shark River, also called the River of Grass, flowing through the area. Several species of shark swim up this river from the coast (about 45 miles south of Shark Valley) to give birth, though not at this particular spot. Young sharks (called pups), vulnerable to being eaten by adult sharks and other predators, gain strength in waters of the slough before heading out to sea.
The Shark Valley entrance to the national park is on U.S. 41 (Tamiami Trail), 25 miles west of Florida’s Turnpike (SR 821) or 39 miles east of SR 29. Some GPS units don’t recognize it. If asked for a cross street, use U.S. 41.
EXPLORING
Although Shark Valley is the national park’s north entrance, no roads here lead directly to other parts of the park. However, it’s still worth stopping to take the two-hour narrated bio-diesel tram tour from Shark Valley Tram Tours. Stop at the halfway point and ascend the Shark Valley Observation Tower via the ramp.
Prefer to do the trail on foot? It takes nerve to walk the paved 15-mile loop in Shark Valley, because in the winter months alligators lie alongside the road, basking in the sun—most, however, do move out of the way.
You also can ride a bicycle (the folks who operate the tram tours also rent one-speed, well-used bikes daily from 8:30 to 4 for $9 per hour with helmets available). Near the bike-rental area a short boardwalk trail meanders through saw grass, and another passes through a tropical hardwood hammock.
Shark Valley Observation Tower.
FAMILY
At the Shark Valley trail’s end (really, the halfway point of the 15-mile loop), you can pause to navigate this tower, first built in 1984, spiraling nearly 50 feet upward. Once on top, you’ll find the River of Grass gloriously spreads out as far as you can see.
Observe waterbirds as well as alligators, and maybe even river otters crossing the road. The tower has a wheelchair-accessible ramp to the top. If you don’t want to take the tram from the Shark Valley Visitor Center, you can either hike or bike in, but private cars are not allowed.
Shark Valley Loop Rd., Miami
www.sharkvalleytramtours.com
.
Shark Valley Visitor Center.
FAMILY
The old ramshackle outpost has been razed altogether to make room for a nice picnic area, and a new, white, concrete-block building nearby is now in place with the bike-rental concession and a bookstore (run by the Everglades Association) with hats, sunscreen, insect repellent, postcards, and other souvenirs. Park rangers are still here, ready for your questions.
36000 S.W. 8th St., Miami
23½ miles west of Florida’s Tpke., off Tamiami Trail
305/221–8776
.
SPORTS AND THE OUTDOORS
BIKING
Shark Valley Bicycle Rentals.
FAMILY
You can gaze at gators while getting your exercise, too, by renting a bike at the Shark Valley Visitor Center from the same outfitter that operates the tram tours. Pedal along 15 miles of paved, level roadway (no hills or dales) to the observation tower and back while keeping an eye on plentiful roadside reptiles. Bikes are single gear, coaster-style two-wheelers with baskets and helmets available, along with some child seats for kids under 35 pounds. The well-used fleet also includes a few 20-inch junior models. You’ll need a driver’s license or other ID for a deposit. Arm yourself with water, insect repellent, and sunscreen.
Shark Valley Visitor Center, Shark Valley Loop Rd., Shark Valley
305/221–8776
www.sharkvalleytramtours.com/biking
Rentals from $9 per hr
.
BOATING
Many Everglades-area tours operate only in season, roughly November through April.
Buffalo Tiger’s Airboat Tours.
FAMILY
A former chief of Florida’s Miccosukee tribe—Buffalo Tiger, who died in January 2015 at the age of 94—founded this Shark Valley–area tour operation, and his spirit carries on. Savvy guides narrate the trip to an old Indian camp on the north side of Tamiami Trail from the Native American perspective. Don’t worry about airboat noise, since engines are shut down during informative talks. The 45-minute tours go 10–5 Saturday through Thursday, with longer private tours available. Look online for discount coupons. Reservations are not required, and credit cards are now accepted at this outpost.
29708 S.W. 8th St., 5 miles east of Shark Valley, 25 miles west of Florida’s Tpke., Miami
305/559–5250
www.buffalotigersairboattours.com
From $24.75
.
GUIDED TOURS
Shark Valley Tram Tours.
FAMILY
Starting at the Shark Valley Visitor Center, these popular two-hour, narrated tours ($24) on bio-diesel trams follow a 15-mile loop road—great for viewing gators—into the interior, stopping at a wheelchair-accessible observation tower. Bring your own water. Reservations are strongly recommended December through April.
Shark Valley Visitor Center, Shark Valley Loop Rd., Miami
305/221–8455
www.sharkvalleytramtours.com
$24
.
BIG CYPRESS NATIONAL PRESERVE
Through the early 1960s the world’s largest cypress-logging industry prospered in Big Cypress Swamp until nearly all the trees were cut down. With the demise of the industry, government entities began buying parcels. Now more than 729,000 acres, or nearly half of the swamp, form this national preserve. “Big” refers not to the new-growth trees but to the swamp, jutting into the north edge of Everglades National Park like a jigsaw-puzzle piece. Size and strategic location make Big Cypress an important link in the region’s hydrological system, where rainwater first flows through the preserve, then south into the park, and eventually into Florida Bay. Its variegated pattern of wet prairies, ponds, marshes, sloughs, and strands provides a wildlife sanctuary, and thanks to a policy of balanced land use—“use without abuse”—the watery wilderness is devoted to recreation as well as to research and preservation. Bald cypress trees that may look dead are actually dormant, with green needles springing to life in spring. The preserve allows—in limited areas—hiking, hunting, and off-road-vehicle use (airboat, swamp buggy, four-wheel drive) by permit. Compared with Everglades National Park, the preserve is less developed and hosts fewer visitors. That makes it ideal for naturalists, birders, and hikers preferring to see more wildlife than people.
Several scenic drives link from Tamiami Trail, some requiring four-wheel-drive vehicles, especially in wet summer months. A few lead to camping areas and roadside picnic spots. Apart from the Oasis Visitor Center, popular as a springboard for viewing alligators, the newer Big Cypress Swamp Welcome Center features a platform for watching manatees. Both centers, along Tamiami Trail between Miami and Naples, feature a top-notch 25-minute film on Big Cypress.
PARK ESSENTIALS
Admission Fees There’s no admission fee to visit the preserve.
Admission Hours The park is open 24 hours daily, year-round. Accessible only by boat, Adams Key is for day use only.
Contacts
Big Cypress National Preserve.
239/695–1201
www.nps.gov/bicy
.
EXPLORING
Big Cypress Swamp Welcome Center.
FAMILY
As a sister to the Oasis Visitor Center, the newer Big Cypress Swamp Welcome Center on the preserve’s western side has abundant information, as well as restrooms, picnic facilities, and a 70-seat auditorium. An outdoor breezeway showcases an interactive Big Cypress watershed exhibit, illustrating Florida water flow. It’s a convenient place to stop when crossing from either coast.
■
TIP →
Love manatees? A platform allows for viewing these intriguing mammals, attracted to warm water. (They were possibly once mistaken for mermaids by thirsty or love-starved ancient sailors.)
33000 Tamiami Trail E, 5 miles east of SR29, Ochopee
239/695–4758
www.nps.gov/bicy/planyourvisit/visitorcenters.htm
Free
.
Clyde Butcher’s Big Cypress Gallery.
FAMILY
For taking home swamp memories in stark black and white, you can’t do better than picking up a postcard, calendar, or more serious pieces of artwork by photographer Clyde Butcher at his namesake trailside gallery. Butcher, a big guy with an even bigger beard, is an affable personality renowned for his knowledge of the Glades and his ability to capture its magnetism through a large-format lens. Even if you can’t afford his big stuff, you’re warmly invited to gaze. Out back, Butcher and his wife, Niki, also rent a bungalow ($225 per night, October–April) and a cottage ($350 per night, year-round).
■
TIP →
Ask about Clyde’s private photography Swamp Walk Tours, bookable in advance, September through March. You’ll need a hat, long pants, old sneakers, and—because you
will
get wet—spare, dry clothing.
MM 54.5, 52388 Tamiami Trail, Ochopee
239/695–2428
www.clydebutchersbigcypressgallery.com
.
Oasis Visitor Center.
FAMILY
The big attraction at Oasis Visitor Center, on the east side of Big Cypress Preserve, is the observation deck for viewing fish, birds, and other wildlife. A small butterfly garden’s native plants seasonally attract winged wonders. Inside, you’ll find an exhibit area, bookshop, and a theater showing an informative 25-minute film on Big Cypress Preserve swamplands. Get your gator watch on at the center’s observation deck where big alligators congregate. Leashed pets are allowed, but not on the boardwalk deck. Here’s where you also can get off-road-vehicle permits.
52105 Tamiami Trail, Ochopee
24 miles east of Everglades City, 50 miles west of Miami, 20 miles west of Shark Valley
239/695–1201
www.nps.gov/bicy/planyourvisit/visitorcenters
Free
.
Ochopee Post Office.
FAMILY
North America’s smallest post office is a former irrigation pipe shed on the Tamiami Trail’s south side. Blink and you’ll risk missing it. To support this picturesque outpost during an era of postal service cutbacks, why not buy a postcard of this one-room shack with a U.S. flag outside for mailing to whomever would appreciate it? Mail packages or buy money orders here, too.
38000 E. Tamiami Trail, 4 miles east of Rte. 29, Ochopee
239/695–2099
.
WHERE TO EAT
Joanie’s Blue Crab Cafe.
$
SEAFOOD
West of the nation’s tiniest post office by a quarter mile or so, you’ll find this red barn of a place dishing out catfish, frogs’ legs, gator, grouper, burgers, salads, and (no surprise here) an abundance of soft-shell crabs, crab cakes, and she-crab soup. Entrées are reasonably priced, and peanut butter pie makes for a solid finish. Known for:
beer and wine only; indoor/outdoor seating; early closing (5 pm). 
Average main: $13
39395 Tamiami Trail, Ochopee
About 3½ miles east of Hwy. 29, less than a mile west of Ochopee post office
239/695–2682
www.joaniesbluecrabcafe.com
Closed Mon. (varies seasonally; call to confirm)
.
SPORTS AND THE OUTDOORS
There are three types of trails—walking (including part of the extensive Florida National Scenic Trail), canoeing, and bicycling. All three trail types are easily accessed from the Tamiami Trail near the preserve visitor center, and one boardwalk trail departs from the center. Canoe and bike equipment can be rented from outfitters in Everglades City, 24 miles west, and Naples, 40 miles west.
Hikers can tackle the Florida National Scenic Trail, which begins in the preserve and is divided into segments of 6½ to 28 miles each. Two 5-mile trails, Concho Billy and Fire Prairie, can be accessed off Turner River Road, a few miles east. Turner River Road and Birdon Road form a 17-mile gravel loop drive that’s excellent for birding. Bear Island has about 32 miles of scenic, flat, looped trails that are ideal for bicycling. Most trails are hard-packed lime rock, but a few miles are gravel. Cyclists share the road with off-road vehicles, most plentiful from mid-November through December.
To see the best variety of wildlife from your vehicle, follow 26-mile Loop Road, south of U.S. 41 and west of Shark Valley, where alligators, raccoons, and soft-shell turtles crawl around beside the gravel road, often swooped upon by swallowtail kites and brown-shouldered hawks. Stop at H. P. Williams Roadside Park, west of the Oasis, and walk along the boardwalk to spy gators, turtles, and garfish in the river waters.
RANGER PROGRAMS
From the Oasis Visitor Center you can get in on the seasonal ranger-led or self-guided activities, such as campfire and wildlife talks, hikes, slough slogs, and canoe excursions. The 8-mile Turner River Canoe Trail begins nearby and crosses through Everglades National Park before ending in Chokoloskee Bay, near Everglades City. Rangers lead four-hour canoe trips and two-hour swamp walks in season; call for days and times. Bring shoes and long pants for swamp walks and be prepared to wade at least knee-deep in water. Ranger program reservations are accepted up to 14 days in advance.
BISCAYNE NATIONAL PARK
Occupying 172,000 acres along the southern portion of Biscayne Bay, south of Miami and north of the Florida Keys, Biscayne National Park is 95% submerged, its terrain ranging from 4 feet above sea level to 60 feet below. Contained within are four distinct zones: Biscayne Bay, undeveloped upper Florida Keys, coral reefs, and coastal mangrove forest. Mangroves line mainland shores much as they do elsewhere along South Florida’s protected waters. Biscayne Bay serves as a lobster sanctuary and a nursery for fish, sponges, crabs, and other sea life. Manatees and sea turtles frequent its warm, shallow waters. The park hosts legions of boaters and landlubbers gazing in awe over the bay.
GETTING HERE
To reach Biscayne National Park from Homestead, take Krome Avenue to Route 9336 (Palm Drive) and turn east. Follow Palm Drive about 8 miles until it becomes Southwest 344th Street, and follow signs to park headquarters in Convoy Point. The entry is 9 miles east of Homestead and 9 miles south and east of Exit 6 (Speedway Boulevard/Southwest 137th Avenue) off Florida’s Turnpike.
PARK ESSENTIALS
Admission Fees There’s no fee to enter Biscayne National Park, and you don’t pay a fee to access the islands, but there’s a $25 overnight camping fee that includes a $5 dock charge to berth vessels at some island docks. The park concession charges for trips to the coral reefs and islands.
Admission Hours The park is open daily, year-round.
Contacts
Biscayne National Park.
Dante Fascell Visitor Center, 9700 S.W. 328th St., Homestead
305/230–7275
www.nps.gov/bisc
.
EXPLORING
Biscayne is a magnet for diving, snorkeling, canoeing, birding, and, to some extent (if you have a private boat), camping. Elliott Key is the best place to hike.
Biscayne’s corals range from soft, flagellant fans, plumes, and whips found chiefly in shallow patch reefs to the hard brain corals, elkhorn, and staghorn forms that can withstand depths and heavier shoreline wave action.
To the east, about 8 miles off the coast, 44 tiny keys stretch 18 nautical miles north to south, and are reached only by boat. No mainland commercial transportation operates to the islands, and only a handful are accessible: Elliott, Boca Chita, Adams, and Sands Keys, lying between Elliott and Boca Chita. The rest are wildlife refuges or have rocky shores or waters too shallow for boats. December through April, when the mosquito population is less aggressive, is the best time to explore. Bring repellent, sunscreen, and water.
Adams Key.
A stone’s throw from the western tip of Elliott Key and 9 miles southeast of Convoy Point, the island is open for day use. It was the onetime site of the Cocolobo Club, a yachting retreat known for hosting Presidents Harding, Hoover, Johnson, and Nixon as well as
other famous and infamous luminaries. Hurricane Andrew blew away what remained of club facilities in 1992. Adams Key has picnic areas with grills, restrooms, dockage, and a short trail running along the shore and through a hardwood hammock. Rangers live on-island. Access is by private boat, with no pets or overnight docking allowed.
Biscayne National Park
www.nps.gov/bisc
.
Boca Chita Key.
Ten miles northeast of Convoy Point and about 12 miles south of the Cape Florida Lighthouse on Key Biscayne, this key once was owned by the late Mark C. Honeywell, former president of Honeywell Company, and is on the National Register of Historic Places for its 10 historic structures. A half-mile hiking trail curves around the island’s south side. Climb the 65-foot-high ornamental lighthouse (by ranger tour only) for a panoramic view of Miami or check out the cannon from the HMS Fowey
. There’s no freshwater, access is by private boat only, and no pets are allowed. Only portable toilets are on-site, with no sinks or showers. A $25 fee for overnight docking (6 pm to 6 am) covers a campsite; pay at the harbor’s automated kiosk.
Biscayne National Park
.
Fodor’s
Choice
Dante Fascell Visitor Center.
FAMILY
Go outside on the wide veranda to soak up views across mangroves and Biscayne Bay at this Convoy Point visitor center, which opened in 2002. Inside the museum, artistic vignettes and on-request videos including the 11-minute Spectrum of Life
explore the park’s four ecosystems, while the Touch Table gives both kids and adults a feel for bones, feathers, and coral. Facilities include the park’s canoe and tour concession, restrooms with showers, a ranger information area, gift shop with books, and vending machines. Various ranger programs take place daily during busy fall and winter seasons. Rangers give informal tours on Boca Chita key, but these must be arranged in advance. A short trail and boardwalk lead to a jetty, and there are picnic tables and grills. This is the only area of the park accessible without a boat. You can snorkel from shore, but the water is shallow, with sea grass and a mud bottom.
9700 S.W. 328th St., Homestead
305/230–7275
www.nps.gov/bisc
Free
.
Elliott Key.
FAMILY
The largest of the islands, 9 miles east of Convoy Point, Elliott Key has a mile-long loop trail on the bay side at the north end of the campground. Boaters may dock at any of 36 slips; the fee for staying overnight includes use of a tent area for up to six people in two tents. Head out on your own to hike the 6-mile trail along so-called Spite Highway, a 225-foot-wide swath of green that developers mowed down in hopes of linking this key to the mainland. Luckily the federal government stepped in, and now it’s a hiking trail through tropical hardwood hammock. Facilities include restrooms, picnic tables, fresh
drinking water, cold (occasionally lukewarm) showers, grills, and a campground. Leashed pets are allowed in developed areas only, not on trails. A 30-foot-wide sandy shoreline about a mile north of the harbor on the west (bay) side of the key is the only one in the national park, and boaters like to anchor off here to swim. You can fish (check on license requirements) from the maintenance dock south of the harbor. The beach, fun for families, is for day use only; it has picnic areas and a short trail that cuts through the hammock.
Biscayne National Park
$25 docking fee for campers
.
SPORTS AND THE OUTDOORS
BIRD-WATCHING
More than 170 species of birds have been identified in and around the park. Expect to see flocks of brown pelicans patrolling the bay—suddenly rising, then plunging beak first to capture prey in their baggy pouches. White ibis probe exposed mudflats for small fish and crustaceans. Although all the keys are excellent for birding, Jones Lagoon (south of Adams Key, between Old Rhodes Key and Totten Key) is outstanding. It’s approachable only by nonmotorized craft.
DIVING AND SNORKELING
Diving is great year-around but best in summer, when calmer winds and smaller seas result in clearer waters. Ocean waters, 3 miles east of the Keys, showcase the park’s main attraction—the northernmost section of Florida’s living tropical coral reefs. Some are the size of an office desk, others as large as a football field. Glass-bottom-boat rides, when operating, showcase this underwater wonderland, but you really should snorkel or scuba dive to fully appreciate it.
A diverse population of colorful fish—angelfish, gobies, grunts, parrot fish, pork fish, wrasses, and many more—flits through the reefs. Shipwrecks from the 18th century are evidence of the area’s international maritime heritage, and a Maritime Heritage Trail has been developed to link six of the major shipwreck and underwater cultural sites including the Fowey Rocks Lighthouse, built in 1878. Sites, including a 19th-century wooden sailing vessel, have been plotted with GPS coordinates and marked with mooring buoys.
WHAT’S NEARBY
EVERGLADES CITY
35 miles southeast of Naples and 83 miles west of Miami.
Aside from a chain gas station or two, Everglades City retains its Old Florida authenticity. No high-rises (other than an observation tower named for pioneer Ernest Hamilton) mar the landscape at this western gateway to Everglades National Park, just off the Tamiami Trail. Everglades City was developed in the late 19th century by Barron Collier, a wealthy advertising entrepreneur, who built it as a company town to house workers for his numerous projects, including construction of the Tamiami Trail. It grew and prospered until the Depression and World War II. Today this ramshackle town draws adventure seekers heading to the park for canoeing, fishing, and bird-watching excursions. Airboat tours, though popular, are banned within the park because of the environmental damage they cause to the mangroves. The Everglades Seafood Festival, launched in 1970 and held the first full weekend of February, draws huge crowds for delights from the sea, music, and craft displays. At quieter times, dining choices center on a handful of rustic eateries big on seafood. The town is small, fishing-oriented, and unhurried, making it excellent for boating, bicycling, or just strolling around. You can pedal along the waterfront on a 2-mile strand out to Chokoloskee Island.
VISITOR INFORMATION
Everglades Area Chamber of Commerce Welcome Center.
Pick up brochures, flyers and pamphlets for area lodging, restaurants, and attractions here, and ask for additional information from friendly staffers. Open daily 9 to 4.
32016 E. Tamiami Trail, at Rte. 29
239/695–3941
www.evergladeschamber.net
.
EXPLORING
Collier-Seminole State Park.
Opportunity to try biking, hiking, camping, and canoeing in Everglades territory makes this 7,000-plus-acre park a prime introduction to this often forbidding mangrove swampland. Of historical interest, a Seminole War blockhouse has been re-created to hold the interpretative center, and one of the “walking dredges”—a towering black machine invented to carve the Tamiami Trail out of the muck—stands silent on grounds amid tropical hardwood forest. Kayaks and canoes can be launched into the Blackwater River here. Bring your own, or rent a canoe from the park by the hour or day. After a lengthy campground closure, upgraded campsites for tents to motor homes now include three restrooms and a laundry room.
20200 E. Tamiami Trail, Naples
239/394–3397
www.floridastateparks.org/park/Collier-Seminole
$5 per car, $4 with lone driver, $2 for pedestrians or bikers; canoe rentals from $5 per hr
.
Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park.
The half-mile Big Cypress Bend boardwalk through this linear swamp forest provides opportunity to see rare plants, nesting eagles, and Florida’s largest stand of native royal palms coexisting—unique to Fakahatchee Strand—with bald cypress under the forest canopy. Fakahatchee Strand, about 20 miles long and 5 miles wide, is also the orchid and bromeliad capital of the continent with 44 native orchids and 14 native bromeliads, many blooming most extravagantly in hotter months. It’s particularly famed for its ghost orchids (as featured in Susan Orlean’s novel The Orchid Thief
), visible on guided hikes. In your quest for ghost orchids, keep alert for white-tailed deer, black bears, bobcats, and the Florida panther. For park nature on parade, take the 12-mile-long (one-way) W. J. Janes Memorial Scenic Drive (deposit your admission fee at the honor box; have exact change). Hike its spur trails if you have time. Rangers lead swamp walks and canoe trips November through April.
Boardwalk on north side of Tamiami Trail, 7 miles west of Rte. 29; W. J. Janes Scenic Dr., ¾ mile north of Tamiami Trail on Rte. 29; ranger station on W. J. Janes Scenic Dr., 137 Coastline Dr., Copeland
239/695–4593
www.floridastateparks.org/fakahatcheestrand
Free; W. J. Janes Memorial Scenic Drive $3 per car, $2 per motorcycle or pedestrian.
Museum of the Everglades.
FAMILY
Through artifacts and photographs you can meet American Indians, pioneers, entrepreneurs, and anglers playing pivotal roles in southwest Florida development. Exhibits and a short film chronicle the tremendous feat of building the Tamiami Trail across mosquito-ridden, gator-infested Everglades wetlands. Permanent displays and monthly exhibits rotate works of local artists. The small museum is housed in the Laundry Building, completed in 1927 and once used for washing linens from Everglades City’s Rod and Gun Club and Everglades Inn.
105 W. Broadway
239/695–0008
Free
.
WHERE TO EAT
City Seafood.
$$
SEAFOOD
Owner Richard Wahrenberger serves up gems from the sea delivered fresh from his own boats. Enjoy breakfast, lunch, or dinner inside this rustic haven, or sit outdoors to watch pelicans, gulls, tarpon, manatees, and the occasional gator play off the dock in the Barron River. Known for:
serving sustainable stone crab in season; full bar open on weekends; wrapping and/or shipping fresh seafood.
Average main: $15
702 Begonia St.
239/695–4700
www.cityseafood1.com
.
Everglades Adventure Center and Taste of the Everglades Restaurant.
$$
SEAFOOD
Formerly Everglades Seafood Depot, this restaurant still offers tasty, affordable meals in a scenic setting in a storied 1928 Spanish-style stucco structure fronting Lake Placid. Seafood, steaks, burgers, and dogs are the stars here. Known for:
simple, affordable fare; views from tables on the back porch or by the windows; historic setting.
Average main: $20
102 Collier Ave.
239/695–0075
.
Havana Cafe.
$$
CUBAN
Cuban specialties are a welcome alternative from the typical seafood houses of Everglades City. This cheery eatery—3 miles south of Everglades City on Chokoloskee Island—has a dozen or so tables inside, and more seating on the porch amid plenty of greenery. Known for:
good café con leche in the mornings; cash only when Internet is down; house-made hot sauce that you can take home in a bottle.
Average main: $15
191 Smallwood Dr., Chokoloskee
239/695–2214
www.myhavanacafe.com
No dinner Apr.–Oct.; no dinner Sun.–Thurs. Nov.–Mar.
Oyster House Restaurant.
$$
SEAFOOD
FAMILY
One of the town’s oldest fish houses, Oyster House serves, along with the requisite oysters, all the local staples—shrimp, gator tail, frogs’ legs, stone crab, and grouper—in a lodgelike setting with mounted wild game on walls and rafters. Deep-frying remains an art in these parts, so if you’re going to indulge, do it here where you can create your own fried platter for under $30. Known for:
fried everything; will do you-catch-we-cook; nice views at sunset.
Average main: $20
901 S. Copeland Ave.
239/695–2073
www.oysterhouserestaurant.com
.
Rod and Gun Club.
$$$
SEAFOOD
Striking, polished pecky-cypress woodwork in this historic building dates from the 1920s, when wealthy hunters, anglers, and yachting parties arrived for the winter season. Fresh seafood dominates, from stone crab in season (October 15–May 15) to a surf-and-turf combo of steak and grouper or a swamp-and-turf duet of frogs’ legs and steak, or pasta pairings. Known for:
languorous service; will do you-catch-we cook; cash only.
Average main: $25
200 Riverside Dr.
239/695–2101
www.everglades-rodandgun.com
No credit cards
Sometimes shuts down in summer. Call ahead
.
Triad Seafood.
$$
SEAFOOD
FAMILY
Along the Barron River, seafood houses, fishing boats, and crab traps populate one shoreline; mangroves the other. Selling fresh off the boat, some seafood houses added picnic tables and eventually grew into restaurants, like this one. Known for:
best grouper sandwich in the area; screened porch for dining; expensive all-you-can-eat stone crab in season.
Average main: $15
401 School Dr.
239/695–0722
www.triadseafoodmarketcafe.com
Closed May 16–Oct. 15
.
WHERE TO STAY
Glades Haven Cozy Cabins.
$
HOTEL
Bob Miller wanted to build a Holiday Inn next to his Oyster House Restaurant on marina-channel shores, but when that didn’t fly, he sent for cabin kits and set up mobile-home-size units around a pool on his property as part of “Miller’s World.” Rent a cabin (no two are alike), and you get free boat docking. Pros:
great nearby food options; convenient to ENP boating; free docking. Cons:
trailer-park, crowded feel with a noisy bar nearby; no phones; no pets.
Rooms from: $99
801 Copeland Ave.
239/695–2746
, 888/956–6251
www.gladeshaven.com
24 cabins, 2 3-bedroom houses
No meals
.
Fodor’s
Choice
Ivey House.
$
B&B/INN
A remodeled 1928 boardinghouse built for crews working on the Tamiami Trail, Ivey House (originally operated by Mr. and Mrs. Ivey) now fits adventurers on assorted budgets. Pros:
historic; pleasant; affordable. Cons:
not on water; some small rooms.
Rooms from: $169
107 Camellia St.
877/567–0679
, 239/695–3299
www.iveyhouse.com
30 rooms, 18 with bath; 1 2-bedroom cottage
Breakfast
.
SPORTS AND THE OUTDOORS
AIR TOURS
Wings Ten Thousand Islands Aero Tours.
These 20-minute to nearly two-hour flightseeing tours of the Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge, Big Cypress National Preserve, Everglades National Park, and Gulf of Mexico operate November through April. Aboard an Alaskan Bush plane, you can see saw-grass prairies, American Indian shell mounds, alligators, and wading birds. Flights also can be booked to the Keys, connecting to the Dry Tortugas.
Everglades Airpark, 650 Everglades City Airpark Rd.
239/695–3296
From $50 per person (based on group of 3 or 4)
.
BOATING AND CANOEING
On the Gulf Coast explore the nooks, crannies, and mangrove islands of Chokoloskee Bay and Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge, as well as rivers near Everglades City. The Turner River Canoe Trail, popular and populated even on Christmas as a pleasant day trip with almost guaranteed bird and alligator sightings, passes through mangrove tunnels, dwarf cypress, coastal prairie, and freshwater slough ecosystems of Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve.
Glades Haven Marina.
Access Ten Thousand Islands waters in a 19-foot Sundance or a 17-foot Flicker fishing boat. Basic rates are per day, but there are half-day and hourly options. The full-service marina outfitter also rents kayaks and canoes and has a 24-hour boat ramp and dockage for up to 24-foot vessels, where you can launch for a fee.
801 Copeland Ave. S
239/695–2628
www.gladeshaven.com
Boat rentals from $200 per day
.
FLORIDA CITY
3 miles southwest of Homestead on U.S. 1.
Florida’s Turnpike ends in Florida City, the southernmost town on the Miami-Dade County mainland, spilling thousands of vehicles onto U.S. 1 and eventually west to Everglades National Park, east to Biscayne National Park, or south to the Florida Keys. Although Florida City begins immediately south of Homestead, the difference in towns couldn’t be more noticeable. As the last outpost before 18 miles of mangroves and water, this stretch of U.S. 1 is lined with fast-food eateries, service stations, hotels, bars, dive shops, and restaurants. Hotel rates increase significantly during NASCAR races at the nearby Homestead-Miami Speedway. Like Homestead, Florida City is rooted in agriculture, with expanses of farmland west of Krome Avenue and a huge farmers’ market that ships produce nationwide.
GETTING HERE AND AROUND
SuperShuttle.
This 24-hour service runs air-conditioned vans between MIA and PortMiami or wherever else you’d like to go in the Miami-Dade County area; pickup is outside baggage claim. The shared van between MIA and PortMiami is $17 per person.
Miami
305/871–2000
www.supershuttle.com
.
EXPLORING
Tropical Everglades Visitor Center.
Run by the nonprofit Tropical Everglades Visitor Association, this pastel-pink center with teal signage offers abundant printed material plus tips from volunteer experts on exploring South Florida, especially Homestead, Florida City, and the Florida Keys.
160 U.S. 1
305/245–9180
, 800/388–9669
www.tropicaleverglades.com
.
WHERE TO EAT
Farmers’ Market Restaurant.
$
SEAFOOD
Although this eatery is within the farmers’ market on the edge of town and is big on serving fresh vegetables, seafood figures prominently on the menu. A family of anglers runs the place, so fish and shellfish are only hours from the sea, and there’s a fish fry on Friday nights. Known for:
early opening for breakfast; seafood-centric menu; using fresh produce from the market.
Average main: $13
300 N. Krome Ave.
305/242–0008
.
Mutineer Restaurant.
$$
SEAFOOD
Families and older couples flock to this kitschy roadside outpost that is shaped like a ship. Florida lobster tails, stuffed grouper, shrimp, and snapper top the menu, along with another half dozen daily seafood specials. Known for:
family-friendly atmosphere; kitschy decor; the Wharf Lounge, with live entertainment on weekends.
Average main: $20
11 S.E. 1st Ave. (U.S. 1), at Palm Dr.
305/245–3377
www.mutineerrestaurant.com
.
WHERE TO STAY
Best Western Gateway to the Keys.
$
HOTEL
For easy access to Everglades and Biscayne National Parks as well as the Keys, you’ll be well situated at this sprawling, two-story motel two blocks off Florida’s Turnpike. Pros:
convenient to parks, outlet shopping, and dining; free Wi-Fi and breakfast; attractive pool area. Cons:
traffic noise; fills up fast in high season.
Rooms from: $135
411 S. Krome Ave.
305/246–5100
, 888/981–5100
www.bestwestern.com/gatewaytothekeys
114 rooms
Breakfast
.
Fairway Inn.
$
HOTEL
With a waterfall pool, this two-story motel with exterior room entry has some of the area’s lowest chain rates, and it’s next to the Chamber of Commerce visitor center so you’ll have easy access to tourism brochures and other information. Pros:
affordable; convenient to restaurants, parks, and raceway. Cons:
plain, small rooms; no-pet policy.
Rooms from: $89
100 S.E. 1st Ave.
305/248–4202
, 888/340–4734
160 rooms
Breakfast
.
Ramada Inn.
$
HOTEL
If you’re seeking an uptick from other chains, this kid-friendly property offers more amenities and comfort, such as 32-inch flat-screen TVs, free Wi-Fi, duvet-covered beds, closed closets, and stylish furnishings. Pros:
extra room amenities; convenient location; guest laundry facilities. Cons:
chain anonymity.
Rooms from: $99
124 E. Palm Dr.
305/247–8833
www.wyndhamhotels.com
118 rooms
Breakfast
.
Travelodge.
$
HOTEL
This bargain motor lodge is close to Florida’s Turnpike, Everglades and Biscayne National Parks, and Homestead-Miami Speedway. Pros:
convenience to track and U.S. 1; nice pool; complimentary breakfast. Cons:
busy location; some small rooms; no pets.
Rooms from: $89
409 S.E. 1st Ave.
305/248–9777
, 800/758–0618
www.tlflcity.com
88 rooms
Breakfast
.
SHOPPING
Robert Is Here.
FAMILY
Want take-home gifts? This historic fruit stand sells more than 100 types of jams, jellies, honeys, and salad dressings along with its vegetables, juices, fabulous fresh-fruit milk shakes (try the papaya key lime or guanabana, under $6), and some 30 kinds of tropical fruits, including (in season) carambola, lychee, egg fruit, monstera, sapodilla, dragonfruit, genipa, sugar apple, and tamarind. Back in 1960, the stand got started when pint-sized Robert sat at this spot hawking his father’s bumper cucumber crop. Now with his own book (Robert Is Here: Looking East for a Lifetime
), Robert remains on the scene daily with wife and kids, ships nationwide, and donates seconds to needy families. An assortment of animals out back—goats to iguanas and emus, along with a splash pool—adds to the fun. Picnic tables, benches, and a waterfall with a koi pond provide serenity. It’s on the way to Everglades National Park, and Robert opens at 8 am, operating until at least 7, shutting down from Labor Day until November.
19200 S.W. 344th St.
305/246–1592
.
HOMESTEAD
30 miles southwest of Miami.
Since recovering from Hurricane Andrew in 1992, Homestead has redefined itself as a destination for tropical agro- and ecotourism. At a crossroads between Miami and the Keys as well as Everglades and Biscayne National Parks, the area has the added dimension of shopping centers, residential development, hotel chains, and the Homestead-Miami Speedway—when car races are scheduled, hotels hike rates and require minimum stays. The historic downtown has become a preservation-driven Main Street. Krome Avenue, where it cuts through the city’s heart, is lined with restaurants, an arts complex, antiques shops, and low-budget, sometimes undesirable, accommodations. West of north–south Krome Avenue, miles of fields grow fresh fruits and vegetables. Some are harvested commercially, and others beckon with “U-pick” signs. Stands selling farm-fresh produce and nurseries that grow and sell orchids and tropical plants abound. In addition to its agricultural legacy, the town has an eclectic flavor, attributable to its population mix: descendants of pioneer Crackers, Hispanic growers and farm workers, professionals escaping the Miami hubbub, and latter-day northern retirees.
EXPLORING
Fodor’s
Choice
Fruit & Spice Park.
FAMILY
Because it officially qualifies for tropical status, this 37-acre park in Homestead’s Redland historic agricultural district is the only public botanical garden of its type in the United States. More than 500 varieties of fruit, nuts, and spices typically grow here, and there are 75 varieties of bananas alone, plus 160 of mango. Tram tours (included in admission) run three times daily, and you can sample fresh fruit at the gift shop, which also stocks canned and dried fruits plus cookbooks. The Mango Café, open daily from 11:30 am to 4:30 pm, serves mango salsa, smoothies, and shakes along with salads, wraps, sandwiches, and a yummy Mango Passion Cheesecake. Picnic in the garden at provided
tables or on your own blankets. Annual park events include January’s Redland Heritage Festival and June’s Summer Fruit Festival. Kids age six and under are free.
24801 S.W. 187th Ave.
305/247–5727
www.fruitandspicepark.com
$8
.
Schnebly Redland’s Winery.
Homestead’s fruity bounty comes in liquid form at this growing enterprise that began producing wines of lychee, mango, guava, and other fruits as a way to avoid waste from family groves each year—bounty not perfect enough for shipping. Over the years, this grape-free winery (now with a beer brewery, too) has expanded with a reception-tasting indoor area serving snacks and a lush plaza picnic area landscaped in coral rock, tropical plants, and waterfalls—topped with an Indian thatched chickee roof. Tours and tastings are offered daily. The Ultimate Tasting includes five wines and an etched Schnebly glass you can keep. Redlander Restaurant operates daily with an ever-changing menu. On Sunday, and on other occasions, there’s yoga on the lawn. Count on a cover charge at the restaurant after 6 pm on Friday and Saturday nights.
30205 S.W. 217th Ave.
305/242–1224
, 888/717–9463
(WINE)
www.schneblywinery.com
Winery tours (weekends only) $7; tastings $11.95
.
WHERE TO EAT
Royal Palm Grill.
$
AMERICAN
You may have a déjà vu moment if you drive down Krome Avenue, where two Royal Palm Grills are just a hop-skip away from each other. This popular “breakfast all day, every day” enterprise has two locations, only a few blocks apart, to accommodate a steady stream of customers for the aforementioned breakfast fare from omelets and pancakes to biscuits and gravy, plus salads, steaks, and seafood. Known for:
early open, early close; popular for breakfast; nostalgic setup at the original location.
Average main: $10
Royal Palm Pharmacy, 806 N. Krome Ave.
305/246–5701
royalpalmgrillfl.com
No dinner
.
Shiver’s BBQ.
$$
BARBECUE
FAMILY
Piggin’ out since the 1960s, Shiver’s ranks as a lip-smackin’ must for lovers of hickory-smoked barbecued pork, beef, and chicken in assorted forms from baby back ribs to briskets. Longtime owners Martha and Perry Curtis are typically on hand attending to traditions with original recipes, although Martha does offer her new, alternative “secret recipe” sauce. Known for:
corn-bread soufflé; picnic table seating; popular for takeout.
Average main: $15
28001 S. Dixie Hwy.
305/248–2272
www.shiversbbq.com
.
White Lion Cafe.
$$
ITALIAN
Although the antique shop space within the bungalow-style café is now history, this 45-seat comfort-food haven, with full bar, remains embellished with reminders of the past, from a 1950s-era wooden wall phone to a metal icebox and a Coca-Cola machine. A mounted jackalope oversees a wide menu of blue-plate specials (Homestead crab cakes, burgers, fried chicken, meat loaf). Known for:
comfort food galore; lots of potato options; kitschy decor.
Average main: $18
146 N.W. 7th St.
305/248–1076
www.whitelioncafe.com
Closed. Sun. and Mon.
WHERE TO STAY
Hotel Redland.
$
HOTEL
Of downtown Homestead’s smattering of mom-and-pop lodging options, this historic inn is by far the most desirable with its Victorian-style rooms done up in pastels and reproduction antique furniture. Pros:
historic character; convenient to downtown and near antiques shops; free Wi-Fi. Cons:
traffic noise; small rooms.
Rooms from: $120
5 S. Flagler Ave.
305/246–1904
, 800/595–1904
www.hotelredland.com
13 rooms
No meals
.
SPORTS AND THE OUTDOORS
AUTO RACING
Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Buzzing more than 280 days each year, the 600-acre speedway hosts racing, manufacturer testing, car-club events, driving schools, and ride-along programs. The facility has 65,000 grandstand seats, club seating eight stories above racing action, and two tracks—a 2.21-mile continuous road course and a 1.5-mile oval. A packed schedule includes GRAND-AM and NASCAR events. Two tunnels on the grounds are below sea level. Parking includes space for 30,000 vehicles.
1 Speedway Blvd.
866/409–7223
www.homesteadmiamispeedway.com
.
WATER SPORTS
Homestead Bayfront Park.
Boaters, anglers, and beachgoers give high ratings to facilities at this recreational area adjacent to Biscayne National Park. The 174-slip Herbert Hoover Marina, accommodating up to 50-foot vessels, has a ramp, dock, bait-and-tackle shop, fuel station, ice, and dry storage. The park also has a snack bar, tidal swimming area, a beach with lifeguards, playground, ramps for people with disabilities, and a picnic pavilion with grills, showers, and restrooms.
9698 S.W. 328th St.
305/230–3033
$7 per passenger vehicle on weekends; $12 per vehicle with boat Mon.–Thurs., $15 Fri.–Sun.; $15 per RV or bus
.
TAMIAMI TRAIL
U.S. 41, between Naples and Miami.
An 80-mile stretch of U.S. 41 (known as the Tamiami Trail) traverses the Everglades, Big Cypress National Preserve, and Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park. The road was conceived in 1915 to link Miami to Fort Myers and Tampa. When it finally became a reality in 1928, it cut through the Everglades and altered the natural flow of water as well as the lives of the Miccosukee Indians who were trying mightily to eke out a living fishing, hunting, farming, and frogging here. The landscape is surprisingly varied, changing from hardwood hammocks to pinelands, then abruptly to tall cypress trees dripping with Spanish moss and back to saw-grass marsh. Slow down to take in the scenery and you’ll likely be rewarded with glimpses of alligators sunning themselves along the banks of roadside canals and hundreds of waterbirds, especially in the dry winter season. The man-made landscape includes Native American villages, chickee huts, and airboats parked at roadside enterprises. Between Miami and Naples the road goes by several names, including Tamiami Trail, U.S. 41, 9th Street in Naples, and, at the Miami end, Southwest 8th Street. ■ TIP → Businesses along the trail give their addresses based on either their distance from Krome Avenue, Florida’s Turnpike, or Miami on the east coast or Naples on the west coast.
EXPLORING
Everglades Safari Park.
FAMILY
A perennial favorite with tour-bus operators, this family-run park open 365 days has an arena, seating up to 300 for shows with alligator wrestling. Before and after, get a closer look at both alligators and crocodiles on Gator Island, follow a jungle trail, walk through a small wildlife museum, or board an airboat for a 35-minute ride on the River of Grass (included in admission). There’s also a restaurant, gift shop, and an observation platform overlooking the Glades. Smaller, private airboats can be chartered for tours lasting 40 minutes to two hours. Check online for coupons and count on free parking.
26700 S.W. 8th St., Miami
15 miles west of Florida’s Tpke.
305/226–6923
, 305/223–3804
www.evergladessafaripark.com
$25
.
Gator Park.
FAMILY
Here you can get face-to-face with and even touch an alligator—albeit a baby one—during the park’s Wildlife Show. You also can squirm in a “reptilium” of some 30 different venomous and nonpoisonous native snakes or learn about American Indians of the Everglades through a reproduction of a Miccosukee village. The park, open rain or shine, also has 35-minute airboat tours as well as a gift shop and restaurant serving fare from burgers to gator tail and sausage. Admission includes the wildlife show and an airboat ride.
24050 Tamiami Trail, Miami
12 miles west of Florida’s Tpke.
305/559–2255
, 800/559–2205
www.gatorpark.com
$19.99
.
Miccosukee Indian Village and Gift Shop.
FAMILY
Showcasing the skills and lifestyle of the Miccosukee Tribe of Florida, this cultural center offers craft demonstrations and insight into interaction with alligators. Narrated 30-minute airboat rides take you into the wilderness where natives hid after the Seminole Wars and Indian Removal Act of the mid-1800s. In modern times, many of the Miccosukee have relocated to this village
along Tamiami Trail, but most still maintain their hammock farming and hunting camps. The museum shows two films on tribal culture and displays chickee structures and artifacts. Guided tours run throughout the day, and a gift shop stocks dolls, apparel, silver jewelry, beadwork, and other handcrafts. The Miccosukee Everglades Music and Craft Festival, going strong for four decades, falls on a July weekend, and the 10-day Miccosukee Indian Arts Festival is in late December.
U.S. 41, just west of Shark Valley entrance, 25 miles west of Florida’s Tpke., Miami
305/552–8365
www.miccosukee.com
Village $10, airboat rides $16
.
WHERE TO EAT
Miccosukee Restaurant.
$$
SOUTHWESTERN
FAMILY
For breakfast or lunch (or dinner until 9 pm, November–April), this roadside cafeteria a quarter mile from the Miccosukee Indian Village provides the best menu variety along Tamiami Trail in Everglades territory. Atmosphere comes from the view overlooking the River of Grass, friendly servers wearing traditional Miccosukee patchwork vests, and a mural depicting American Indian women cooking while men powwow. Known for:
catfish and frogs’ legs; Indian fry bread; basic diner staples.
Average main: $15
U.S. 41, 18 miles west of Miccosukee Resort & Gaming; 25 miles west of Florida’s Tpke., Miami
305/894–2374
No dinner May–Oct.
Pit Bar-B-Q.
$
BARBECUE
FAMILY
This old-fashioned roadside eatery along Tamiami Trail near Krome Avenue was launched in 1965 by the late Tommy Little, who wanted to provide easy access to cold drinks and rib-sticking fare for folks heading into or out of the Everglades. Now spiffed up, this backwoods heritage vision remains a popular, affordable family option. Known for:
double-decker barbecue sandwiches; a few Latin specialties; family-friendly atmosphere (with weekend pony rides).
Average main: $12
16400 S.W. 8th St., 5 miles west of Florida’s Tpke., Miami
305/226–2272
www.thepitbarbq.com
.
WHERE TO STAY
Miccosukee Resort & Gaming.
$
RESORT
Like an oasis on the horizon of endless saw grass, this nine-story resort at the southeastern edge of the Everglades can’t help but attract attention, even if you’re not on the lookout for 24-hour gaming action. Pros:
casino; most modern resort in these parts; golf. Cons:
smoky lobby; hotel guests find parking lot fills with gamblers; feels incompatible with the Everglades.
Rooms from: $149
500 S.W. 177th Ave., Miami
6 miles west of Florida’s Tpke.
305/925–2555
, 877/242–6464
www.miccosukee.com
256 rooms, 46 suites
No meals
.
SPORTS AND THE OUTDOORS
BOAT TOURS
Many Everglades-area tours operate only in season, roughly November through April.
Coopertown Airboats.
In business since 1945, the oldest airboat operator in the Everglades offers 35- to 40-minute tours that take you 9 miles to hammocks and alligator holes to see red-shouldered hawks or turtles. You also can book longer private charters.
22700 S.W. 8th St., Miami
11 miles west of Florida’s Tpke.
305/226–6048
www.coopertownairboats.com
.
From $23
.
Everglades Alligator Farm.
Open daily near the entrance to Everglades National Park, this working farm—home of the late 14-foot “Grandpa” gator (now mounted for display)—runs a 4-mile, 30-minute airboat tour with departures 25 minutes after the hour. The tour includes free hourly alligator, snake, and wildlife shows; or see only the gator farm and show. Alligator feedings are at noon and 3 pm. Look for online coupons.
40351 S.W. 192nd Ave., Homestead
305/247–2628
www.everglades.com
.
From $19.50
.
Wooten’s Everglades Airboat Tours.
FAMILY
This classic Florida roadside attraction, with a change of ownership a few seasons back, runs airboat tours through the Everglades for up to 22 people and swamp-buggy rides through the Big Cypress Swamp for up to 25. Each lasts approximately 30 minutes. (Swamp-buggies are giant tractorlike vehicles with huge rubber wheels.) More personalized airboat tours on smaller boats, seating six to eight, last about an hour. An on-site animal sanctuary with a live gator show shelters the typical Everglades array of alligators, snakes, and other creatures. Some packages include an airboat ride, swamp-buggy adventure, and sanctuary access. Rates change frequently, but check website for combo packages.
32330 Tamiami Trail E, Ochopee
1½ miles east of Rte. 29
239/695–2781
, 800/282–2781
www.wootenseverglades.com
Tours from $24; gator show $8
.