Everglades National Park Active and Adventure Vacations

Everglades National Park Active and Adventure Travel Guide

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Aerial view of an island in Everglades National Park, Florida
Remote island in Everglades National Park, Florida (Mark Downey/Photodisc/Getty)

Everglades National Park Active and Adventure Highlights

By Travel Expert: Alistair Wearmouth

  • Paddle the 99-mile Wilderness Waterway on a weeklong foray through mangrove swamps and along pristine Gulf Coast bays. By day, spot spoonbills, manatees, gators, and dolphins; by night, camp on raised wooden chickees (tent platforms) and savor the wilderness solitude. A backcountry permit is required for overnights.
  • Go after fresh or saltwater game fish in the park’s countless watery nooks, home to species such as snapper, flounder, sea trout, bluegill, and largemouth bass.
  • Hear the critters of the Everglades come to life on a ranger-led night walk. You'll hear the hum of millions of frogs, crickets, and other insect life, the hoot of an owl or two, and maybe even the cry of the elusive Florida panther.
  • Bike the 15-mile Shark Valley Tram Road to best experience the Everglades' expansive sweeps of sawgrass prairie, hardwood-covered limestone outcrops, and shrubby "bayhead" islands. Creatures to look out for include alligators, herons, egrets, deer, and possibly even a bobcat.
  • Ditch the daytrippers by straying from the major routes and boardwalks. Miles of interconnecting trails access the park's 47 backcountry campsites, which offer the best window into the amazingly diverse Everglades ecosystem. It'll be just you and the mosquitoes as you explore deserted beaches, isolated canoe trails, and quiet mangrove swamps seemingly thousands of miles from the development of south Florida.

Everglades National Park Overview

Everglades National Park is a lot more than a celebrity swamp that has appeared on CSI Miami, among other things: It has much more depth than that. President Harry S. Truman once declared the Everglades "an irreplaceable primitive area." And while those words don't exactly do the Everglades and its surrounding Biscayne National Park justice, he clarified, saying, "Here are no lofty peaks seeking the sky, no mighty glaciers or rushing streams wearing away the uplifted land. Here is land, tranquil in its quiet beauty, serving not as the source of water, but as the last receiver of it. To its natural abundance we owe the spectacular plant and animal life that distinguishes this place from all others in our country." Read More

Hotels

expert favorite hotel
The Ivey House
107 Camellia Street, P.O. Box 5038
Everglades City, FL 34139 Map
Hotel Class: Not Yet Rated
Distance: 0.0 Miles
(from destination center)
Active Expert Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0 out of 5
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Not Yet Rated
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Active and Adventure travel
expert favorite hotel
Everglades National Park Campgrounds
40001 State Road 9336
Homestead, FL 33034-6733
Hotel Class: Not Yet Rated
Distance: 0.0 Miles
(from destination center)
Active Expert Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0 out of 5
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Not Yet Rated
Recommended for:
Active and Adventure travel
Everglades Spa & Lodge
Post Office Box 246, 201 West Broadway
Everglades City, FL 34139 Map
Hotel Class: Not Yet Rated
Distance: 0.0 Miles
(from destination center)
Active Expert Rating
4.0 out of 5
4.0 out of 5
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Attractions

expert favorite attraction
Wilderness Waterway
Everglades National Park
Map
Distance: 16.2 Miles (from destination center)
Description: The Wilderness Waterway is a 99-mile inland water... Read More
Active Expert Rating
5.0 out of 5
5.0 out of 5
Traveler Rating
Not Yet Rated
Recommended for:
Active and Adventure travel
expert favorite attraction
Shark Valley Tram Road
Everglades National Park
Map
Distance: 22.9 Miles (from destination center)
Description: Bicycling at Shark Valley is a great way to... Read More
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4.0 out of 5
4.0 out of 5
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Not Yet Rated
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Active and Adventure travel
Florida Keys Wild Bird Center
U.S. 1 at MM 93.6
93600 Overseas Hwy
Upper and Middle Keys, Florida
Distance: 0.0 Miles (from destination center)
Description:

Wander through lush canopies of mangroves on... Read More

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Feature Articles

More Everglades National Park Active and Adventure Feature Articles (10)
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Everglades National Park Active and Adventure Travel Guides

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