Provided are two options for spending 1 day in Everglades National Park – choose your own adventure. Note: we receive a small commission for purchases made through links in this post.
Whenever I think of the Everglades the first thought I have is – alligators. Sure enough, on our family trip to Everglades National Park we saw alligators. Lots and lots and lots of alligators! So many alligators, in fact, that when we were at the Oasis Visitor Center (in the adjacent Big Cypress Preserve), the woman next to us was surprised by how dismissive “Tots” was when he told me not to bother walking to the end of the boardwalk because it was just another few alligators. That’s what seeing 100 alligators in a day will do to you…
While we spent 2 days in the Everglades, if you have just 1 day in Everglades you have a choose your own adventure option that will give a rather different experience with either choice. Note that both of these options are coming from the Miami side. If you are instead coming out of the Naples/Fort Meyers area, there is a 3rd section of the Park (Gulf Coast Visitor Center) we didn’t visit that is also an option along with the bumpy but interesting Loop Road in Big Cypress, where we saw a lot of alligators and an owl.
Choose your own adventure for 1 day in Everglades National Park
Option #1 – The National Park Explorer’s Best Option
Hands down, there is a part of the Everglades that feels like a National Park and a part that feels like you are in Disney World. If you love the National Parks and want the experience you have had in other National Parks while visiting south Florida, you will want to head to the Flamingo area of the Park. From the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center all the way out to Flamingo you will experience a relaxing and scenic drive. The Visitor Center has a pretty porch area, some interesting exhibits, and of course Junior Ranger books.
The first stop you will want to make after formally entering the Park is at Royal Palm, where the Anhinga Trail will take you on a short, flat, and easy paved path through some wetlands where alligators are plentiful along with Anhinga birds and other wildlife. You won’t want to miss this trail!
We next headed to the Nike Missile Base (confirm operating hours for prior to heading out). It is open only periodically and is at the end of a dead end road. It is really interesting to see the base, a missile, and learn about the individuals posted here during the Cold War and Cuban Missile Crisis.
After exploring this interesting historical side of the Park, we stopped briefly at the Pinelands and Pa-hay-okee Overlooks which are also quick and easy walks. You’ll notice a trend – each of the hikes we did in Florida was easy, primarily because there is essentially 0 feet of vertical gain to any of them.
Leaving these two overlooks we stopped at Mahogany Hammock, which is a bit longer trail along a boardwalk that feels a bit redundant with the others but of the three was the best. If you are limited in time, I’d choose Mahogany Hammock but, if not, they are each distinct in their own right.
We ate a picnic lunch at West Lake, which has a nice parking area, restrooms, and a few picnic tables that are in a covered area looking out over the lake.
By this time you are nearly to the Flamingo Visitor Center, which was undergoing a substantial renovation and in the meantime was in temporary facilities.
It was at the Flamingo Visitor Center that we saw the only crocodile (salt water) amongst all of the alligators (fresh water) as well as manatees swimming in the marina. Flamingo is also an area you can take boat trips from, which would have been interesting if our trip plan allowed. I assume that the Visitor Center will have food options when the renovation is complete, but they were very limited on our trip so plan ahead and pack a lunch, water (we love these water bottles), and snacks! Note the Mosquito Meter, they weren’t bad when we were there but you will want to pack your bug spray just in case (we prefer natural bug sprays).
Option #1 was the day we returned back to our home rental and felt like we had been in a National Park and experienced creation and that is why we recommend it for those who really love our National Parks!
Option #2 – The Disney World Explorer’s Best Option
If you aren’t a traditional National Park visitor, the Shark Valley Visitor Center area is for you! We began our day at Shark Valley by stopping to do an airboat tour along the Tamiami trail (Highway 41). I looked long and hard to find the best tour for us, and we ended up choosing Buffalo Tiger’s Airboat Tours. I found those that went into the park to be kitschy and for the masses, whereas Buffalo Tiger’s Airboat Tours was on Miccosukee Indian Reservation land and included an interesting stop at a culturally sensitive spot where we got to see baby alligators and get off the boat for a bit.
After the airboat tour, we headed for Shark Valley. Parking at Shark Valley is a mess — the lot is small and so we had to park on the highway and walk in from there. Overall know that if you arrive too late you may not find a spot or should be prepared to walk from the highway in to the visitor center itself.
At Shark Valley you can walk, bike, or ride a tram around the 15 mile loop. Walking would be lengthy but they do rent bikes. The loop is completely flat so biking would be reasonable if the temperatures are reasonable. We chose the tram, and were glad we did. You get a narrated tour and learn about the park and the primary stop along the route – the Observation Tower.
Along the way we saw alligators and in particular saw them at and after the Observation Tower. The tower is very similar to the one at Clingmans Dome in Great Smoky Mountains and gives unparalleled views over the park.
A trip to Shark Valley is an easy journey and could be paired with a trip over to the Oasis Visitor Center in Big Cypress National Preserve if desired. That Visitor Center is interesting and has more exhibits than the Shark Valley one, but doesn’t have much for hiking or other activities. Neither Visitor Center has much of any food options, but there is a restaurant across the highway from the Shark Valley Visitor Center. We chose to pack a lunch and waters and were glad we did.
The Everglades are a quick and easy park to visit, with two distinct areas to visit from the Miami area. Choose the one that fits your plans best for 1 day in Everglades, or combine them both for 2 great days exploring this unique National Park!
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Thanks for the information! We’re headed to Florida next week and have a day to spend in Everglades National Park. Your post has been helpful in planning our day there.
Diane, thank you so much for commenting and letting us know our post was helpful. That is always our goal and why we decided to blog about our experiences. Have fun in Everglades! It’s a great place to explore!