The Best One Day in Everglades National Park Itinerary for Your First Visit
Spend one day in Everglades National Park kayaking, spotting crocodiles and glamping under the stars.
I’m not going to lie, as a former Florida girl, I wasn’t that excited to explore the Everglades. I visited as a kid and did the whole air boat ride and holding baby alligators experience, which was cool at the time but not something that interested me as an adult. Spending time in the steamy swamps with alligators just didn’t sound that appealing. After all, I’ve been around a lot of swamps and alligators my whole life.
It took living out of the state for a few years and starting a national park bucket list to convince me that it was time to give it another try. I made the wise decision to visit in winter when it’s not stiflingly hot, humid, rainy or mosquito infested. And honestly – it was way better than I expected!
Yes, it’s a swamp. But, it’s also the third largest national park in the Lower 48, with 1.5 million acres of wetlands, coastal and forested habitats full of native plants and animals. Yes, there are a lot of alligators (which may excite you…or not). But, there are also manatees, crocodiles, turtles, dolphins and birds. Yes, those airboat tours still bring all the tourists to the swamp. But, you can also bike Shark Valley, canoe on lakes, kayak through mangrove tunnels, boat on the bay, stroll boardwalks, wet walk through swamps, and glamp under the stars.
Visiting as an adult who loves the outdoors and national parks made me appreciate the unique landscapes and wildlife sightings more than I ever expected I would!
Whether you’re visiting to check off a national park bucket list, looking for fun day trips from Miami and Naples, or road tripping through Florida, here’s how I’d recommend spending a day in the Everglades.
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One Day in Everglades National Park Itinerary
Everglades National Park has three primary access areas and four visitor centers, and several are pretty far from each other. With one day in the Everglades, I’d recommend sticking to either the northern or southern section.
The northern access points are from Shark Valley (40 miles from Miami) and Everglades City (40 miles from Naples), and the southern from Homestead (50 miles from Miami), where the Main Park Road leads from Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center in Royal Palm to Guy Bradley Visitor Center in Flamingo on the bay.
After exploring all of them, I recommend the latter route if you have just one day in the national park. It’s honestly a hard choice, because all of the sections have cool experiences. But, I think driving the Main Park road provides the best overview, covering a few different landscapes and offering opportunities to spot both alligators and crocodiles (plus tons of other wildlife).
The itinerary below is for this section, but if you scroll down, I’ve also shared some day trips to the other areas that might make sense if you’re visiting from Miami or Naples.
Start at Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center
Start your day bright and early in the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, where you can check out programming for the day, browse the gift shop, fill up your water bottle and chat with a ranger.
This is about 50 miles from downtown Miami, and I recommend getting here early to maximize your day. The visitor center is just before the park entrance gate and opens at 8 a.m. If you arrive before it’s open, you can stop by on the way out instead. There is also another visitor center and gift shop at the end of the road.
Walk the Anhinga and Gumbo Limbo Trails
Just a couple miles past the entrance station, the Anhinga Trail is a short boardwalk (0.8 mile) over a marsh with the most wildlife I saw in this section of the park. I recommend visiting early in the day when the animals are most active for the best chance to spot them.
On a late winter trip, I saw several alligators, turtles and even baby birds here. From the same parking lot, you can also walk the Gumbo Limbo Trail through a hardwood hammock. It’s only half a mile long, so it’s a quick add-on that most people seemed to skip. This area also has an information center with a small bookshop, restrooms and vending machines.
Drive Main Park Road to Flamingo Marina
The Main Park Road between Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center in Royal Palm and Guy Bradley Visitor Center in Flamingo is 38 miles and covers a variety of different habitats that you’ll notice as you drive.
There are several short trails and boardwalks along the way, but I recommend saving them for the drive back to make sure you have enough time in the Flamingo area. The boat tours and kayak rentals there have a cutoff time. On longer spring and summer days, you’ll have plenty of early evening daylight for the short walks off the main road.
Boat Ride or Kayak at Flamingo Marina
At the end of the road, the Flamingo Marina offers several ways to adventure in the coastal Everglades. A licensed national parks vendor, the marina has an activity booth for renting bikes, canoes, kayaks and boats. They also run boat tours of the Florida Bay or the backcountry.
You could easily spend half a day in this area, canoeing on ponds, kayaking canals and zipping along waterways on one of the tours. I opted for the Backcountry Boat Tour, because I wanted to spot crocodiles, but was a little too nervous to kayak solo without knowing just how abundant they would be. Next time, I would probably choose to kayak up the Flamingo Canal for a couple of hours and then try the boat tour in the bay to mix up the scenery.
If you can only do one thing, though, I think kayaking or the backcountry tour is best for wildlife spotting. Just in the first canal, we saw three crocodiles, a few manatees and tons of cool birds.
Paddling Nine Mile Pond is another popular activity from this area (it’s 12 miles up the road), but you either need to bring your own gear, book a 4 hour canoe rental for them to transport the canoe (you’re not allowed to tow it), or book one of the ranger-led canoe tours. Since canoeing requires two people (they only allow bookings with an even number), I couldn’t do the tour solo.
I’d also recommend checking out the Paddling in Paradise tour on the bay with a park ranger. It’s free but you need to be a strong kayaker for the strenuous trip.
Check Out Guy Bradley Visitor Center
The Guy Bradley Visitor Center at Flamingo is super nice and modern, with sweeping views over the water, a small gift shop, water refills, restrooms, and rangers on hand to answer questions. It’s also the only spot I was able to get WIFI for service in this area.
Stroll the Short Trails On Main Park Road
On the drive back toward the entrance, use any extra time to stop at some of the boardwalks and trails. There are several short ones that give a good overview of the variety of habitats in this area.
Mahogany Hammock Trail
The Mahogany Hammock Trail is a half-mile boardwalk through a dense and lush hardwood jungle. You’ll see gumbo-limbo trees and the largest mahogany tree in the country. This was probably my favorite of the short strolls on the Main Park Road.
Pa-Hay-Okee Lookout Tower
This boardwalk trail is less than a quarter of a mile long, with wide open views of seemingly endless grasslands. The lookout tower is just a slightly raised platform, but this is an easy and accessible trail for sweeping views.
Pinelands Trail
The Pinelands Trail is just under half a mile through a forest of – you guessed it – pines! There are also lots of palmettos, so the Florida vibes are strong on this one. It’s skippable if you’re short one time, but it’s also just a quick little walk.
West Lake Trail
Another half-mile boardwalk, the West Lake Trail leads to the edge of the water through a forest with white and red mangroves and buttonwood trees.
Go on a Ranger-led Wet Walk
I didn’t do this on my day in the Everglades, but the ranger-led wet walks are a popular activity in this section of the park to get up close and personal with the swamps while wading through cypress domes. You’ll need to book it through the Everglades National Park Institute, and you can rent gear like overalls and shoes if you don’t want to get yours muddy.
The tours are offered a couple of times a day from the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, so you’ll have to carefully arrange your day to incorporate this if you also plan to boat or kayak at Flamingo. I’d recommend hightailing it to the Flamingo area for a morning boat ride and then doing the wet walk in the afternoon on your way out of the park, unless you’re staying overnight in the Everglades, like I did.
Glamp in the Everglades
If you have a night to spend in the Everglades, I highly recommend staying after sunset in Flamingo to see the dark skies. The Flamingo Everglades vendor offers a few different options for spending the night.
The Flamingo Lodge offers hotel-style accommodations with views of the Florida Bay. The glamping area has canvas eco-tents with beds in winter (just the tent in summer), electricity and a fan. There’s a campground with bathhouses at Flamingo or Long Pine Key for tents or RVs. And lastly, there are houseboats to rent for two-plus nights.
I stayed in a glamping tent in early March and seeing the dark skies filled with stars was incredible! It’s the perfect way to get really up close with the Everglades and soak up the sounds overnight. The lodge has a restaurant, so you don’t have to prepare very much to glamp here (at least in winter, when bedding and towels are provided).
Everglades Day Trip From Miami or Naples
After exploring each zone, my top pick for a day in Everglades National Park is the southern section. BUT, if you’re visiting on an Everglades day trip from Miami or Naples, there are two whole other parts of the park that are a bit closer and also great for wildlife watching and outdoor adventures.
Along the Tamiami Trail (U.S. 41) that links Miami and Naples, you’ll find the Shark Valley and Gulf Coast sections of Everglades National Park. Shark Valley, 40 miles from Miami, has a visitor center and 15-mile bike and tram loop with alligators and birds. Everglades City, 40 miles from Naples on the Gulf Coast, has the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Visitor Center and offers boat tours of the Ten Thousand Islands.
Explore the Shark Valley Loop
If you only have half a day in the Everglades, you can get your wildlife fill in Shark Valley. There is a 15 mile loop road to explore either via bike rental (it took me about 3 hours to complete) or a tram tour (2 hours).
Halfway along the route, a lookout tower offers sweeping views of the landscape. I saw dozens of alligators on this route during a visit in early March.
Kayak From Everglades City
This was the number one activity that I wanted to do from Everglades City, but I ended up not having enough time after my Shark Valley adventure. This excursion is perfect if you’re visiting on a half or full day trip from the west side of the state, since Everglades City is closer to Naples than Miami.
On a guided kayaking tour of the Everglades, you’ll paddle through cypress ponds and mangrove tunnels as you explore the wetlands.
There are a couple of different options throughout the day. The guide will teach you to paddle if you’re new and point out wildlife along the way.
Take a Boat Tour of Ten Thousand Islands
From Everglades City, you can access a part of the national park known as Ten Thousand Islands. This area is about 40 miles from Naples, so it makes sense to visit as a day trip from Florida’s west coast.
To explore all the mangrove islets and look for dolphins, you can book a boat ride with one of the official concessioners like Everglades National Park Adventures, who offer pontoon tours several times a day. Another cool option is this day trip from Naples to the Everglades that includes a boat tour of Ten Thousand Islands, wildlife walks in Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve, and a stop at Chokoloskee Island. It picks up in Naples and Marco Island, so it’s perfect if you don’t want to drive to Everglades City.
Tips for Visiting Everglades National Park
When is the best time to visit the Everglades?
If you aren’t a Florida native, you’re probably not going to love swampy summers. You’re probably not going to love them even if you are a Florida resident.
Visiting in winter made all the difference for my enjoyment of this national park. It’s the cooler, drier season, so you can do outdoor activities like kayaking and biking without sweating and swapping a million mosquitoes away. You can also camp or glamp MUCH more comfortably in winter.
The dry season extends from December through mid-May. Temperatures during this time are often in the low 50s to upper 70s and sunny, though it definitely starts warming up in the spring months. I visited towards the end of winter (early March), so it was fairly tepid and comfortable for spending time outdoors.
If you do visit during summer, I’d recommend sticking to scenic drives, boat tours or tram rides (they have shade). You should also have flexible plans during the wet season of mid-May through November.
How much time should you spend in the Everglades?
This is one of those parks that you could visit for just half a day for an Everglades experience, or spend a week paddling epic kayak trails and camping. For a first visit, I’d recommend at least one day in the Everglades to explore one of the sections, or two for a more comprehensive overview of the park and time for things like kayaking and biking.
There are a lot of options for Everglades day trips from Miami if you just want to pop in for a bit of nature on a South Florida trip.Where can I see alligators in the Everglades?
If you want to see alligators in the Everglades, I saw dozens by biking the Shark Valley Loop. I also saw several on the Anhinga Trail, a short boardwalk in the Royal Palm (southern) section of the park.
Remember that you’re in the alligator’s home here, so please give them space and don’t approach them and by all means NEVER get close enough to touch them. They’re usually just laying around in the sun, but they are opportunistic predators and you don’t need to be in their space.
