The Everglades is not a swamp but a river — a sheet of water sixty miles wide and inches deep, sliding imperceptibly from Lake Okeechobee to the sea. It is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States, and it rewards patience over adrenaline.
Three ways in
The park has three entrances that never quite connect. From the Homestead side, the main road runs 38 miles to Flamingo, passing the Anhinga Trail — the single best place in Florida to see alligators up close from a safe boardwalk. On the north, Shark Valley offers a 15-mile loop you can cycle or ride by tram to a lookout tower. On the Gulf Coast at Everglades City, boat tours thread the Ten Thousand Islands.
What you will see
Dawn and dusk belong to the wildlife: roseate spoonbills, wood storks, herons stalking the shallows, and alligators basking on the banks. This is also the only place on earth where American alligators and crocodiles share territory. Bring binoculars, insect repellent and a hat — the sun is relentless and the mosquitoes are legendary in summer.
When to go
Visit in the dry season, December through April, when wildlife concentrates around the remaining water and the mosquitoes retreat. A ranger-led slough slog — wading knee-deep into a cypress dome — is the most memorable way to truly enter the River of Grass.
