Glenn Garrett Memorial Park

Glenn Garrett Memorial Park sits just outside Homestead, a small green space dedicated to a man who clearly loved this part of Florida deeply. It's not a full-service park with rangers and facilities. It's a quiet, shaded spot along a canal where you can stop, breathe, and get a feel for the landscape before heading into Everglades National Park a few miles down the road.

The park has picnic tables alongside the canal and enough tree cover to make a midday stop genuinely comfortable. The gate is typically closed, but you can walk in on foot. Parking is informal, shoulder-style, so use your own judgment and pull well off the road.

One practical note: this is South Florida, and you're close to the Everglades. Bring mosquito spray. Seriously. Tuck some in your bag before you leave the car and you'll have a much better time.

For visitors building out a full Everglades itinerary, this makes a natural early stop. It's the kind of place where you can stretch your legs, take a few photos, and get oriented before committing to a trailhead. The canal views give you a real sense of the ecosystem you're about to explore.

The dedication to Glenn Garrett gives the park a personal weight that's easy to feel once you know the story. People who knew him describe someone who genuinely loved this place. That comes through.