Most "things to do in the Everglades" lists read like the park is one contiguous place you drive through. It isn't. Everglades National Park has three developed entrance areas, and none of them connect by road inside the park. Figure out which side your trip is built around first, then use the right list.
Quick Answer
The park has three separate access points: the main entrance near Homestead (Ernest F. Coe, leading to Flamingo), Shark Valley (off the Tamiami Trail, closest to Miami), and the Gulf Coast entrance in Everglades City. Per the National Park Service, these three are "not interconnected" and are at least an hour's drive apart from each other via roads outside the park. If your trip covers Homestead and Everglades City, budget a separate day for each side; don't plan to bounce between them in one day.
Homestead Side: Ernest Coe to Flamingo
This is the park's most-visited section and the natural choice if you're staying in Homestead or Florida City.
- Start at Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center for orientation and current trail/wildlife conditions.
- Anhinga Trail, near the entrance, is the park's most reliable spot for close alligator and wading-bird sightings, especially in the dry season (see our best time to visit guide).
- Gumbo Limbo Trail loops through a shaded hardwood hammock, a good midday option when the sun is intense.
- The main park road continues about 38 miles to Flamingo, at the park's southern tip, with boat tour and kayak access to Florida Bay.
- For airboat tours on this side, see our full airboat guide — Everglades Alligator Farm is the main option near the entrance.
Shark Valley: The Miami-Side Access Point
Shark Valley sits on the Tamiami Trail between Miami and the Gulf Coast side. It's a separate loop road and tram trail into the park's interior, popular for a half-day trip from Miami, but it isn't a through-route to either Flamingo or Everglades City. This is also where the park's three in-park-authorized airboat operators are based (see our airboat guide for details).
Gulf Coast Side: Everglades City and the Ten Thousand Islands
If your trip is centered on Everglades City, this is an entirely separate day:
- Start at the Gulf Coast Visitor Center for boat tour bookings and backcountry permits.
- Boat tours and kayak trips into the Ten Thousand Islands are the main activity here — see the full lineup in our airboat and boat tours guide.
- The Museum of the Everglades is a good rainy-day or wind-down stop in town.
Getting Between the Two Gateway-Town Sides
If you're determined to see both the Homestead side and the Gulf Coast side on the same trip, plan a separate driving day: it's roughly 38 miles between Homestead and Everglades City via US-41 (the Tamiami Trail) and County Road 29, about an hour each way, entirely outside the park boundary. Trying to combine both sides into a single day means a lot of driving and very little park time.
Sample Itineraries
- One day, Homestead side: Anhinga Trail (morning wildlife) → Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center → Gumbo Limbo Trail → lunch in Homestead → afternoon airboat tour at Everglades Alligator Farm.
- One day, Everglades City side: Gulf Coast Visitor Center → morning airboat or boat tour into the Ten Thousand Islands → lunch at one of the town's seafood spots → Museum of the Everglades.
- Two+ days, both sides: Day 1 on the Homestead side, overnight in Homestead or Florida City, drive to Everglades City the next morning (~1 hour) for Day 2.
