National park · Florida

Everglades National Park

The first national park created to protect a fragile ecosystem rather than a scenic landform — 1.5 million acres of South Florida sawgrass, mangrove, and slough sheltering manatees, panthers, and crocodiles and feeding the regional water supply.

Entrance
$35 private vehicle
Hours
Open 24 hours daily Everglades National Park
Established
1947
Region
The Southeast
Everglades National Park
Photo: NPS Photo · Public domain (US National Park Service)
The Everglades National Park patch

The real park boundary. Scout checks whether your phone is inside this line.

Collect it

Scout adds Everglades National Park to your collection when your phone is inside the park boundary. Already been? A photo you took there counts too.

Collect Everglades in Scout

Free on iPhone and Android.

History

Everglades National Park is the first national park created to protect a fragile ecosystem rather than unique geological features. It serves as a critical habitat for numerous threatened species and plays a vital role in the water supply for South Florida.

Key events

  1. The park was established in 1934 to protect the rapidly vanishing Everglades.
  2. December 6, 1947Everglades National Park dedicated by President Harry Truman.
  3. 1979Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  4. 1989Everglades Expansion Act added 109,000 acres to the park.

Trails

  • Anhinga Trail 0.8 mi · Easy
  • Gumbo Limbo Trail 0.4 mi · Easy
  • Shark Valley Tram Road 15 mi · Easy
  • Snake Bight Trail 4 mi · Easy
  • Long Pine Key Trails 22 mi · Moderate

Plan your visit

Hours · Everglades National Park

Open 24 hours, every day

Everglades National Park is open 7 days a week, 24 hours a day. Park entrance is always open but staffed from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Entrance fees

  • Private Vehicle $35
  • Motorcycle $30
  • Per Person $20
  • Education/Academic Groups Free
  • Nonresident $100

Fees and hours as of September 2026. Check current details on NPS.gov

When to go

  • Winter. Dry season, cooler temps, best wildlife viewing, fewer mosquitoes
  • Spring. Pleasant weather, migratory birds, comfortable hiking
  • Fall. Transition season, fewer crowds, moderate temps
  • Summer. Wet season, lush landscapes but hot, humid, and mosquito-heavy

Wildlife

American alligatorsAmerican crocodilesFlorida panthersManateesRoseate spoonbillsGreat blue heronsSnowy egretsWhite-tailed deer

Nearby patches

Collect Everglades in Scout