Everglades National Park
Visitor Services
General Information
The park is open year-round, but the peak visiting season is from mid-December through mid-April. For more information, contact Park Headquarters, 40001 State Road 9336, Homestead, FL 33034, or please call (305) 242-7700. Visit our website at www.nps.gov/ever. Also see, the free newspapers for Dry Tortugas National Park and the Trip Planner for all the parks.
Entrance Fees
All park passes are available at park entrance stations. A seven-day permit costs $20 per private vehicle at the main entrance station and $10 per person for pedestrians and cyclists. Commercial vehicle fees are higher.
A seven-day permit for boat launching costs $3 for non-motorized boats and $5 for motorized boats. A 12-month permit for boats is $60. All prices are subject to change.
A 12-month Everglades Park Pass is available for $40. The America the Beautiful—National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass costs $80 and provides admission to many federal sites, national wildlife refuges, Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management sites that charge entrance fees. Permanent U.S. residents age 62 and older may purchase a Senior Pass with proof of age and residency, for a one-time fee of $10. An Access Pass is available for free to permanent U.S. residents with lifetime disabilities and a free volunteer pass is available for volunteers who acquire 500 hours of volunteer service on a cumulative basis.
Entrances
From the east, use the Park's main entrance, located 10 miles southwest of Florida City and Homestead, Florida, on Route 9336. It is open 24 hours a day, including all holidays.
From the north, use the Shark Valley entrance, 35 miles west of downtown Miami on U.S. Route 41 (Tamiami Trail), or 70 miles east of Naples.
From the west, use the Gulf Coast Visitor Center, located at Everglades City, 70 miles west of downtown Miami, and about 30 miles southeast of Naples.
From the Florida Keys, the park is only accessible by boat or the main entrance west of Florida City.
Visitor Centers
The Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, located at the Park's main entrance on State Road 9336, is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. December—April, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. May—November. State-of-the-art exhibits, educational displays, brochures, activity schedules and information on boat tours and canoe rentals are available. Books, film, postcards, insect repellent and other items may be purchased here.
Located four miles from the main entrance station, Royal Palm Nature Center offers books, film, postcards, insect repellants, vending machines and other items. Royal Palm is also the departure point for the Anhinga and Gumbo-Limbo trails. See page 34 for trail descriptions.
Located 38 miles from the main entrance at the park's southern end, Flamingo Visitor Center offers natural history exhibits, backcountry permits, and information on Flamingo's visitor services. Some services are limited during the off-season.
In addition, the Gulf Coast Visitor Center at Everglades City, located at the west entrance, has maps, backcountry permits, information, boat tours, canoe rentals, bookstore and displays of shore and marine life. Shark Valley Visitor Center, on the Tamiami Trail (US Hwy 41), offers sightseeing trams, bicycle rentals and a bookshop.
Boat Tours
See page 42 for more information.
Emergencies
In case of an emergency, call (305) 247-7272, (800) 788-0511, or #NPS from a cell phone. First aid is available from park rangers and at the park's ranger stations. Check locally for the location of the closest hospital or urgent care facility.
Gas and Service Stations
Gasoline and propane may be obtained in nearby communities around the park. Gas is also available at the Flamingo Marina.
Laundry and Showers
Cold showers are available at Flamingo Campground.
Lodging
Flamingo Lodge is closed indefinitely because of damage sustained from Hurricanes Wilma and Katrina. Lodging is available in nearby Homestead, Florida City and in the greater Miami area. Contact the Tropical Everglades Visitor Association at (800) 388-9669 or the Homestead & Florida City Chamber of Commerce at (305) 247-2332 for more information.
Lost and Found
To report a lost or found item, go to a park visitor center or call (305) 242-7700.
Marinas and Boat Ramps
Boat launching ramps are available in Everglades City near the Gulf Coast Visitor Center, Flamingo, West Lake, Paurotis Pond (motorless boats only) and along the main park road. Check at visitor centers for horsepower restrictions.
Postal Services
Post offices are located in nearby communities.
Religious Services
Churches of several denominations are located outside the park in Florida City, Everglades City and Homestead.
Supplies and Souvenirs
Film is available at the Ernest F. Coe, Royal Palm and Shark Valley visitor centers. No film processing is available.
The Flamingo Marina Store offers snacks, groceries, souvenirs, camping supplies, bait, tackle and fuel.
Everglades In Depth
News from the Parks
Denali National Park Goes Greener With New Hybrid Commercial Bus From IC Bus
July 18, 2008 - 12:55pm
DENALI, Alaska, July 17, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ ----Visitors to Alaska's Denali National Park and Preserve, one of the largest protected intact ecosystems in the world, will now have the opportunity to explore the park with the aid of an environmentally friendly vehicle -- a fuel-efficient and emissions-reducing hybrid bus. IC Bus, North America's largest school bus and commercial bus manufacturer, is delivering the Park's first hybrid bus on July 17.
July 18, 2008 - 12:55pm
DENALI, Alaska, July 17, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ ----Visitors to Alaska's Denali National Park and Preserve, one of the largest protected intact ecosystems in the world, will now have the opportunity to explore the park with the aid of an environmentally friendly vehicle -- a fuel-efficient and emissions-reducing hybrid bus. IC Bus, North America's largest school bus and commercial bus manufacturer, is delivering the Park's first hybrid bus on July 17.
Canyoneering Heaven At Zion National Park
July 18, 2008 - 10:17am
Lee and Brian are loaded like sherpas, each hauling an end of the 700-foot-long rope and moving in lockstep as they hike down a dry creek bed through a ponderosa pine forest atop a mesa about 6,000 feet above sea level. Behind us, at the end of a wretched logging road that almost made a couple of people in our group sick, is Lee's truck, which we'll come back for the next day. Ahead of us is . . . one big drop. The creek bed ends at a sheer cliff that plunges into what looks like an enormous hole. Walking to the edge, I peer over and can't see the bottom. This is the start of Engelstead Canyon.
July 18, 2008 - 10:17am
Lee and Brian are loaded like sherpas, each hauling an end of the 700-foot-long rope and moving in lockstep as they hike down a dry creek bed through a ponderosa pine forest atop a mesa about 6,000 feet above sea level. Behind us, at the end of a wretched logging road that almost made a couple of people in our group sick, is Lee's truck, which we'll come back for the next day. Ahead of us is . . . one big drop. The creek bed ends at a sheer cliff that plunges into what looks like an enormous hole. Walking to the edge, I peer over and can't see the bottom. This is the start of Engelstead Canyon.
Shenandoah National Park Launches Multimedia Tour Inviting Visitors to Experience the Blue Ridge Mountains Like Never Before
July 18, 2008 - 9:30am
Austin, Texas - Greta Miller, Executive Director of the Shenandoah National Park Association announced today the launch of a new interpretive tool, the GPS Ranger™, for visitors at Shenandoah National Park. Visitors to the park can experience the Blue Ridge Mountains and learn more about the park’s unique history, land, plants, and animals with the assistance of the multimedia GPS Ranger™ tour guide system. Informative and educational ranger-narrated videos automatically play as guests hike.
July 18, 2008 - 9:30am
Austin, Texas - Greta Miller, Executive Director of the Shenandoah National Park Association announced today the launch of a new interpretive tool, the GPS Ranger™, for visitors at Shenandoah National Park. Visitors to the park can experience the Blue Ridge Mountains and learn more about the park’s unique history, land, plants, and animals with the assistance of the multimedia GPS Ranger™ tour guide system. Informative and educational ranger-narrated videos automatically play as guests hike.
Hiker tackles every mile of trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park
July 18, 2008 - 9:28am
Sixty-three year old Diane Scarbrough loves to spend time in the Smoky Mountains. "Anybody that can be out there for any length of time," she says. "It's uplifting." Diane's passion for hiking turned into a mission to hike every mile of trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. "We call it the 900 mile club. Actually it comes out to be 845, but I think they round that off because it takes a long time to get to a trail. We may hike 4 miles to get to the trail we are hiking on," Diane explains.
July 18, 2008 - 9:28am
Sixty-three year old Diane Scarbrough loves to spend time in the Smoky Mountains. "Anybody that can be out there for any length of time," she says. "It's uplifting." Diane's passion for hiking turned into a mission to hike every mile of trail in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. "We call it the 900 mile club. Actually it comes out to be 845, but I think they round that off because it takes a long time to get to a trail. We may hike 4 miles to get to the trail we are hiking on," Diane explains.
Rabid bat in Olympic National Park puts visitor, three employees in treatment
July 18, 2008 - 9:25am
The Olympic National Park's first possible case of rabies since 1977 has struck a woman who was in the Ozette campground late last week. The 55-year-old woman is getting rabies prevention treatment after a bat scratched her in the Ozette campground. Three Olympic National Park employees who responded to the incident are also receiving treatment. The bat approached the woman at her campsite. She knocked the bat to the ground and got scratched. The stunned bat remained on the ground until the next morning. Park employees removed the bat for rabies testing. The rabies virus was found in the bat. The only other known case of rabies in Olympic National Park was recorded 33 years ago in July 1975, when a child was bitten by a bat in the Elwha Valley.
July 18, 2008 - 9:25am
The Olympic National Park's first possible case of rabies since 1977 has struck a woman who was in the Ozette campground late last week. The 55-year-old woman is getting rabies prevention treatment after a bat scratched her in the Ozette campground. Three Olympic National Park employees who responded to the incident are also receiving treatment. The bat approached the woman at her campsite. She knocked the bat to the ground and got scratched. The stunned bat remained on the ground until the next morning. Park employees removed the bat for rabies testing. The rabies virus was found in the bat. The only other known case of rabies in Olympic National Park was recorded 33 years ago in July 1975, when a child was bitten by a bat in the Elwha Valley.
