Everglades National Park - Facilities

Open All Year

9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Hours subject to change


305-242-7700
plan your visit

Located at the main park entrance west of Homestead and Florida City


Educational displays, orientation films, brochures, and information are available.


Books, film, postcards, and insect repellent may be purchased in the bookstore. Restrooms are available. No trails start from this visitor center. The Long Pine Key Campground and Picnic Area is six miles further west, and is surrounded by an abundance of hiking trails.

9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (depending on staffing).
Lobby open 24 hrs. for self-registration for back country sites.
Hours subject to change.

239-695-2945


Flamingo is 38 miles (61 km) southwest from the main entrance at the southern end of the park.


Open intermittently during the summer.


Natural history exhibits and information in the Florida Bay Museum.


Due to the damage caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Wilma, the restaurant, gift shop, and lodge are closed. Boat rentals and gas are currently not available. The marina store is open. Boat tours are offered Thursday-Monday.

The Flamingo campground is open and is nearby. Several hiking and canoeing trails begin at Flamingo or nearby, including the south end of the Wilderness Waterway. Abundant wildlife may be found here year-round. Check at the visitor center for trail status. Click here for a complete list of open and closed facilities throughout the park.




Open All Year

9:00 am to 4:30 pm
Hours subject to change

239-695-3311


The Gulf Coast Visitor Center is located on the West Coast in Everglades City, in the northwest corner of the park. It is the gateway for exploring the Ten Thousand Islands, a maze of mangrove islands and waterways that extends south to Flamingo and Florida Bay.


The visitor center has natural history exhibits, educational displays, and orientation films.


The visitor center has park information, issues backcountry permits and park passes, and sells books and postcards. A gift shop is located downstairs. Restaurants, stores, lodging, and campgrounds are located nearby. Boat tours and canoe rentals are available at the marina, as well as nearby. Canoes may be rented to explore Chokoloskee Bay and the Turner River. For the more adventurous, the 99 mile (159 km) Wilderness Waterway, accessible by canoe, kayak, or small motorboat, winds through the mangrove islands all the way to Flamingo. Backcountry permits are required for camping.




9:15 am - 5:15 pm
Hours are subject to change.


305-221-8776


Shark Valley is located along U.S.41 (Tamiami Trail) on the northern border of the park.


The small visitor center contains educational displays.


Shark Valley lies in the heart of the "river of grass". Wildlife abounds here in a freshwater ecosystem of sawgrass marsh and tree islands. A 15-mile (24 km) tram road (not open to private motorized vehicles) extends into the marsh, offering one of the best opportuniites to view alligators. A two hour narrated tram ride provides an overview of the freshwater Everglades. Bicycles are available to rent. Those wishing to explore alone can walk the short trails and portions of the tram road, or bike. An observation tower located halfway around the tram road provides a spectacular view into the sawgrass marsh. Books, postcards, film, insect repellent, and other items are available for sale. And vending machines dispense snacks and soft drinks.