Day 4-6: The Everglades
National Park #2
The Everglades are an experience. Birds, gators, fish, turtles, swamps, insects, it has them all.
We started our trip here in Shark Valley, a 14 mile stretch that you can hike, bike, or take a guided tour on a tram. We chose the hike (because the tram was already booked, and we didn’t realize bikes were available to rent, but they are!) and weren’t disappointed. Less than a mile in, we ran across (literally, she was 2 feet away) a momma gator and no less than 10 babies.
In addition to the gators, we (and by we, I mean ‘I’ as in Sondra) saw SO MANY BIRDS. Great blue herons, little blue herons, adolescent blue herons that are actually all white and looks exactly like a great egret, which are also there. We saw familiar birds like northern flickers and brand new birds like anhingas, and endangered birds like the wood stork. If you like birds, you will LOVE the Everglades
If you go, we highly recommend the campground we stayed at. Long Pine Key Campground is located right in the heart of the everglades. It’s big, has all the amenities (showers, water, bathrooms, garbage, dump station) and you definitely feel like you get the authentic Everglades experience. Booking ahead is definitely recommended, especially around the weekends. Just make sure to bring bug spray!
What you need to know:
It takes time to really experience the Everglades. Give yourself 2-3 days at least, if not longer.
Book an airboat tour!
There are two main campgrounds, Long Pine Key Campground and Flamingo Campground. They fill up fast so book in advance.
We went in February which was a great time to go. Very low humidity and no bugs during the day (nights were a different story). I cannot imagine trying to camp here during the summer months.
Very spotty cell service throughout the park. Don’t count on a lot of connectivity here, but you can usually drive ~10-15 minutes east towards Homestead and get a couple bars.