National Parks Image Gallery


©2006 National Park Services
A haven for all kinds of wildlife, Everglades National Park is particularly appealing to birds. More than 300 bird species call the Everglades home. See more pictures of national parks.

Everglades National Park
40001 State Road 9336
Homestead, FL 33034-6733
305-242-7700
www.nps.gov/ever

Everglades National Park occupies a sizable portion of south Florida. It sits near the southern tip of the state, west of Miami and south of Alligator Alley, and covers a million and a half acres.

The park includes such singular habitats as mangrove and cypress swamps, freshwater lakes and swamps, subtropical hardwood hummocks, saw grass prairie, and marine islands. Easily accessible from three major airports (in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and Fort Myers), it is the only place in the United States where crocodiles can still be found. Appropriately, the great reptile has become the symbol of Everglades National Park.

Entrance Fees: $10/vehicle for seven days or $5/individual for seven days

Visitor centers: Five visitor centers are open year-round.

Other services: An information station, ranger station, and park lodge.

Accommodations:

• Flamingo Campground. Open year-round. Reservations are recommended. 800-365-CAMP.
• Long Pine Key Campground. Open year-round. Reservations are recommended. 800-365-CAMP.
• Flamingo Lodge, Marina, and Outpost Resort. Open year-round. Reservations are recommended. 800-600-3813.
• Backcountry camping is also available.

©2006 Publications International, Ltd.

Visiting Everglades National Park
Everglades National Park occupies the southern part of the Everglades, a great body of sluggishly moving water that was once more than 4,000 square miles in size and extends from Lake Okeechobee and Big Cypress Swamp to the Gulf of Mexico. Limestone rimming the area acts as a natural barrier against the sea. This is a place so alive with plants and animals that you can almost feel the pulse of nature.

In the air, on the ground, and in the water, living wonders abound in Everglades. The mix of plant and animal life is unique on our planet. This subtropical wilderness contains more than 700 plant and 300 bird species, and it provides a haven for many endangered animals, including the great crocodiles, the Florida panther, and the manatee. Other native animals, such as alligators, egrets, and bald eagles, once were also endangered but exist in much healthier numbers today.

Visitors to Everglades National Park will find that there are several ways to explore the terrain, such as via a narrated tram tour, by boat or canoe, or by foot on one of the numerous trails. On the next page, you will find guidelines for sightseeing at Everglades National Park.