4 Best Gateway Towns To Everglades National Park
Everglades National Park is like Disney World for nature lovers, outdoor enthusiasts, and alligator fans, where you’ll discover over 1.5 million acres of sawgrass marshes, mangroves, and winding waterways across the counties of Monroe, Miami-Dade, and Collier in South Florida. The park is chock full of wildlife, everything from wading birds and turtles to Florida’s iconic gators. Whether you’re paddling a kayak through mangrove tunnels, biking the Shark Valley trail, taking an alligator-filled swamp tour on an airboat, or cruising the Ten Thousand Islands in search of dolphins, the park offers endless adventures for anyone craving the ultimate outdoor playground.
There are three main entrances to the park: the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, the main entrance in Homestead, which is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year; the water-based Marjory Stoneman Douglas Visitor Center in Everglades City; and the Shark Valley Visitor Center in Miami. No matter which entrance you choose, you can be sure to find plenty of options for lodging, restaurants, outfitters, and guides in the four best gateway towns to the Everglades National Park.
Florida City
Florida City serves as the southern gateway to both the Florida Keys and the Everglades National Park. From town, it’s about a 20-minute drive (11 miles) via SW 192nd Street and State Road 9336 to the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, the park’s main and most popular entrance. There are lots of familiar hotel chains in the area, but for something a little out-of-the-ordinary, check out the centrally-located Fairway Inn, which includes complimentary tea and coffee in the lobby, mini refrigerators, and microwaves in your rooms, as well as an outdoor pool with a waterfall. En route to the park, stock up on tropical fruit and smoothies at Robert is Here, a beloved South Florida fruit stand since 1959. There’s even a petting zoo on site, where the kids can see goats, emus, and tortoises while you shop for supplies.
To experience the Everglades National Park, there are a few different ways to plan your adventure from Florida City. You can show up at the visitor center, pick up a few maps, and head off on a self-guided tour along the famous Anhinga Trail and Gumbo Limbo Trail. For paddlers who are looking for a custom tour of the Everglades, book the “A Day in the Glades” tour with Garl’s Coastal Kayaking, which includes hiking through mazes of cypress trees, freshwater paddling through dwarf mangrove habitats, and a saltwater paddle on the emerald waters of Florida Bay, an 850-square-mile estuary. If an easy-breezy visit to the park is on your wish list, Everglades Alligator Farm in nearby Homestead offers visitors the classic Everglades airboat experience without driving deep into the park, with private tours, alligator encounters, or VIP experiences all arranged for you.
Everglades City
Staying in Everglades City, a classic Old Florida fishing town, puts you right at the doorstep of Everglades National Park’s Gulf Coast entrance. The Marjory Stoneman Douglas Visitor Center, also known as the Gulf Coast Visitor Center, is located in town and just a quick two-minute drive (about 0.9 miles) down South Copeland Avenue. This waterfront visitor center serves as the gateway to the park’s Gulf Coast side, where access is primarily by boat or kayak into the Ten Thousand Islands and the mangrove-filled Everglades.
Book a one or two-bedroom cabin with a screened-in porch overlooking Lake Placid at the River Wilderness Waterfront Cabins in Everglades City, then arrange a tour with one of several outfitters in the area, including a private wildlife with Tour the Glades, a guided kayak eco-tour led by a naturalist with Everglades Kayak Tours, or a family-friendly adventure with The Original Everglades City Airboat Tours. Enjoy fresh seafood right off the boat at Triad Seafood Market & Café, a local staple in Everglades City since 1984. The resto sits on the banks of the historic Barron River, where you can watch pelicans diving, herons wading, and boats gliding by.
Naples
Less than an hour’s drive (about 37 miles) via US-41 and State Road 29, Naples makes for an upscale base for day trips to Everglades National Park. From town, it’s an easy drive to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Visitor Center in Everglades City. Naples is renowned for its pristine white-sand beaches along the Gulf of Mexico, as well as top attractions like the historic Naples Pier and the Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens to check out when you’re not busy discovering one of the most unique ecosystems in North America.
If you’re travelling by boat, the Port of the Islands Marina in Naples offers direct access to the Everglades National Park, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Ten Thousand Islands. By car, book a stay at the Port of the Islands Resort, where you can choose from studio rooms with kitchenettes to three-bedroom cottage suites to accommodate everyone in your group, or use the resort’s docking facilities. Several big-box grocery stores, like Publix, are nearby to stock your fridge.
Discover the Everglades on two wheels with an eco-friendly 3-hour tour from Naples Bicycle Tours, led by certified naturalists who take riders through various ecosystems, including cypress swamps, freshwater marshes, wet and dry prairies, and tropical hardwood hammocks. Expect to see black bears, deer, otters, alligators, mink, and maybe even a Florida panther. Bikes, helmets, gear, and snacks are provided.
Ochopee
Ochopee makes a quiet, no-frills base camp for exploring the Everglades, especially for travelers planning to use the Shark Valley entrance along the Tamiami Trail (US-41), about an hour’s drive away. Best known as the home of the smallest post office in the United States, this tiny community feels unmistakably Everglades, and is ideal for backcountry adventures, wildlife viewing, and photography. For lodging, stay at the family-owned Trail Lakes Campground, where options range from primitive tent sites and RV hookups to rustic cabins and traditional chickees, elevated thatched cottages inspired by Native Everglades design.
Grab a table at Joanie’s Blue Crab Cafe for an authentic southern meal of fried green tomatoes, gator nuggets, hush puppies, and key lime pie. Then join one of several outfitters in the area for an Everglades tour to remember. Everglades Adventure Tours offers experiences ranging from a 6-hour “Everglades Day Safari” to guided canoe trips through Big Cypress National Preserve, led by native Gladesmen guides and naturalists, renowned for their deep knowledge of the cultural heritage and landscape of the Everglades. Ochopee-based Wooten’s delivers classic airboat tours paired with three post-tour attractions, including an animal sanctuary, a live alligator show, and the chance to safely hold a baby alligator, making it a perfect family-friendly experience in the Everglades.
Experience The Everglades At Its Best
Spanning 1.5 million acres of wetlands, Everglades National Park is a vast outdoor playground of sawgrass marshes, mangroves, wildlife, and waterways. Four of the best gateway towns, Florida City, Everglades City, Naples, and Ochopee, each offer exciting ways to experience what the park has to offer from its three main entrances. From kayaking mangrove tunnels and biking through hardwood hammocks to airboat rides and boat tours through the Ten Thousand Islands and Big Cypress National Reserve, these towns provide convenient lodging, dining, and guided adventures. Whether you prefer all the comforts of home or rustic Old Florida charm, each gateway makes exploring the Everglades easy and unforgettable.
