Best things to do in Everglades National Park

Shark Valley Visitor Center offers an opportunity to explore America's marshlands using a paved road, a limestone trail, and a boardwalk. Take a self-guided tour through the sawgrass slough and tropical hardwood forests. As a part of Everglades National Park, the 24 km (15 mi) trail winds through alligator territory and is also home to turtles, deer, and other wildlife. Halfway along the path, climb the observation tower to view the valley's panorama. You'll find bicycles for rent and tram tours available at the site as well.

Enjoy an easy hike and observe the wildlife on Anhinga Trail, a boardwalk over Taylor Slough that is 6 km (4 mi) from the Everglades National Park entrance. Walk out 600 m (0.4 miles) over a sawgrass marsh area. From the boardwalk, visitors can often see many different Everglades species, from local birds to large reptiles, such as alligators. The trail is wheelchair-accessible, but cycling is not allowed.

Find solace from the Florida sun on Gumbo Limbo Trail, a pleasant loop hike through tropical woodlands. Along the way, you can admire lush vegetation of the Everglades, from royal palms and ferns, to the eponymous gumbo limbo tree, nicknamed the "Tourist Tree" for its peeling, reddish bark, reminiscent of a sunburnt tourist. Only 0.6 km (0.4 mi) long and paved, the trek is suitable for children and the elderly. The luscious plant life that surrounds the trail attracts insects, so don't forget mosquito repellent.

Established in 1974, as America’s first national preserve, the site protects over 729,000 acres of a vast freshwater swamp ecosystem, which supports the rich marine estuaries along Florida’s southwest coast.

Big Cypress National Preserve contains a mixture of tropical and temperate plant communities that are home to a broad diversity of wildlife, including the elusive and endangered Florida panther.

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Smallwood Store is a not-for-profit organization and is the oldest National Register Site in Collier County. It is open daily as a museum serving as a history lesson to visitors.

For those unafraid of alligators and snakes, Slough Slog provides excellent photo opportunities of rare wildlife. Allow a ranger to guide you through these waters into a protected habitat, where you'll learn about the importance of these wild environments. Wear clothing and footwear that will keep you warm and dry, and don't forget bug repellent.