Everglades: River of Grass

Everglades National Park is open seven days a week. The Main Entrance of the park is near Homestead and Florida City, about 45 miles from downtown Miami. A seven-day permit costs $10 per vehicle at the main entrance station ($8 at Shark Valley), and $5 per person for pedestrians and cyclists ($4 at Shark Valley). A 12-month Everglades Park Pass is available for $20. Peak visiting season is from mid-December to mid-April (in the summer months, the number of mosquitoes all but prevent visitors from enjoying the park’s natural wonders). For more information, contact Park Headquarters, 40001 State Rd. 9336, Homestead, FL 33034; (305) 242-7700; it is important to call ahead to find out what services are available, as some of the amenities in the western part of the park were damaged by Hurricane Wilma in October of 2005. For further information on the park, including history, camping reservations and other entrances north of Miami, visit the Everglades section of the National Park Service website.

Upon entering the park near Homestead (there are other entrances on the northern and western edges of the park, however, the Homestead entrance is the easiest from Miami and the most popular place to access the park), stop at the Ernest Coe Visitor Center, which offers helpful dioramas and maps of the park, along with rangers who can answer questions. For information on activities available, look at the internet site of the Ernest Coe Visitor Center.