Wanting to do some awesome Everglades hiking? Great, there are are superb hikes in the Everglades National Park you need to do.
Hiking is one of the best ways to see the Everglades National Park. The other awesome way to see wildlife in the park is on an airboat tour. If you also want to do one of those while you are in the Everglades you can check out our post on the best Everglades Airboat Tours.
Anyway, back to hiking the Everglades, you should definitely pick out a few hikes to do. The Everglades can get really really hot in summer so you might want to pick a shady hike like the Gumbo Limbo Trail during the middle of the day rather than say Shark Valley Trails which would seriously burn your skin (exposed!)
We will include details on the best Everglades National Park hiking below and all you need to know about each of them.
Everglades Hiking – 15 Best Everglades National Park Hiking Trails
Anhinga Trail
- Distance – .8 miles (1.2 km)
- Difficulty – Easy
- Starting Point – Royal Palm Visitor Center
This is a great trail to take in the Everglades for all ages and ability levels. It’s easy to find as it starts from the Royal Palm Visitor Center. It is about 0.8 miles and takes no more than 1 hour of time to complete the trail including time allocated to take photographs.
The thing we liked the most about this trail was the awesome ability to spot animals! If you want to see an alligator, this is a good trail to hike. We visited in the spring and were lucky enough to spot some baby alligators along the trail. They are the cutest! If you are interested in the wildlife in the park you can find more about it at the Ernest F Coe Visitor Centre.
Keep in mind, this is not a particularly shadey trail. Along the trail there are some small shelters where you can retreat from the sun and rehydrate (with you own water) but it is largely very open air.
Definetely one of the best Everglades trails.
Can you see the baby Alligator on the lillypad?
Parking and Entry Fee: There is a big parking lot at the start of the trail so you should have no trouble finding a park. To access this trail you will need an Everglades Pass which costs $25 USD for a week (per vehicle). We purchased the $80 USD yearly pass which gives us access to all National Parks for a year. Pretty good value if you ask me.
Gumbo Limbo Trail
- Distance – 0.4 miles long (600 meters) round trip.
- Difficulty – Easy
- Starting Point – Royal Palm Visitor Center
This is not a long hike in the Everglades but it was one of our favorites as it was so shady! It is a very different trail to take and shows off a total different eco-system in the Everglades National Park which is pretty cool. It is a stunning (shaded) oasis in the middle of hot, exposed wetlands.
It takes no more than half an hour to complete, stopping to admire the lush forest and take photographs.It is a walkable trail which is suitable for all age groups.
One of the few trails in the Everglades which is actually shaded.
A pretty butterfly spotted on the Gumbo Limbo Trail
Parking and Entry Fee: There is a big parking lot at the start of the trail so you should have no trouble finding a park. To access this trail you will need an Everglades Pass which costs $25 USD for a week (per vehicle). We purchased the $80 USD yearly pass which gives us access to all National Parks for a year. Pretty good value if you ask me.
Shark Valley Trails
There are 3 trails to enjoy from the Shark Valley Visitor Centre.
Bobcat Boardwalk Trail
- Distance – 0.5 miles one way boardwalk trail
- Difficulty – Easy
- Starting Point – Shark Valley Visitor Centre
This is an easy and enjoyable trail which is suitable for all age groups starting from the Shark Valley visitor center. It is a short 0.5 mile one way boardwalk trail through sawgrass slough and tropical hardwood forests.
Otter Cave trail
- Distance – 0.25 miles one way trail
- Difficulty – Easy
- Starting Point – Shark Valley Visitor Centre
Otter Cave trail is a 0.25 miles one way trail through a tropical hardwood forest with small footbridges over a small stream. The Otter Cave trail can sometimes be flooded in the summer months.
Shark Valley Main Trail
- Distance – 15 mile
- Difficulty – Easy and flat but a long trail
- Starting Point – Shark Valley Visitor Centre
This is an easy but a long trail, especially if you want to hike it. It is also the most popular trail to take in the Everglades National Park as it is the closet to Miami.
If you want to visit this trail but you don’t think you want to hike it, you can also hire bikes or there is a tram tour you can take of the trail.
Shark Valley Visitor Centre hires bikes for $9 per hour. It takes approximately 2-3 hours to complete the 15 mile round trip journey by bike.
Alternatively, if you like a bit of comfort & information as you enjoy the scenery, the Shark Valley tram tour is a good option & costs $24 USD pp, running daily until around 4pm.
Alternatively, you can just walk part of the trail and turn around when you get tired. It is a very exposed trail so you are exposed to a lot of sun on this trail.n It was an extremely hot day when we visited so I would highly recommend bringing along with you a big hat, sunscreen & an umbrella to protect yourself if you don’t want to get extremely sunburn as there is little to no protection from the elements!
The other thing that I would recommend is bringing some Mosquito bracelets & Mosquito spray as the Everglades is well known for its mosquitoes.
Can you see the snake in the photo? Taken on the main Shark Valley Trail
Please note, this visitor centre is open 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m mid-December – mid-April with slightly reduced hours for the rest of the year.
Parking and Entry Fee: There is a big parking lot at the start of the trail so you should have no trouble finding a park. To access this trail you will need an Everglades Pass which costs $25 USD for a week (per vehicle). We purchased the $80 USD yearly pass which gives us access to all National Parks for a year.
Pinelands Trail
- Distance – .4 miles (.64 km) round trip
- Difficulty – Easy hike through sub-tropical pine forest
- Starting Point – Flamingo Visitor Center
This is a really nice easy trail to take which passes through a forest of pines, palmettos, and wildflowers. One of the prettiest trails in the Everglades National Park.
If you are wondering where this trail is located in the park, it is Seven miles (11km) from the main park entrance/ Ernest Coe Visitor Center.
Look out for some tree snails on this trail. Once, there was only 52 coloured varieties of snails nowadays there are many multi-coloured tree snails due to inbreeding. Due to the dense habitat, this is also a good bird watching trail.
Parking and Entry Fee: Parking is available at the trail however, we this still forms part of the National Park, you will need an Everglades Pass which costs $25 USD for a week (per vehicle). We purchased the $80 USD yearly pass which gives us access to all National Parks for a year.
Pa-Hay Okee Overlook Trail
- Distance – 0.16 miles (260 m) round trip
- Difficulty – Easy
- Starting Point – 13 miles (21 km) from the main park entrance/ Ernest Coe Visitor Center.
Pa-Hay Okee Overlook Trail is a short 0.16 miles (260 m) round trip trail which is also wheelchair accessible. Bicycles however are not allowed on the trail. If you want a trail to bike we would suggest the Shark Valley trail mentioned above.
If you like Everglades boardwalk trails, this is another great trail to take as it perches hikers over a diverse marshy eco-sysem living below.
This is also a great spot for birdwatching in Florida.
Mahogany Hammock Trail
- Distance – 0.5 miles (800 meters) round trip
- Difficulty – East
- Starting Point – Twenty miles (32 km) from the main park entrance/ Ernest Coe Visitor Center.
Another great, easy trail to take in the Everglades National Park. Again wheelchairs are allowed but bikes are not. The boardwalk trail takes you through through a dense, jungle-like hardwook “hammock.” If you have not managed to visit the Gumbo Limbo trail to see a Gumbo Limbo tree you can also spot one on this trail along wth the largest living mahogany tree (Swietenia mahogani) in the United States.
Tip – This is one of the best places to go stargazing in the Everglades National Park due to the remoteness of the parking lot you can often see the Space Station.
West Lake Trail
- Distance – 0.5 miles (800 meters) round trip
- Difficulty – Easy boardwalk trail
- Starting Point – Seven miles (11km) north of the Flamingo Visitor Center on the main park road.
If you are looking for another beautiful, easy walk in the Everglades, the West Lake Trail is a nice choice. It is another boardwalk trail which passes through a forest of white mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa), black mangrove (Avicennia nitida), red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle), and buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus).
Many people rate this trail as one of the best hiking spots in the Everglades National Park.
Bayshore Loop
- Distance – 2 miles (3.2 km) round trip
- Difficulty – Go if you want a more off the grid hike as the trail is not maintained and not wheelchair accessible
- Starting Point – Begin at the Coastal Prairie Trailhead at the back of Loop “C” in the Flamingo Campground. Veer left at the trail junction to the bay.
This is a really nice place to hike and you can often see wildlife here in recent years the National Park service stopped maintaining the hike due to potential damage to critical habitat in the area for the Cape Sable thoroughwort. Don’t know what this is? Basically, it is a herb in the sunflower family with bluish-purple flowers.
Complete this trail if you want a more off the grid hike as due to its low maintenance the path can be overrun with vegetation or branches.
Eco Pond Trail
- Distance – 0.5 miles (800 meters) round trip
- Difficulty – Easy but not wheelchair accessible
- Starting Point – On the right past the Flamingo Visitor Center.
If you like looking into a pond and seeing what kind of life you can see within, you will love this Everglades hike. In the pond you will see a wide range of wildlife including wading birds, song birds, ducks, Florida softshell turtles and of course the Alligator.
Bear Lake Trail
- Distance – 1.6 miles (2.6 km) one way
- Difficulty – Moderate and the trail is not currently maintained
- Starting Point – Two miles (3 km) north of the Flamingo Visitor Center. Bike, drive, or walk to the end of Bear Lake Road to begin this trail, which ends at Bear Lake.
Please not that this is another of the more wild trails in the Everglades National Park to hike as it is not currently being maintained in order to protect the Cape Sable thoroughwort. Don’t know what this is? Basically, it is a herb in the sunflower family with bluish-purple flowers.
Complete this trail if you want a more off the grid hike as due to its low maintenance the path can be overrun with vegetation or branches.
Despite this being rather a wild trail to hike, it is one of people’s favorite Everglades Hiking trails as it passes through a dense hardwood hammock mixed with mangroves with 50 different tree species. People who also love birdwatching really love this trail as you can often see woodland birds here.
Christian Point Trail
- Distance – 1.8 miles (2.9 km) one way
- Difficulty – Moderate and the trail is not currently maintained
- Starting Point – One mile (2 km) north of the Flamingo Visitor Center on the main park road.
Please not that this is another of the more wild trails in the Everglades National Park to hike as it is not currently being maintained in order to protect the Cape Sable thoroughwort. Don’t know what this is? Basically, it is a herb in the sunflower family with bluish-purple flowers.
Complete this trail if you want a more off the grid hike as due to its low maintenance the path can be overrun with vegetation or branches.
It is a pretty muddy trail (see the video below to see what it looks like) so if you don’t fancy getting a bit dirty we would advise not going on this hike. If you love studying different ecosystems you might still like to go.
Coastal Prairie Trail
- Distance -7.5 miles (12 km) one way
- Difficulty – Moderate to Hard
- Starting Point -Begins at the rear of Loop “C” of the Flamingo Campground.
If you are looking for a longer hike in the Everglades National Park, this is a great choice. There are not too many longer hikes in the Everglades so if you want a serious hike, this is the trail for you.
Bonus: Nine Mile Bond Canoe Trail
This is not exactly a hiking trail in the Everglades but it is a really fun 5.2 mile canoe loop. I honestly believe exploring the Everglades by boat is one of the best ways to see all the Everglades has to offer which is why I strongly recommend an everglades airboat tour.
If you prefer to be a bit more active, a canoe trail is a fun way to see the Everglades by water. Expect to see alligators, crocodiles, wading birds, and an occasional endangered snail kite. The trail is marked with numbered white poles.
Where to stay in the Everglades?
You are able to camp inside the Everglades in the Flamingo Campground. Please note in summer the Everglades can get pretty hot so if you plan on tent camping, be prepared for a pretty hot and sticky night ahead.
If you want a bit more comfort, you can book a hotel in the closest town: Homestead. If you are looking for a nice option in Homestead which won’t break the bank but is very comfortable and clean, check out where we stayed here.
What to Bring with you to Hike the Everglades?
Here is what we would suggest you wear/bring along to be comfortable on your hike:
- An umbrella (not for the rain for the sun!)
- Long sleeve hiking shirt (breathable)
- Long hiking pants (breathable)
- Sunscreen
- Mosquito bracelets
- Water
The hike has very little shade so we suggested many of the above items to keep sun safe on your hike.
Where to go next on a Florida Vacation?
If you are on a trip to Florida, the Everglades is on your way to the Florida Keys, one of the most beautiful places to visit in Florida. If you have another week up your sleeve you might want to consider making a Miami to Key West road trip – the Everglades is the first stop on this list.
The Florida Keys are a notoriously expensive place to visit but that doesn’t mean it can’t be done on a budget too. If you are traveling on a budget, we list the best campgrounds in the Florida Keys.
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Did we miss your favorite Everglades hiking trail? Let us know of any other amazing Everglades hiking opportunities below.
