Visitors have options when planning Everglades trip
By LORENA PUCH
School of Communication
University of Miami
FLORIDA CITY, Fla.--- Andrea Espinoza, a sophomore at St. Brendan’s Catholic School in Miami, is an animal lover. Juggling school, cheerleading practices and competitions has not taken away from her duties towards her one-year-old Maltese Coco.
With her busy routine, she still finds time to devote to her four-legged friend.
This close connection to animals has taken her to the Everglades National Park more than once.
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Visitors walk to the Observation Tower at Shark Valley in the Everglades National Park (Photo courtesy of the National Park Service). |
“I’ve gone many times on field trips and with my family. I think that it is good that we sill have a piece of Florida’s history filled with different species that still have a natural home that was not affected by our urbanized culture,” said Espinoza.
The park is located on the southern tip of Florida and it preserves and protects more than 1.6 million acres of natural and cultural history of South Florida.
“Built on a floor of porous limestone deposited by receding seas, South Florida once was only good to hold water. Summer rains fell in the meandering Kissimmee River and made its way south through palmetto-dotted savannas to giant, shallow Lake Okeechobee, eventually spilling over the lake's low southern lip and spreading out in a 60-mile sheet across the great sawgrass prairie,’ World Wild Life Organization stated. “Today, we call this the Everglades, but the Seminole Indians called it simply "grassy water."
| The tram rolls down the trail at Shark Valley in the Everglades National Park (Photo courtesy of the National Park Service). |  |
Everglades National Park is accessible from different areas. The Main Park entrance located in Florida City (open 24-hours a day), the Chekika entrance (currently closed) is passing Krome Avenue and into the Redlands, Shark Valley located off the Tamiami Trail (open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and the Gulf Coast entrance just south of the intersection of Tamiami Trail and State Route 29 (open from dawn to dusk every day). All these entrances to the Everglades offer different opportunities of experiencing the wildlife.
Whether you are into biking, boating, hiking or comfort, Everglades National Park caters to its visitors’ needs and preferences. There are boat rides at the western entrance, a tram to an observation tower at Shark Valley Loop Road, and a series of interpretive features along the road to Flamingo, ending at Florida Bay.
Espinoza loved her experience on board the guided airboat tour. During the tour, she listened to tales of how the Seminole Indians and panther once coexisted in the wilderness.
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Wildbirds are frequently spotted during tours at Shark Valley in the Everglades National Park (Photo by Lorena Puch). |
“Every time I go, I go on the airboats. They are fun and it’s kind of an adventure,” said Espinoza.
For Jackie Reid, a Miami realtor and mother of two teenage daughters, the ride onboard the airboat could have been better.
“It’s fun because they take you to see the crocodiles and the alligator wrestling. But it was a little scary for me. It feels like the crocodiles are going to get you and it’s hot and there are too many mosquitoes. If I go again, it would be during the winter,” said Reid.
Each season at the Everglades offers different opportunities. While the summer can be hot and buggy and the winter cooler and drier, the rewards of discovery are possible year-round.
“Please remember to travel safely, bringing along drinks and snacks, bug spray and clothing appropriate for South Florida's frequently changing weather,” Everglades Trail Association, Inc.
Knowing how to pack for the Everglades is important, however, the most important thing to bring to the park is knowledge of where you would like to go and how would you like to experience the trip.
| An alligator lazily floats in a canal at Shark Valley (Photo by Lorena Puch). |  |
Shark Valley offers guided two-hour narrated tram tours through the northern region of the park. Visitors on board the open-air tour are taken on a 15-mile loop into the heart of the “River of Grass” and the wildlife living there.
Midway point to the trip, explorers have the opportunity to visit the spiral ramp way and platform on the Shark Valley observation tower. At the tower, visitors have a panoramic view into the heart of the Everglades. The tram tour is a great way to escape the heat and bugs of wet season.
If you are into exercise and nature, bicycling is a great tour for you. The 15-mile paved road gives easy access to any type of bicycle, with no hills to climb or rough terrain to cross. The typical bike ride around Shark Valley will last between two and three hours.
Carlos Rives, a Fort Lauderdale restaurant manager and amateur photographer, has visited the Everglades many times and even holds a yearly pass. On his spare time, Rives gets into his 4 x 4 Jeep Wrangler and drives out to the Everglades to take pictures.
“I don’t go on tours because I’m trying to capture special moments in the wilderness. Bicycling or walking gives me the liberty to take my time and look for that picture-perfect moment. I’ve seen alligators, pumas, birds and so many other insects and animals,“ said Rives.
The Gulf Coast entrance at Everglades City is a gateway for exploring the Ten Thousand Islands, a maze of mangrove islands and waterways that extend to Flamingo and Florida Bay. Visitors can explore the islands by boat, kayak or canoe.
Boating in the waters of the Everglades requires boating experience. Oyster reefs and sandbars make smooth traveling difficult along these areas. Shallow waters are not always marked, especially in the areas between Flamingo and Everglades City.
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A white spider lily rises out of the sawgrass and water at Shark Valley (Photo by Lorena Puch). |
“I went kayaking there once. It was an amazing experience. A little scary though because my kayak flipped over and there I was swimming right next to sea turtles and God knows what else,” said Coconut Grove resident Daniela Galindo.
Flamingo Lodge, Marina and Outpost Resort sustained significant damage during the 2005 hurricane season and lodging and restaurant facilities are currently unavailable. However, boat tours, boat rentals and other services are available on a limited basis. Flamingo features a marina store, fuel service for vessels and vehicles, windfall sailing schooner, canoe, kayaks and motorboat rentals.
If You Go
Entrances fees:
The entrance fee for a private vehicle is $10. This fee is good for seven consecutive days and works at all park entrances.
The fee for pedestrians and cyclists is $5. This fee is good for seven consecutive days and works at all park entrances. Note that this pass admits one individual when entering by foot, bicycle or motorcycle. Individuals 16 years old and younger are admitted free of charge.
If you are interested in purchasing a yearly pass, you can do so by paying a fee of $25. The pass is valid for 12 months from the date of purchase, for unlimited visits to the park. It admits the purchaser and any accompanying persons in a single, private, non-commercial vehicle or the purchaser and accompanying immediate family (spouse, children, parents) when entry is by other means (bicycle, foot and boat).
Commercial tours are charged based on the seating capacity of the vehicle. The fee for a motorcoach (26 or more passengers) is $200. Minibuses (16-25 passengers) are charged $100, vans (7-15 passengers) $75 and sedans (1-6 passengers) $25.
If you would like to camp onsite, the camping fee at the park campgrounds is $16 per night. Backcountry camping requires a permit. Permits are $10 each plus $2 per person per night.
Shark Valley:
Hours of operation at Shark Valley are 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. You may contact them at 305-221-8455 for inquiries.
Tram tours depart from and return to the Shark Valley Visitor center between the hours of 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. (May-December) and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (late December-April). The cost for adults is $15.25, seniors (62+) pay $14.25 and children (3-12) pay $9.25.
Bicycling tours are also offered. Bicycle rentals are $6.50 per hour. A driver license or identification will be required for a deposit on rental bikes. All the rentals are single gear, coaster brake type bicycles with adjustable seats to accommodate different heights. Baskets and helmets are also available for rental bikes. There are some 20-inch children’s bikes and several bikes available with child seats for children who weigh 35 pounds or less. Bicycle rentals begin at 8:30 a.m. and may be rented until 3 p.m. Rental bikes need to be returned to rental office by 4 p.m.
Airboats
Airboat tours are available only through private organizations along the Tamiami Trail, around Everglades City, and between Homestead and the Ernest Coe Visitor Center off State Route 9336.
The average cost for the airboat tours is of $20 for adults and $10 for children ages five-eleven. Children under the age of five usually ride fro free. Most tours include: a 30-40 minute airboat ride, an alligator wildlife nature show and a trip through the jungle trail to the observation platform and exhibits.
Gulf Coast Entrance:
The cost for boating is $24.45 plus tax for adults, $16.45 for children under 12 years and $19.45 for seniors. Eight passengers minimum. You may schedule reservation by dialing 305-230-1100.
Fees for kayak and canoe rentals vary by season. You may call 239-695-2592 for pricing. Rentals are available daily from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Last rentals are at 3 p.m. All rentals must be returned to marina by 4 p.m. Rental availability contingent on wind/weather conditions.
Florida City area Flamingo Lodge and Marina:
You may contact: 239-695-3101 to inquire prices (prices may vary) and make reservations. Other services at Flamingo include:
- Marina store: Open 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily
- Fuel service for vessels and vehicles: Unleaded, premium unleaded, and diesel is available from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily
- Backcountry Boat Cruise: Tours departs at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. Tours operate daily.
- Windfall Sailing Schooner: One afternoon trip daily. One sunset cruise daily (departure times are subject to wind and tide conditions)
- Canoe, kayaks and motorboat rentals: Available daily from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Last rentals are at 3 p.m. All rentals must be returned to marina by 4 p.m. Rental availability contingent on wind/weather conditions.
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