We knew we couldn’t live in the Estero/Naples area and not make the trek to Everglades National Park, the 1.5-million-acre expanse of land taking up most of south Florida. It is the largest subtropical wilderness in the US. The park has two points of entry, one at Everglades City and one at Homestead. Megan has a relative, Kathy Savela, who lives down in Naples for part of the year, so we started off our weekend grabbing breakfast with her and then going on an airboat tour in Everglades City. Following that, we drove over to the opposite side of the park to enter through Homestead, explored a little bit, and then spent the night in the Everglades!
Coffee Shop Cove Inn
We met up for an early breakfast at this sneaky little spot in the lobby of the Cove Inn just south of the main drag in downtown Naples. It was already packed by the time we got there but were lucky enough to only wait about 10-15 minutes for a table. This place is rated very highly according to everyone we talked to, but the food is traditional American breakfast fare and we didn’t think it was particularly spectacular.
A little breakfast place tucked in the lobby of the Cove Inn in Naples.
You can see the entire restaurant in this picture which is why you may have to wait for a table!
A nice patio off the back of the Cove Inn.
A little breakfast place tucked in the lobby of the Cove Inn in Naples.
You can see the entire restaurant in this picture which is why you may have to wait for a table!
A nice patio off the back of the Cove Inn.
Everglades City Original Airboat Tour
After breakfast, we drove 45 minutes down to the Everglades City Original Airboat Tour. You could pick any of the 5+ airboat tour companies down in Everglades City and be happy with your choice. They all seem to do the same thing (unless you do a private tour)- pack on a few people, take off through the mangrove swamps nearby, attempt to see some wildlife, and then return you to the dock in an hour. We especially enjoyed having head phones so we could hear the narration, so we would recommend choosing a company that offers these. We really had fun with this! Simply being on an airboat is a great experience because you in fact do feel like you’re gliding over the water at 30-40 mph. The best part is that the driver of the boat is very skilled and does a nice job weaving through the tight spaces.
One of the many airboat tour companies in Everglades City.
The dock we left from.
The cutely decorated Everglades City Original Airboat Tour headquarters.
Front row seats on the airboat with Kathy Savela!
A taste of the narrow mangroves our airboat maneuvered!
We saw some wildlife including raccoons…
and lots of birds!
One of the many airboat tour companies in Everglades City.
The dock we left from.
The cutely decorated Everglades City Original Airboat Tour headquarters.
Front row seats on the airboat with Kathy Savela!
A taste of the narrow mangroves our airboat maneuvered!
We saw some wildlife including raccoons…
and lots of birds!
Everglades City Seafood Fest
Little did we know that almost right across the street from the airboat companies, the annual Seafood Fest was going on! It was coming up on lunch time, so we went over, parked for $5, and meandered through a state fair-like atmosphere looking for some good eats. Eventually we made it to the main food tent where an overwhelming amount of fried seafood smells came at us. It was almost too much to handle. We came out with coconut shrimp, crab cakes, and soft-shell crab and decided that was more than enough. So, we said our goodbyes to Megan’s relative and off we went deeper into the Everglades.
The Everglades City Seafood Festival!
So much seafood!
We decided to go with coconut shrimp, crab cakes, and a soft shell crab!
A glimpse of the state fair-like environment with over 70,000 people!
An example of unique crafts we perused!
Another unique tent!
The Everglades City Seafood Festival!
So much seafood!
We decided to go with coconut shrimp, crab cakes, and a soft shell crab!
A glimpse of the state fair-like environment with over 70,000 people!
An example of unique crafts we perused!
Another unique tent!
HP Williams Park
On the 2-3-hour ride over to Homestead, we stopped for a brief moment at HP Williams Roadside Park that was recommended to us by the airboat driver. He said it would have a ton of alligators laying out in the sun, and he was correct! This spot is very easy to miss, so make sure you bring it up on GPS before you lose service. We highly recommend this spot-on Highway 41 if you want to see healthy-sized gators!
HP Williams park
The spot off 41 where our airboat tour guide said the gators tend to hang out!
HP Williams park
The spot off 41 where our airboat tour guide said the gators tend to hang out!
Everglades National Park
Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center
We finally made it to the beginning of Everglades National Park in the early afternoon and stopped by the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center in Homestead to get some advice for our game plan for the next 24 hours.
A helpful overview sign at the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center in Homestead.
Anhinga Trail
There is only one road in and out of the park so it’s easy to navigate. The first trail we stopped at while heading SW from the visitor center was the Anhinga Trail. On this 0.8-mile path, we were greeted with numerous giant lily pads along with quite a few smaller gators and multiple anhingas. It took about 20 minutes to complete.
Anhinga Trail
Lily pads!
We found an anhinga on the Anhinga Trail!
And we also spotted more gators.
Anhinga Trail
Lily pads!
We found an anhinga on the Anhinga Trail!
And we also spotted more gators.
Gumbo Limbo Trail
The Gumbo Limbo Trail is located right near the start of the Anhinga Trail and is maybe 0.5 miles total. It took us about 10 minutes to walk through this loop. The best part about this quick detour is that you get up close and personal with the gumbo limbo trees, also known as “tourist trees” because their bark looks like sunburned skin.
Gumbo Limbo Trail
Can you tell why they call it the “tourist tree?”
Gumbo Limbo Trail
Can you tell why they call it the “tourist tree?”
Pahayokee Overlook Trail
About a 20-minute drive further into the park sits this 0.2-mile boardwalk loop, Pahayokee Overlook Trail, which gives you a sweeping view of the “river of grass.” Again, a very quick and easy hike, but cool to see the different ecosystems.
Pahayokee Overlook Trail
Mahogany Hammock Trail
Another 15-minute drive even further down the road is a 0.5-mile boardwalk that takes you out to one of the many “hammocks” within the park. This basically means that it is a little pocket of taller trees that do not fall below the sea level line. This particular tree island that the Mahogany Hammock Trail meanders through is home to the largest living mahogany tree in the US.
Adam caught me pretending to be one of these trees…
The largest living mahogany tree in the US!
Adam caught me pretending to be one of these trees…
The largest living mahogany tree in the US!
Flamingo Bayside Campground
Following this trail, we made the final 45-minute drive down to the edge of the park in order to get to our campsite before the sunset. We had originally placed a reservation on a site at the main campground (which we easily made the day before with no difficulty) for Saturday night, but once we got there, we noticed a much cooler campground, Flamingo Bayside Campground. This one was located right on the Florida Bay, it was first come first serve, and it was the same exact price as the other site. So, we switched reservations at the host booth and got to capture views of the bay as the sun went down. We utilized our Jetboil for the first time this evening and it worked great. We then stayed up for some stellar star-gazing. Because we were miles from any major city being at the tip of the Everglades, this may be the most stars we’ve ever seen!
Flamingo Campground – Bayfront
Repping my Wanderatics blanket at our campsite right by the water!
Caught a great sunset from our campsite!
Our new favorite toy!
Our delicious dinner in a bag!
We also used our Jetboil to make some hot chocolate!
The morning brought rain to our campsite, but the rainbow made it worth it!
Flamingo Campground – Bayfront
Repping my Wanderatics blanket at our campsite right by the water!
Caught a great sunset from our campsite!
Our new favorite toy!
Our delicious dinner in a bag!
We also used our Jetboil to make some hot chocolate!
The morning brought rain to our campsite, but the rainbow made it worth it!
Nine Mile Pond Trail
On Sunday morning, we woke up bright and early to head straight over to the Flamingo Marina, located just north of the Flamingo campground. Here is where you can rent canoes and kayaks and paddle around the nearby waterways to explore the watery grassland in depth. The nine-mile pond trail is actually a 20-minute drive north, but the marina keeps canoes there to unlock with a special code. So, we grabbed our rental life jackets and paddles and then drove up to the trailhead to get the canoe with our code. The trail is not actually nine miles, it is more like five miles, so don’t worry. We bought a half day rental (4 hours) and it worked out perfectly. The trail itself is extremely shallow, and definitely has some tight spots where your canoe will get stuck for a moment in the mangroves. The trail is numbered 1-144, and if you’re not feeling it there is a shortcut to take halfway through. We did not see a ton of wildlife, but this experience is the essence of the Everglades. We highly recommend getting out there on the water!
Nine Mile Pond
Paddling this 5-mile canoe trail!
These white markers are how you avoid getting lost in these endless waters!
An example of the narrow spaces we maneuvered!
Snack time in the mangroves!
One of my favorites: showcasing a lone mangrove on the left (how they all start) and a huge network of mangroves on the right!
Nine Mile Pond
Paddling this 5-mile canoe trail!
These white markers are how you avoid getting lost in these endless waters!
An example of the narrow spaces we maneuvered!
Snack time in the mangroves!
One of my favorites: showcasing a lone mangrove on the left (how they all start) and a huge network of mangroves on the right!
Shark Valley Trail
Upon returning our jackets and paddles to the Flamingo Marina, we started making our way back home. But we had one last adventure in mind. In the middle of Highway 41 there is a small entrance into the northernmost portion of the Everglades called Shark Valley. This is essentially a paved loop that is seven miles out and eight miles back. At the midway point there is an observation tower you can go up in order to have a 360-degree view of the park, and it is worth it. The problem is getting out to the tower. Usually people bring their own bikes for this 15-mile trek because walking this distance would take the whole day. If you don’t have a bike, the visitor center here also allows you to rent bikes. This is what we did, but they told us that since it was 3:30 we would not be able to make it back from the tower to the visitor center in time. They require all bikes to be back by 5:00 p.m. or you pay a $20 penalty fee. We took this as motivation and said game on and ended up making it to the tower and back by 4:50 p.m! We would say having more time to enjoy this part of the park would be beneficial, as this is where the most herons, turtles, and gators were hanging out by far.
Shark Valley Visitor Center
View of endless nature from the observation tower!
Our rental bikes for the 15-mile bike sprint to return them in time to avoid late fees!
Shark Valley Visitor Center
View of endless nature from the observation tower!
Our rental bikes for the 15-mile bike sprint to return them in time to avoid late fees!
After busting out a 15-mile bike ride to conclude another crazy packed weekend, we finally went home and went straight to bed due to pure fatigue. The Everglades as a whole is a great place. You cannot see any man-made structures (other than the minimal park buildings) when inside the park and you will not find many larger areas of land that are protected forever. It is absolutely safe to explore and to stay overnight at the Flamingo campground. Enjoy!
Thanks for the shout out and the fun adventure! I don’t think you could have crammed in another thing. I stop at the Everglades Wildlife Refuge on my way back. A beautiful lookout tower and a 2mile walk back into the preserve. Lots of birds and gators. (I wish I knew how to add a pic)
Thanks for joining us! And good to know; there’s so much to explore down here!