Everglades National Park: A First Timer’s Guide!

ArnabJune 26, 2024

0 153 4 minutes read

Are you looking to make a trip that will refresh both your body and mine? Are your eyes tired of seeing the concrete buildings and want a lot of green? Aaaand, are you thinking of visiting one of the national parks?

Everglades National Park is one of the best choices for you. This amazing creation of nature is ready to amaze you throughout your entire journey here. But before jumping into finalizing something, let’s get some basic ideas about this wonderful place.

Everglades National Park: Everything You Need to Know!

This American National Park protects the southern 20% of the original Everglades in Florida. In the United States of America, Everglades National Park is the largest tropical wilderness and the largest wilderness of any kind east of the Mississippi River.

In 1976, UNESCO declared the Everglades & Dry Tortugas Biosphere Reserve, and later, in the year 1979, they listed this park as a World Heritage Site. Almost every national park preserves any kind of unique geographical feature; this park is the very first creation for protecting a fragile ecosystem.

Weather Report

Though the United States has four characteristic seasons, when it comes to South Florida, it becomes two: dry and wet. Florida’s subtropical climate is characterized by rainy, humid, warm summers and dry, mild, pleasant winters, along with a sudden incursion of cool air.

Summers, The Wet Season

Though the summers here are hot and humid, frequent thunderstorms disturb the temperature. This season extends from around the middle of May to November, and the temperature varies between 30 and 35 degrees Celsius during this time.

During this hot wet season, the average rainfall of the year, i.e., close to 60 inches, falls. During the summertime, continental cold fronts generally fail to penetrate as far as the south of Florida. And as a result of this, humidity and warmth build.

Thunderstorms can last as little as a few minutes or as long as several hours. At times, they become a daily event. The largest rainfall is typically associated with hurricanes and tropical storms.

Winter, The Dry Season

The dry winter season extends from around December to the middle of May. During this time, the temperature ranges from 10 to 25 degrees Celsius, and the humidity stays lower.

This time, continental weather fronts occasionally bring the temperature down to near freezing in South Florida. Breezy winter weather conditions often create a wind chill factor, which makes the recognized temperature feel much cooler than the actual thermometer reading.

Only one-quarter of its yearly rainfall is witnessed by South Florida during this time. The dry, cool air typically stabilizes the atmosphere and surprises any thunderstorms or showers.

Here is a chart of annual weather, including the maximum and minimum temperature range and also average precipitation.

Months	Average Precipitation (Inches)	Average Maximum Temperature (Degrees Fahrenheit)	Average Minimum Temperature (Degrees Fahrenheit)
January	1.65	78	54
February	1.85	80	56
March	1.92	82	58
April	2.77	85	61
May	5.86	88	66
June	9.07	90	71
July	7.07	91	73
August	8.30	92	73
September	8.71	91	73
October	5.54	87	70
November	2.28	83	63
December	1.37	79	57
Annual	56.4	85	65

Lodging: Best Places To Stay

When you are planning a trip to Everglades National Park, you do not need to worry too much about your accommodation options. This is one of the most popular tourist destinations, and thus, you will have plenty of options.

You can choose any of the several options according to your requirements and budget. Apart from camping, all these modern-day stays are ready to offer you world-class services and amenities.

Here is a list of some of the best places that will make your trip a bit more interesting and comfortable, of course. Just by seeing the Everglades National Park map, you will be able to get the exact location of it.

Captains Table Lodge and Villas.
Glades Haven Cozy Cabins.
Everglades International Hostels.
Redland Hotel.
Olde Marco Island Inn & Suites.
Marco Island Lakeside Inn.
Rod and Gun Lodge.
The Ivey House.
Travelodge by Wyndham.
Home2 Suites by Hilton.
Hampton Inn and Suites.
TownePlace Suites by Marriott.
Country Inn & Suites by Radisson.
Lime Tree Bay Resort.

Map: Geographical Location

Everglades National Park is 1.5 million acres of wetlands on the southern tip of the United States of America, in Florida. Homestead, Key Largo, and Leisure City are some of the cities in Florida that are close to this park.

The center of all these cities is located within a distance of 40 miles from the Everglades National Park. Here is a list of some other cities in Florida that are also within the same distance range.

Richmond West.
Kendall.
Pinecrest.
Sunset, Cutler.
Kendale Lakes.
The Crossing.
Richmond Heights.
Palmetto Estates.
Cutler Ridge.
The Hammocks.
South Miami Heights.

Things To Do In Everglades National Park

In the lower 48 states, Everglades National Park is the largest park, with an area of 2,400 square miles. Whether it is a family tour or a solo tour, this place has several kinds of outdoor activities for families, groups, and individuals as well.

Below are some suggested activities that you can experience here.

Bicycling.
Bird watching.
Boating.
Everglades National Park camping.
Fishing.
Kayaking and canoeing.
Hiking.
Geocaching.
Slough slogging.
Ranger-led programs.
Wildlife viewing.
Trails.
Everglades National Park airboat tours.

Best Time To Visit Everglades National Park

As I mentioned earlier, Everglades National Park has two main seasons: humid summer and dry winter. The weather chart provided above will help you plan your trip.

Winter is considered the most visitable time of the year at Everglades National Park. The temperatures are much milder during this time, and there are very few biting insects.

During the season, from November to March, various types of wading birds visit this park. The rain chances are also very low during this time, but you still need to be prepared for that.

However, the dry season lowers the water level, so all those water activities become challenging. Here comes the wet season, when you can try such activities as paddling and slogging.

The wet season, which runs from April to October, makes water activities much more enjoyable due to higher water levels. Remember, this is also the same season as hurricanes, so do not forget to take all the safety measures.