The Everglades National Park is the largest tropical wilderness park in the whole of the United States and the 3rd largest National Park in the United States. It covers a large area of Southern Florida, attracting over 1 million visitors a year. It has 2 seasons; a dry season (November to March) and a wet season (April to October). It is home to 36 threatened or protected species, 350 species of birds, 300 species of fresh and saltwater fish, 40 species of mammals, and 50 species of reptiles.
We visited the Everglades during their dry season in March. Even though it was their dry season, we, unfortunately, had a day of rain. I guess we’re just very unlucky! Despite the rain, we still had a fantastic time. The only thing we were not able to do, was the airboat tour.
To enter the National Park you need to purchase a pass. You can do this online before your visit or you can purchase one on the day. The pass will last for up to 7 days and will cost you $30 per vehicle. For more information, please visit their website: Everglades National Park. If you are planning on visiting the Miccosukee Indian Village only, you will not need to purchase a National Park pass. However, if you are planning on visiting Shark Valley or doing the Anchinga Walking Trail you will need one. One pass will get you into all 4 access areas to the National Park: Shark Valley, Gulf Coast, Royal Palm (Anchinga Walking Trail), and Flamingo.
Here are the 3 things we did on our day trip to the Everglades:
I highly recommend all 3!
Miccosukee Indian Village
At Miccosukee Indian Village you can learn about the Miccosukee Indian Tribe, you will be able to see lots of rescued alligators, play at a bit of archery, visit the museum, watch an alligator stunt show, hold a baby alligator and go on a thrilling airboat ride through the Everglades. If you are feeling peckish, there is a restaurant on site. If you would like to buy a souvenir, there is a lovely gift shop full of hand made Miccosukee products. The Miccosukee Indian Village is a great place to spend the morning or afternoon with the whole family. Unfortunately, due to the rain, we did not get the opportunity to do the airboats.
Admission Fees for the Miccosukee Village include: Alligator Stunt Show, seeing the rescued alligators, see some turtles and raccoons, a tour around the Miccosukee Indian Village, entry to the museum, and a free game of archery.
Adults $15, Child $8
Cost for the airboats in separate:
Adults: $20, Child $12
For more information on opening times and location, please check out their website: Miccosukee Village.
Here’s a little bit about some of the areas we visited, which is all included in the standard admission fee to the Miccosukee Village:
The Miccosukee Village
The Miccosukee Tribe is a federally recognised Native American tribe in Florida. Their largest reservation is on the border of the Everglades National Park.
Here at the Miccosukee Village, they will educate you on the Miccosukee Indians Tribe. You will be able to see how they use to live, how they use to cook, and how they use to sleep. You can watch them make some beautiful beaded bracelets and watch them do some incredible woodcarvings. I found it all very interesting.
The Rescued Alligators
Here at the Miccosukee Village, they keep rescued alligators and look after them till they die. Once an alligator has been rescued, they cannot be released back into the wild. This is because they have become a danger to humans. Alligators are shy towards humans and will stay away. However, once you start feeding an alligator food, the alligator will start to lose its shyness and the alligator will start coming to humans for food. If you feed an alligator in your back garden, that alligator will not disappear. It will be waiting for the next meal. The problem is, they cannot tell the difference between the food and you. They see you as one big package and therefore, they will attack you for food. This is why you should never feed an alligator to start with. In Florida, they have made it illegal to feed alligators, and now you can understand why. Once the alligator has lost its shyness, they never regain it back. This is why they can never be released back into the wild. If it weren’t for the Miccosukee Village, the alligators would get shot.
The Alligator Stunt Show
The Alligator Stunt Show was fantastic! A guy called Stevo, who performed the stunts with the alligator, was brilliant. He educated us about alligators and then performed some very daring tricks. None of which would have hurt the alligator or stressed it out in any way. The people who work at the Miccosukee Village treat their alligators as somebody would with their own pet. They look after them very well and would never do anything to put them in any form of distress or pain.
Interesting facts from the show:
- Alligators can swim up to 35mph.
- They can hold their breath for up to 8 hours underwater.
- Oliva, their largest alligator weighs about 1000 pounds.
- They can go for months without eating.
- Alligators will eat anything. One of them had been caught eating burgers from a fast-food restaurant. Its name is now Big Mac.
Anchinga Walking Trail
The Anchinga Walking Trail is located inside the Everglades National Park at the Royal Palm, South Entrance, near Homestead. You will need a National Park Pass to visit, which you can purchase on the day of arrival as you drive into the National Park.
The Anchinga Walking Trail starts at the Royal Palm Visitor Centre. It is a short 0.8-mile trail, taking you through the sawgrass. We saw alligators, anhingas, herons, and egrets. Some days, if you are lucky, you can see turtles. Unfortunately, we did not see any. It rained for the whole entire walk; however, it did not stop us from enjoying it!
Shark Valley
Shark Valley is a ‘must-do’ when visiting the Everglades National Park. In order to visit Shark Valley, you need to purchase a National Park Pass. You can buy one on arrival or in advance, as mentioned above.
There are only 2 ways to explore Shark Valley; by tram or by bike. We chose to do it a relaxing way, by tram.
The route is a 15-mile loop with an observation tour in the middle, which provides fantastic views over the whole of the Everglades. I personally think the tram is the better choice as you get a tour guide. The tour guide provided us with excellent information throughout the whole tour. We learned a lot about the Everglades and about the wildlife we where witnessing. She pointed out the American Crocodile, which we were very fortunate to see. If I was on a bike without a tour guide, I would have thought it was just another alligator!
If you want to see alligators in the wild, this is the trip to do. You are almost guaranteed to see them here. We saw lots and mean lots! We also saw anhingas, herons, and egrets too. The tram tour takes 2 hours. If you choose to cycle it, you need to allow a bit more time. Bikes are on first come first bases. If you are planning on the tram ride, I recommend booking in advance as they do get booked up. Tram ride will cost you $25 and to hire a bike, it will cost you $9.
For more information, please check out their website: Shark Valley.
