Complete Guide To Everglades National Park Camping in 2024

One of three National Parks in southern Florida, Everglades National Park offers an experience in stark contrast to Biscayne and the Dry Tortugas.

Camping in Everglades National Park offers the chance to stay in a lush tropical landscape surrounded by wildlife, but there are a few things to know as you plan your visit.

After years of RV travel, including multiple months of RVing in South Florida and 2 weeks camping in Everglades National Park, we have compiled everything you need to know to build your perfect Everglades National Park camping trip.

About Everglades National Park

Everglades National Park protects the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States on the southern tip of Florida.

From manatees to crocodiles to panthers and over 300 species of birds, the park is an oasis where you truly feel like you are experiencing the “real” Florida.

Covering over 2,300 square miles (1.5 million acres) of wetlands, there are multiple entrances and distinct districts in Everglades National Park (part of which has been deemed a World Heritage Site).

The west side of the park sits close to Naples, while in the east the park stretches over toward Miami and south to Homestead and the Florida Keys.

While a large Florida swamp might not sound so enticing, venturing into this untouched wilderness will provide opportunities to see amazing wildlife thriving in a truly unique ecosystem that you won’t want to miss.

Just don’t forget the bug spray 😅

Entrances & Visitor Centers

There are a few main Everglades National Park entrances that are most used:

• North Entrances (Shark Valley, Gulf Coast)
• South Entrances (Royal Palm – Ernest F. Coe & Flamingo Visitor Centers)

Visitor Centers:

• Guy Bradley Visitors Center (Flamingo Visitor Center)
• Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center
• Shark Valley Visitor Center
• Gulf Coast Visitor Center
• Oasis Visitor Center (Big Cypress National Preserve)

Seasons, Weather, & When To Visit

The best time of year to visit Everglades National Park is between late fall and early spring when there are mild temperatures, less rainfall, fewer mosquitos, and an abundance of wildlife to see.

Summer months bring the rainy season with increased temperatures (sometimes soaring into the ), lots and lots of mosquitoes and other bug activity, and plenty of humidity.

• Dry season (November to April) *peak season
• Wet Season (May to October)

Directions To The Park

The Tamiami Trail cuts west to east across the park from Naples past Everglades City and the Big Cypress National Preserve toward Shark Valley and the airboat tours

State Highway 9336, also called Main Park Road, picks up from Florida City and Homestead, passes the main park entrance and the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center and heads south deep into the park toward the Flamingo area.

READ MORE: How To Spend One Day In Everglades National Park

Camping In Everglades National Park

The best way to experience the Florida Everglades is by opting to camp right in nature at Everglades National Park.

Whether you are looking for RV camping with the comforts of home, back to basics with tent camping, or a real primitive experience with wilderness camping in the backcountry only accessible by boat or kayak, this park has it.

With such a large park, be prepared for a couple of long drives if you want to experience both the Shark Valley attractions and the sights down in the Flamingo area.

You could also opt for a stay in a National Park campground as well as a private campground to more easily see all that the park has to offer.

Everglades Camping Map

Below you will find a complete guide to everything you need to know about Everglades camping!

National Park Drive-In Campgrounds

The Everglades has two front country camping options run by the “Flamingo Adventures” concession.

Below you will find a rundown of what each campground has to offer and how much it costs to camp.

Keep in mind, nightly campground cost does not include the park entrance fee ($35 / vehicle) or 7% sales tax. There is a 10% discount available for Access Pass holders, Active and Retired Military, and Seniors over the age of 62!

Long Pine Key Campground

Located closest to the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center in the Pine Island district of the park, this is the first campground you will pass in the southern section of the park.

Open seasonally from November 1 – April 30th, this is a campground without hook-ups that offers advanced reservations as well as some sites that are offered on a first come-first served basis.

Amenities:

• Bathhouses with hot water and hot showers
• Dump Station
• Potable Water
• Picnic Tables
• Fire Ring
• Dry sites (tent sites and RV sites of varying lengths up to 45 feet) with no water hookups and no electric hookups
• Tent sites with no hookups

Cost:

• $33/night Monday-Thursday
• $38.50/night Friday-Sunday
• $60/night for group sites

Cell Service:

• AT&T and Verizon

Flamingo Campground

35 miles down the road into the park from Long Pine Key Campground, you will reach Flamingo Campground.

Unlike Long Pine Key, this campground is open year-round (although the dry season is the busy season).

Mostly an open field (perfect for Starlink) with large paved RV campsites that could accommodate trailers or motorhomes of any length, this is as far into the park as you can camp with your RV.

Flamingo Campground offers 234 individual drive-in sites and 40 walk-up sites (9 on the water’s edge with views of the Florida Bay).

There are 41 sites in the T-Loop with electrical hookups. There are also dry sites in T-loop, with generators allowed between 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. No generators are allowed in walk-in campsites or other camping areas.

We loved staying in this section of the park! It was easy to ride our bikes to the visitor center and Flamingo Marina, as well as the newly renovated Flamingo Lodge and Restaurant!

Amenities:

• RV sites with electric hookups
• RV sites with no hookups
• Potable Water
• 2 Dump Stations
• Tent Only Sites (A Loop) *Generators prohibited
• Picnic Tables and grills
• Solar Heated Showers (free) (T-Loop Bathouses do not have hot water; this is where the RV sites are located)
• Restrooms with flush toilets
• There is a campstore is located at the Flamingo Marina

Cost:

• RV with electric hook-up (Monday – Thursday, per site per night) $50.00
• RV with electric hookups (Friday – Sunday, per site per night) $60.00
• Tent and non-electric RV (Monday – Thursday, per site per night) $33.00
• Tent and non-electric RV (Friday – Sunday, per site per night) $38.50
• Group site (per night per group campsite for up to 15 people, 5 tents, and 3 vehicles) $60.00

Cell Service:

• Minimal AT&T

Flamingo Bayside Walk-To Campground

Walk-in tent sites in an open field right on the water of the Florida Bay.

This area was closed due to flooding during our visit at the end of December/beginning of January in 2023/2024.

Other Everglades National Park Camping Options

Want to step up your camping game or have a more unique camping experience? Everglades National Park offers a few other ways to camp and stay in the park:

Flamingo Eco Tents Campground

Glamping in the heart of Everglades National Park!

Summer Glamping is offered May 1 to October 31.

• Empty safari-style tents with fan, electricity, starting at $50.00 per night

Winter Glamping is offered November 1- April 30th

• Furnished safari-style tents with fan, electricity, starting at $109 per night
  • 1 Queen or 2 Double Beds, with sheets, blanket, and pillows

Amenities include locked bathrooms for glamping guests only!

Houseboat Rentals

How about a stay right on the water surrounded by alligators and manatees?

Everglades National Park also offers 42-foot houseboats with all the amenities that can sleep up to 6 people.

These houseboats sit right in the Flamingo Marina and include a stove, shower, microwave, grill, screened windows

Cost: Starting at $375/night

Flamingo Lodge

If you are looking for a more traditional hotel experience, there are also 24 brand new lodging rooms located on-site with the newly renovated indoor outdoor Flamingo Lodge Restaurant!

The Flamingo Lodge offers 1 and 2-bedroom suites with kitchenettes, balconies, full bathrooms, and Wifi (service levels do not allow for streaming and/or downloading).

Cost:

• Studio starts at $259/night (300 sqf)

• 1 Bedroom Suite starts at $309/night (420 sqf)

• 2 bedroom suite $399/ night (640 sqf)

We were lucky enough to eat at the Flamingo Restaurant on its re-opening day and the food was fresh and delicious. An unexpected treat down in this remote part of the park!

It serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner for campers, guests at the lodge, and visitors exploring the Flamingo area!

Book Camping & Lodging At Everglades National Park

National Park Backcountry & Wilderness Camping

For a more rustic experience away from civilization in the heart of the natural environment, you can camp in one of the many wilderness campsites in the park.

Primitive backcountry sites include:

• Canoe/kayak-in sites
• Chickee huts
• Beach camping

Wilderness camping permits are required for all overnight camping in the backcountry.

Cost: There is a $21 administrative fee plus an additional $2 per person, per night use fee.

Check out what a backcountry camping experience is like in the Everglades:

Reserve Everglades National Park Wilderness Permits on Recreation.gov

*Everglades NP Camping rules: No camping in Everglades National Park for more than a total of 30 days in a calendar year and no more than 14 consecutive days during the period from November 1 through April 30.

Private Campgrounds Near Everglades National Park

If you are looking for additional amenities or would prefer to stay outside of the park closer to city attractions (restaurants, shops, etc.) you might want to opt for a private campground.

The Everglades National Park camping options are pretty remote!

Two great options include:

Trail Lakes Campground

• A private park offering RV sites, tent sites, and even Chickee Huts to give you that same camping experience you might find inside the National Park, only 40 minutes from the attractions in Shark Valley

Miami Everglades (Thousand Trails)

• RV Park with resort-style amenities (pool, pickle-ball, etc.) 45 minutes from the Shark Valley Visitor Center, 35 minutes from the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center, and 1 hour 20 from the Flamingo area

Best Things To Do During Your CampingTrip To Everglades National Park

With a park so large and mostly wetland, there really is no short drive between the main attractions at Everglades National Park.

The 3 main areas to check out are Shark Valley and the Airboat Tours in the northern section of the park, the trails and main visitor center in the Pine Island area, and the marina and camping areas in the Flamingo Area.

To give you an idea of driving distances:

• It is a 40-mile drive from the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center to the Flamingo Campground.

• It is roughly a 2 hour (not scenic or special) drive between the Flamingo Campground and the Shark Valley Visitor Center and 1.5 hours between the Long Pine Key Campground and Shark Valley

Check Out These Everglades Experiences:

• Bike or enjoy a guided tram ride at Shark Valley and climb to the top of the Shark Valley Lookout/Observation Tower
  • Reservations for Shark Valley Tram Tours (be sure to book ahead and plan to arrive at least 1 hour in advance. During peak season you can expect 1-2 hour wait times for parking)
  • Reserve Bike rentals (The trail is a 15-mile paved path that makes for an easy ride with lots of wildlife along the way)

• Hike the Anhinga Trail to spot tons of wildlife (Pine Island)
  • Other great hiking trails in the park include: Guy Bradley Trail (Flamingo area), West Lake Boardwalk Trail (Flamingo area), Eco Pond (Flamingo area), Gumbo Limbo Trail (Flamingo area), Mahogany Hammock Trail (Pine Island), and Pa-Hay-Okee Overlook Trail (Pine Island)

• Take an airboat ride with one of the 3 airboat tour operators inside Everglades National Park
  • Coopertown Airboats
  • Everglades Safari Parks
  • Gator Park

• Visit the Big Cypress National Preserve

• Wildlife Viewing (including endangered species)
  • American crocodiles, bald eagles, Florida panthers, manatees, alligators, 300+ species of birds, snakes (including the invasive pythons), and more!

• Stop for a fresh fruit milkshake at Robert Is Here (we highly recommend the strawberry!)
  • Recommended to us by locals in the Florida Keys, this quirky place is a can’t miss for your Everglades Itinerary. See the parrots and tortoises, enjoy a delicious shake, and purchase some unique fruits.

• Take a boat tour on the Gulf Coast or a guided canoe or kayak tour from a tour provider below or read more about National Park boat tours here

More Florida Camping Resources:

Ready to explore more of the East Coast?

• Check out these other amazing National Parks on the East Coast or these 16 National Park sites in the Southeast

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