NorahI recently returned from a seven day Florida national parks road trip, and it was a spectacular outdoor adventure. When most people think of southern Florida, they picture beaches and Miami. However, the region actually is home to three epic, unique national parks. I have done countless camping and national parks trips in my day, and these Florida parks are incredibly underrated. In this guide, I will be discussing the exact itinerary my family followed for seeing the best of all the Florida parks.
When is the best time to complete a Florida national parks trip?
We went during December-January, and found this to be an ideal time for exploring the parks. Southern Florida is hot in December, but still cooler than the scorching temperatures that arrive in the summer months. There are more crowds during the winter, but with the exception of a few areas, we found this to be quite manageable. If you are worried about crowds, you could always go during late January/early February. Here is a breakdown by season:
Winter is the most popular time in the parks. The temperatures are pleasant, and the bugs should be at a minimum. There might be more wind than in the winter, and this can affect snorkeling views at times. However, my recommendation is to visit the park in the winter.
Spring is a nice time to visit these parks, but the weather will be hot and bugs will be very prevalent (and will make their presence known!). There will be less people, though!
Summer is not a time I would recommend exploring the parks. The bugs will be at an all time high, and the heat will be stifling. This might be less of an issue for water based parks, but I cannot imagine how difficult it will be to explore the Everglades.
Fall will have cooler weather and less crowds, but you then run the risk of hurricane season, which is becoming more and more common. One big hurricane threat could completely wipe out this itinerary, so proceed with caution when planning Southern Florida adventures during this month.
How much will a Florida national park trip cost?
This trip cost us around $3,500, with most of that money coming from our Key West and Dry Tortugas adventures. Key West is EXPENSIVE, and it is virtually impossible to do that specific area in a cheaper way, as lodging is very expensive. In addition, the Dry Tortugas ferry is quite pricey, as are the activities in Biscayne National Park. Here are some tips if you want to do this road trip on a budget:
- Camp whenever possible. Camping, once you have the gear, saves you a ton of money on your national park road trip, and can be a wonderful way to further immerse yourself in a national park. I highly recommend camping whenever possible if money is a concern-there are even campsites in Key West (be warned though-they sell out quickly!).
- Buy a national parks pass. This trip includes three national parks, and the entry fee at each park is $30. A year long national parks pass is $80, so you will save money! This is also helpful if you have other national park trips on the horizon.
- Do less guided activities and more free ones. To be fair, a lot of the really cool activities in these national parks involve going on tours. With that being said, there are absolutely more free activities to do in the park, you might just have to be a bit more creative with your approach!
How do you get to the Florida national parks?
The easiest way to travel to the Florida national parks is by flying into Miami. Miami is a large international airport, and is located approximately 1 hour from the Everglades and three hours from Key West. It is a wonderful location and I would recommend flying into this airport. If flying into Miami is not an option, flying to Orlando or Tampa would be the next best things, but this will add some driving time to your journey.
Or, you can always just drive down from Virginia, which is what my family did!
Ok, let’s get into the itinerary!
Day 1-Everglades National Park.
Morning
There is nowhere in the world quite like the Everglades. Seriously! It is a completely unique ecosystem that is not replicated anywhere else in the world. The Everglades is the third largest national park in the lower 48, and is a massive ecosystem right at the bottom of Florida. For your first day in the park, you will make your way down to Flamingo, a wonderful area of the park where you can see a variety of ecosystems. In the morning, I recommend doing several of the trails along the main road into Flamingo. These are all short boardwalk trails that are easy and fun! I specifically recommend the West Lake Trail, the Pay-Hee-Okee Trail, and the Mahogany Hammock Trail.
Afternoon
In the afternoon, I highly recommend going on a canoe trail through the mangroves. We did the Nine Mile Pond Canoe Trail, and it was one of the coolest experiences I have ever had in a national park. The Hells Bay Canoe Trail is also very popular.
Each of these activities will be along the same main road in the park, and for the evening you will want to drive all the way down to Flamingo. There will be a visitor center (it closes at 5:30 though), a beautiful dock, and a restaurant for dinner. However, you are actually at Flamingo for one specific reason-manatees! These gorgeous sea cows really enjoy hanging out at the boat dock, and there is a very high probability that you will see them. We spent an hour just watching them eat and roll around, but please remember to be respectful and give them their space!
For lodging, there is a campground at Flamingo that has traditional campsites as well as a variety of eco tent glamping options. Be warned though: the mosquitos at the campsite were a bit intense. There is also a really cool lodge style hotel right by the restaurant and visitors center that could be a great option for staying.
However, if you do not want to stay in the park, you can drive the 40ish miles back to civilization after visiting Flamingo. You can then stay in the towns of Homestead or Florida City.
*Note: If you make the drive after Flamingo on your first night, you will have less to drive in the morning. If you choose to stay in Flamingo that night, you will have more to drive in the morning. This is personal preference for driving at night vs. in the morning!
Day 2-Shark Valley.
Shark Valley is the most popular region of the Everglades, and for good reason-it is amazing! This 14 mile loop allows you to be up close and personal with alligators and birds, and offers stunning views of the surrounding ecosystem.
At the 7 mile mark of the loop sits an observation tower, which offers an expansive view of the Everglades and looks out on a virtually untouched part of the park.
Ways to Explore Shark Valley
- Tram tour: This is the most popular way to see Shark Valley. A guided tram tour will drive you around the loop, stopping at interesting points along the way and giving you a chance to stretch your legs at the observation tower. The tram tickets are $33 for adults, but cheaper for children and seniors.
- Biking: This is how I experienced Shark Valley, and my recommendation. A bike gives you a wonderful way to explore the region and gives you full ownership of when you want to stop. It allows you amble opportunity to choose your own adventure, take as many pictures as you want, and experience the route on your own timeline. You can rent a bike for $26 or bring your own.
- Walk: This is the less ideal option, because walking 14 miles in hot weather is not fun, and the alternative of only walking a couple miles means that you will not see everything in the area. However, if you are short on time (or money), this can be a wonderful way to experience this spectacular area.
One final piece of advice about Shark Valley: it can get PACKED. I would recommend arriving as early as possible to avoid potential backups and waiting. We were rained out for part of the morning and ended up arriving to Shark Valley at noon. We waited 40 minutes to get a parking spot-so don’t be like us! Animals are also more active earlier in the day.
In the afternoon, you will head over to the Pine Island section of the park. This is a very popular section, and there are several interesting trails to complete in this leisurely afternoon.
- The Anhinga Trail is a short boardwalk trail that takes you through a scenic pond. This is a wonderful trail for birding, and you can see quite a few gators on this trail! There is ample parking.
- The Gumbo Limbo Trail is in the same parking lot as the Anhinga trail, but is a completely different experience. This trail involves quite a bit of forest overgrow and is a wonderful way to experience the “hammock” phenomenon at the Everglades.
- Finally, the Nike Missile Site is not a trail, but is a must see while in the park! The exhibit will be about ten minutes away from the Anhinga and Gumbo Limbo trail parking lot. If you are even remotely interested in history, I highly recommend!
Day 3-Biscayne National Park.
For your third day, you will head to Biscayne National Park! This park is over 90% water, and is a 30 minute drive from the Everglades.
Biscayne is stunning, but there is not too much to see on land. There is an awesome visitors center, as well as a lovely little boardwalk trail. However, I HIGHLY recommend taking a boat tour through the Biscayne Institute. There are SO many to choose from depending on your interest.
We chose to complete the snorkeling adventure, as well as the Heritage of Biscayne cruise. If you are interested in history, the Heritage of Biscayne tour was one of the most comprehensive historical tours I have ever been on, and I cannot recommend it enough.
I personally believe that you only need one day in Biscayne, but if you have your own boat or are interested in more than two tours, you could definitely add on an extra day at this park.
Day 4-Drive to Key West.
The drive to Key West feels otherworldly. It is hard to explain, but this tiny chain of islands being so accessible feels criminal. The drive from Homestead/Florida City to Key West takes about three hours, but the drive itself is a wonderful experience and one I highly recommend. Spend the morning driving out to Key West, and check into your lodging when you arrive. Key West is expensive, but there are camping options if you are interested. We opted to stay at the Seashell Motel, and it was an adorable little bungalow with a wonderful location.
In the afternoon, explore Key West! I highly recommend roaming around on Duval street or chilling by the water at one of the ocean front bars. If you are interested in history, the Ernest Hemingway house is spectacular, and seeing the famous six toed cats was a true treat.
For dinner, there are SO many options with a variety of price points. There are food trucks all the way up to five star dining, but we personally opted for the Banana Cafe, and it was mouth watering after a day of driving and exploring.
Day 5-Dry Tortugas!
Today will start nice and early by taking the ferry from Key West to Dry Tortugas National Park. Ferry tickets are not easy to get, and quite expensive. You can buy tickets here, and I would recommend trying to score tickets at least three months in advance.
The ride to Dry Tortugas takes about two and a half hours, and there are so many fun elements of this tiny national park in the Gulf of Mexico. I would recommend taking the guided tour of Fort Jefferson. You can also recommend snorkeling or walking out to the edge of the island.
The Dry Tortugas ferry allows for about four hours on the island, but there are also several camping options that can allow for more time. We were able to score camping reservations, but they do sell out very far in advance.
Day 6-Head back to Miami.
For your last day of the trip, begin to make your way back to Miami. The drive from Miami to Key West will take about three hours. You can spend the afternoon exploring Miami beaches (Virginia Key and Key Biscayne are great!).
In the evening, you can either take a night flight out of Miami or spend the night and fly out in the morning.
Florida is a fantastic destination, but most people only spend their time in the cities. I hope that you can see how amazing the natural elements of this region are, and I hope you can have some adventures!
Interested in more national parks? Check out my national park itinerary for Colorado!
