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Driving Main Park Road, Everglades National Park


 
Visitors come from around the world to experience Everglades National Park, the world’s only Everglades: a dynamic ecosystem fed by a sheet flow of rainfall creeping slowly southward across expansive sawgrass prairies. Most tourists are here to see wildlife - and that’s virtually guaranteed if they get at least 3 miles into the Park, to Royal Palm Hammock. But a drive down the 39-mile Main Park Road, which dead-ends near the southernmost point of Florida’s peninsula, provides an overview of the best the Everglades has to offer - even if you never get out of your car.   
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Tips in this Tour:
No gasoline is available on this 78-mile round trip, nor is there a gas station within 10 miles of the park gate. Be sure to top off your tank in Florida City before heading down to the Park.
While winter is the best season to visit Everglades National Park to avoid voracious mosquitoes, every season has its delights. You’ll see nesting birds in their finery in late spring and colorful wildflowers in summer.
Along this 39-mile drive, the only restrooms are at the Ernest Coe Visitor Center, Royal Palm Hammock, the Long Pine Key campground, West Lake, and Flamingo.
When you step out of your car, some wilderness savvy is in order. Protect yourself with a hat, sunscreen, and insect repellent. Wear long pants and a long-sleeved lightweight shirt. If you’re headed out on a natural footpath, carry a hiking stick for balance and safety. Never, ever, get close to an alligator, whether out of curiosity or to take a photo.
No meals are available within the Park, save zap-and-go microwave food and ice cream at the marina store in Flamingo. Bring a picnic lunch with you!
Click to see a QuietGuide™: Scroll as you stroll. Text+photos formatted for mobile. 
Transportation: By Car
Specialty: Off the Beaten Path
Category: Guided Tour - play before & while you tour
Rating:
Added:06/19/2009
Duration: 30 min
Chapters in this tour:
     Introduction
     Ernest Coe Visitor Center
     Royal Palm Hammock
     Long Pine Key
     The River of Grass
     The Mangrove Fringe
     End of the Road
 
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* Free Map With Purchase


Provider: Sandra Friend

  Sandra Friend is author of more than a dozen Florida guidebooks, including contributions to the "Explorer’s Guides" and "50 Hikes" series from Countryman Press. She drives more than 40,000 miles each year on road trips around Florida. Sandra is an acknowledged expert on Florida’s outdoors, trails, and parks. Her passion for hiking fostered the detailed information about Florida’s trails at www.floridahikes.com.