Planning a Campervan or Motorhome Trip to the Everglades
Renting a motorhome or campervan in Miami? You will not want to miss out on one of the world’s most remarkable natural reserves, Everglades National Park. Drive around 40 minutes from the city center, and you will find yourself surrounded by lush wetlands. Spanning an area of 734 square miles, Everglades National Park offers you boundless opportunities to explore and discover unrivaled natural splendour and biodiversity.
To help you plan your trip, we have put together a guide to introduce you to Everglades National Park. Read on to learn about key sites and activities, and to find out about campgrounds where you can stay in your rented 4WD camper or motorhome.
Key Sites at Everglades National Park
• Visitor Centers. To start out, you will want to drop in at one of the park’s visitor centers: Ernest F. Coe, Flamingo, Gulf Coast or Shark Valley. These can teach you more about the unique environment of the park. At any of the visitor centers, you can pick up brochures and maps to help you plan the rest of your visit.
• Anhinga Trail. If you ask someone to name just one trail in the Everglades that they remember well from a previous trip, there is a good chance it will be this one. Anhinga is only 0.8 miles, offering a leisurely stroll through picturesque marshland. Many people walk this trail in the hopes of spotting an alligator or two. But even if you don’t see a gator, you may glimpse a heron or a turtle. Since it is an interpretive trail, you will have an opportunity to learn a lot along the way.
• Other Pine Island Trails. Anhinga Trail is one of the “Pine Island Trails,” a group which also includes a few other famous interpretive walks: Gumbo Limbo Trail, Mahogany Hammock Trail, Pahayokee Overlook and Pinelands Trail.
• Canoe Trails. You can find hiking trails in just about any national park, but how many offer canoe trails? Paddle through the labyrinthine mangroves of Hell’s Bay Canoe Trail, or challenge yourself to explore the blustery Nine Mile Pond Canoe Trail. Want to paddle along the coastline? Head on over to the Gulf Coast Water Trails.
• Flamingo Trails. Like the Pine Island Trails, these trails are interpretive, offering information on the flora and fauna. They too are relatively short and leisurely. Check out Rowdy Bend Trail, West Lake Trail, Eco Pond Trail, Coastal Prairie Trail and others.
• Shark Valley Scenic Loop. You can ride a bicycle or a tram around this loop. One of the highlights is a high observation tower, which provides you with a commanding view of your marshland surroundings. While it does take a few hours to ride the entire circuit, the trail is flat, which makes it suitable even for novices.
The Everglades is essentially a huge, flat swamp, so it doesn’t include as many distinguishing landmarks as some other parks (there are no recognizable rock formations, etc.). This is why the “sites” above are largely trails.
Activities to Enjoy at Everglades National Park
Besides the obvious (hiking and paddling), what are some activities you can get into while you are visiting the Everglades?
• Watch and photograph the wildlife. The alligators are of course the main attraction, but you will see lots of other wildlife on your visit to the Everglades, especially of the avian variety. Watch for cormorants, white-crowned pigeons, Anhingas (for which the Anhinga trail is named), pelicans, ospreys, spoonbills and more.
• Go on a boat tour. While you can rent a canoe or kayak and paddle around on your own, you can also book a tour on a boat with a guide. This is a good option if you want to get out on the water, but do not feel comfortable doing so under your own power.
• Slough slogging. This is a special ranger-led activity which takes you off the beaten path (literally) and right out into the marshland.
• Fishing. If you do go out on a boat, you may want to bring your fishing pole along. This is a great opportunity to catch bass, trout or other fish.
Along with the activities above, you will find plenty of other ranger-guided activities to participate in as well. Just check the schedule at one of the Visitor’s Centers.
Where You Can Park Your Motorhome or Campervan at Everglades National Park
It may seem surprising that you can park your motorhome rental anywhere in a marshland, but there is some dry ground available if you book on time.
It should be noted that camping opportunities fall into two categories in the Everglades: frontcountry and backcountry.
Backcountry sites are fine if you want to pitch a tent, but you will not be able to park your motorhome, campervan or 4WD camper in these locations. In fact, you will not even be able to get a vehicle with wheels to these sites. The majority of them require that you head out on a boat to reach them at all.
Frontcountry sites on the other hand are perfect for motorhomes as well as smaller rented vehicles. In total, there are two:
Long Pine Key Campground
Open: November 15th-April 30th
Bookings: First-come, first-served.
Sites: 108
Conveniently close to Anhinga Trail, this campsite is next to the water, making it an excellent choice for fishing enthusiasts. As the name indicates, it features some shade from pine trees. This can be a welcome reprieve in Florida’s sunny climate. While no hookups are offered, there are amenities in the form of a dump station, fire grates (bring your own wood), bathrooms, showers, and access to fresh water. Rangers host educational programs at the neighboring amphitheater.
As of the time of this writing, the cost to park at Long Pine Key Campground is $20 for a night. You will be out of cell phone range here, so keep that in mind. Of course, that may be just what you need to really get away from it all.
Flamingo Campground
Open: Year-round
Bookings: Reservations are helpful (but not required) between November 20th-April 15th, but not during the rest of the year (first come, first served).
Sites: 234
At this campground, you have the option of paying $30 a night for a site with a hookup (as of the time of this writing), or you can save some money and stay at a site without a hookup for only $20 a night.
Unlike Long Pine Key Campground, this site has little in the way of shade or windbreaks. While the lack of trees does mean you will be exposed to the full harshness of the sun, the wind off the water helps to temper the heat.
In terms of amenities, Flamingo Campground has what you need for a comfortable stay. Grill out and enjoy a picnic lunch or dinner, rinse off the sweat of the day in a solar-heated shower, or attend a ranger-led program at the amphitheater. Dump stations are available as well.
As one last note about timing your visit, you should know that the wet season in the Everglades begins in June and extends through November. You can choose to stay in the park during this season, and it may help you escape some of the crowds. But the downside is that it gets really, really wet. That means that some campground sites may be flooded and unusable, and others may have you parked on wet, muddy terrain.
Immerse Yourself in the Beauty of the World’s Most Iconic Marshland
Now you know what to expect when you visit Everglades National Park—where you can park your rented campervan, what the weather conditions are like around the calendar, and what kinds of activities and trails await you. Plan your itinerary with care and see if you can book during a time when it is neither too wet nor too busy. Enjoy a fabulous trip to the Everglades!
