The best way to experience the Everglades is to camp overnight, when the woods and wetlands come alive with a cacophony of wildlife sounds echoing through the darkness.
And there is no better time to camp in the Everglades than right now: cooler weather, low humidity, fewer mosquitoes, millions of migratory birds.
Most people think of the Everglades as a national park, but the Everglades is far larger, a vast eco-system more than 60 miles wide and 100 miles long, spilling south from Lake Okeechobee into Florida Bay.
This broad, shallow river of grass flows over a porous limestone shelf through agricultural areas, wildlife refuges, water conservation areas, wetlands and tree islands in a patchwork of federal and state preserves.
Camping overnight is an option in three of those preserves: Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve and Collier-Seminole State Park.
Everglades National Park Campgrounds
There are two developed campgrounds within Everglades National Park, both accessible from the main park road in Homestead.
Long Pine Key Campground: Near the park entrance at Homestead, Long Pine Key is tucked into a forest of a tall pines. This campground is bare bones. There are restrooms, showers, water and a sewer dump station, but no hookups. All 108 sites are first come, first served, and the campground is rarely full, even in winter.
Long Pine is a few miles from the Anhinga Trail for one of those only-if-you’re-camping experiences: Hiking the trail after dark with a flashlight to see how alligators behave when they’re active.
The campground is adjacent to the seven-mile Long Pine Key trail, a favorite with fat-tire cyclists.
Four things to know about Long Pine Key Campground:
* The bathrooms are clean and convenient, but there are no showers.
* Your cell phone will get lousy reception, if any.
* No firewood is sold. We picked some up at the Home Depot in Homestead on the way into the park. You can forage for dead wood and kindling.
* This campground does not accept reservations. Sites are assigned first come, first served.
* The campground is open only from Nov. 15 – May 31. Sites are $20 per night.
Flamingo Campground: Deep inside Everglades National Park, at the very end of the 40-mile main park road, the Flamingo Campground is essentially an open field abutting Florida Bay. The campground can get breezy at times, a good thing when mosquitoes are present.
More than 360 species of birds have been sighted in Everglades National Park, and huge numbers of can be found here, near ponds, back-country trails, beaches and coves. There is also ample opportunity to view crocodiles and manatees in the marina.
The campground has a visitor center, store, cafe, and a marina offering canoe and kayaks rentals and tour boat rides. Bring your own kayak or canoe to explore back-country trails, and small motorboats (5 HP max) are allowed in many areas.
Open all year, reservations are accepted by calling 1-877-444-6777 or online through Recreation.gov from Nov. 20 — April 15. Reservations are not necessary off-season. Half of 234 drive-up campsites are available without reservations, but call ahead for availability 239-695-0124.
Back-country camping: There are 50 back-country ground sites, beach sites, and elevated camping platforms (chickees) in the park, most in the Ten Thousand Islands and accessible only by boat from Flamingo or Everglades City along the 100-mile Wilderness Waterway.
A wilderness permit is required for back-country campsites, issued the day before or day of your trip. On some days, especially weekends, these permits can be difficult to obtain, so plan ahead and have alternative plans if you are blocked out.
Primitive beachfront sites are more readily available on Cape Sable, accessible by hiking from Flamingo.
From November through April, permits cost $15 plus $2 per person per night. They can be obtained at the Flamingo or Gulf Coast (Everglades City) ranger stations. Permits are free in summer.
Big Cypress National Preserve
This 1,200 square-mile preserve boasts a variety of Everglades eco-systems dominated by cypress wetlands. The northern sector off Interstate 75 (Alligator Alley) is a destination for hunters and off-roaders, although hikers and mountain bikers are becoming more common.
Unlike Everglades National Park, dispersed camping for backpackers and hikers is permitted anywhere in the preserve south of Alligator Alley.
There are five campgrounds along the Tamiami Trail (U.S. 41) managed by the Big Cypress Preserve. Only Midway has hookups and a dump station for RVs.
Burns Lake Campground: Burns Lake has 10 RV and five tent sites, open only from Aug. 29 until Jan. 26. (The day-use area is open all year with back-country access.) Like most of the campgrounds in Big Cypress, there are no hookups and the only rest room is a vault toilet. No dump station. Camping fee is $24/night. For reservations, call 877-444-6777 or visit recreation.gov.
Midway Campground: Midway is the most developed Big Cypress campground with drinking water, electric hookups, restrooms and a dump station. Each RV campsite has a picnic table and grill. Covered picnic areas are located around the lake for day use. The 26 RV sites are $30/night, and the 10 tent sites are $24/night. Midway is open year-round. For reservations, call 877-444-6777 or visit recreation.gov.
Mitchell’s Landing: Popular with air-boaters, Mitchell’s Landing is open from Aug. 29 until April 15. It’s on the Loop Road and has 12 RV/tent sites without hookups, no drinking water and no dump station. The campground does have vault toilets, and sites are $24 per night. Each campsite is has a picnic table, fire ring and lantern pole. No reservations, and camping fees are paid upon arrival.
Monument Lake: Like Mitchell’s Landing, Monument Lake is open from Aug. 29 until April 15. Unlike Mitchell’s Landing, Monument has drinking water and flush toilets, but there are no electrical hookups or a dump station. An RV site is $28/night and a tent site is $24. Fire rings are available at the tent sites. For reservations, call 877-444-6777 or visit recreation.gov.
Pinecrest (Group Camping): Each of the four group sites accommodates up to eight tents and 15 people. There are no hookups, no drinking water, no dump station and no rest rooms. This campground is open year-round, and each group site goes for $30/night. Picnic tables and fire rings are available at each site. There are no covered picnic areas, toilets, hookups, or water. Minimal shade. For reservations, call 877-444-6777 or visit recreation.gov.
Bear Island/Okaloacoochee Slough: There are three primitive campgrounds north of Alligator Alley are accessible by foot from U.S. 29, just off Alligator Alley. RVs and motor vehicles can access from Turner River Road, just off the Tamiami Trail. There are 40 sites at the main Bear Island campground for tents or RVs. Each has a picnic table and fire ring, but there are no hookups for RVs. Only off-road vehicles can access campgrounds at Gator Head (nine tent sites) and Pink Jeep (nine tent sites).
Three things to know about Bear Island:
* There is no drinking water or electricity.
* No dump stations or restrooms, only vault toilets.
* Campsite fee is $10 per night. Call 877-444-6777.
For dispersed camping south of Alligator Alley, a free back-country permit is required.
Collier-Seminole State Park
This comfortable and well-equipped state park campground on Tamiami Trail south of Naples has 91 RV/tent sites and 19 tent-only sites, all with hookups for water and electric. There are restrooms, picnic areas and excellent off-road bike/hiking trails.
Bring your kayak, canoe or motorboat for access to the Ten Thousand Islands.
All sites are $22/night plus a non-refundable $6.70 reservation fee, which includes park admission. For reservations, call 800-326-3521 or visit floridastateparks.org/park/Collier-Seminole.
