Self-Guided Field Trips

Students examine periphyton on field trip.

NPS Photo

The following suggestions and reminders will help you plan your field trip to Everglades National Park. See below for field trip ideas.

• Safety is a number one priority! See our Safety page for more information.
• Visit the Fees & Passes page to learn about applying for an academic fee waiver so your group can enter the park for free.
• Learn about Everglades Classroom Materials, including pre- and post-visit activities and lesson plans.
• Visit the Ranger-Guided Field Trips page to download teacher planning guides.
• Leave No Trace ethics are a crucial part of enjoying national parks. Remember to pack out all of your trash and remind students that they are not allowed to take anything from the park.

 

Field Trip Ideas from the Homestead Entrance

• Start at the Ernest Coe Visitor Center and watch the park film, "River of Life."
• Visit the Royal Palm area to walk the Anhinga Trail and Gumbo Limbo Trail. Here you will also find a bookstore, restrooms, benches and shade. These trails offer excellent wildlife viewing opportunities during the winter season.
• Stroll the 1/2 mile Mahogany Hammock Trail through a subtropical tree island.
• The Pa-hay-okee Overlook Trail leads to an observation tower offering impressive views of the "River of Grass."
• Visit the Flamingo Visitor Center to enjoy a narrated boat tour through the Whitewater Bay. (fees apply)

More Field Trip Ideas

• Halfway between Miami and Naples, Shark Valley offers a narrated tram tour through the heart of the Everglades with a stop for panoramic views from the observation tower. (fees apply)
• Explore the Ten Thousand Islands on a narrated Gulf Coast boat tour. (fees apply)

See the Things To Do page for more great ideas!