Construction on Tamiami Trail may cause minor delays. If you have a scheduled tour, please plan accordingly. Smoke impacts from park wildfires are possible along Main Park Road. Please use caution.
Paurotis Pond is closed for wading bird nesting season until Summer 2025
Paurotis Pond, including the boat launch, the pond, and the area beyond the parking area adjacent to the pond, is closed until further notice to limit human disturbance to nesting wading birds like Great Egrets. The parking lot remains open for viewing.
Pa-Hay-Okee Overlook Trail closed for replacement project until Fall 2025
The Pa-Hay-Okee boardwalk trail, tower and parking lot will be closed for a replacement project until the fall. This is to replace aging infrastructure. The road remains open as a turnaround.
The National Park Service issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for two major rehabilitation projects in Everglades National Park: Rehabilitation of Parkwide Water and Wastewater Systems and Flamingo Bulkheads Rehabilitation Project. The FONSI establishes that, based on the Environmental Assessment (EA), there would be no significant impact on the environment as a result of the selected action. In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, the park considered “action” and “no action” alternatives and solicited public comments for 30 days.
In early March, Everglades National Park will begin a six-month project to replace the aging Pa-Hay-Okee Overlook boardwalk trail and tower, both of which show signs of wear and deterioration. While the Pa-Hay-Okee Road will remain open as a turnaround, the tower, boardwalk and parking lot will be closed for the duration of the project. The trail is scheduled to reopen after completion in the fall.
The National Park Service (NPS) in conjunction with the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida and the Bureau of Indian Affairs will be conducting a joint prescribed fire operation scheduled to begin in late January and continue through February.
On Jan. 16, Everglades National Park released a status update on the draft Wilderness Stewardship Plan, which would guide the preservation, management and use of the park’s wilderness lands. An updated StoryMap with details is available at parkplanning.nps.gov/ever-wsp. No public meetings or public comment period are planned with this informational update.
On Jan. 31, Everglades National Park will host the 24th U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón to celebrate the intersection of poetry and nature with a virtual event for students and a public event to unveil a poetry installation—a picnic table inscribed with the poem “Ecology” by June Jordan.
On Jan. 18, Everglades National Park will host the inaugural Nike Site Festival at the historic HM-69 Nike Missile Site. The event will commemorate South Florida’s role in the Cold War and Cuban Missile Crisis and will also highlight the region’s Cuban heritage.
Locations:Big Cypress National Preserve, Biscayne National Park, Dry Tortugas National Park, Everglades National Park
Date Released:2024-09-27
Following the passing of Hurricane Helene, visitors to the South Florida National Parks and Preserve should continue to exercise caution with the potential for unidentified hazards on land and in park waters. Marine waters continue to be open in all locations, but parks are still assessing missing or damaged aids to navigation. Closures or special conditions are available on each park’s website under Alerts.
Everglades National Park will host the 24th U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón to celebrate the intersection of poetry and nature with a virtual event for students and a public event to unveil a poetry installation—a picnic table inscribed with the poem “Ecology” by June Jordan.
Everglades is one of seven national parks selected to be part of Limón’s signature project “You are Here: Poetry in Parks.” The initiative is a partnership between the National Park Service (NPS), Library of Congress, and the Poetry Society of America that features installations of site-specific poetry installations in the parks. In each park, a picnic table, transformed into a work of public art, features a historic American poem that relates to the park in a meaningful way.
Locations:Biscayne National Park, Everglades National Park
Date Released:2024-08-27
The National Park Service (NPS) and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida today entered into two historic co-stewardship agreements for Everglades and Biscayne national parks. A formal signing ceremony was held at the Miccosukee Reserved Area within Everglades National Park. The Tribe and the national parks will implement the agreements through joint and cooperative endeavors focused on the natural and cultural resources of mutual interest.
Everglades National Park is seeking public comment on resolving adverse effects from the proposed demolition of two small utility buildings, which are historic resources near the Shark Valley Observation Tower. Under the proposed action, the Shark Valley Tower Pump House and the adjacent Shark Valley Generator Annex would be demolished to make way for potable water and wastewater improvements. The public comment period is open through July 5.
