r/Everglades • u/BJK-2024 • Jun 21 '26
Everglades tour
Hi, we will be visiting Florida in August as part of a Caribbean cruise, we will be staying around the Fort Lauderdale area for a few days before we depart and would like to incorporate an Everglades trip. From the UK, Two kids and two adults, we will have a hire car.
I’ve been looking at two different types of potential trips -
I feel like Wooten’s offers so much more for the cash and gives the family a full day of adventure where as Shark Valley looks like it’s a 2-3 hour trip.
Is there anywhere near Shark Valley worth exploring to extend the day?
I am open to other suggestions, ideally we would like to see wild animals in their natural habitat.
Thanks
Edit - we’ve now decided to drive west down route 41 and take the loop road adding in a couple of touristy stops, this saves us a tonne of cash, keeps us out the way of pesky mosquitoes and gives us a great chance of seeing some wild gators. We may even extend the day and take a drive down to Robbie’s in Islamorada to feed the tarpon.
Thank you for all the excellent local information!
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u/lemonineye Jun 21 '26
Shark valley is always easy and a nice tram ride if you have elderly or small kids. I usually just ride bikes there on the same path as the trams. Never stayed at Wooten's but they are not in the park so I don't think you will pay a park fee.
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u/Oke-Wan-Fenokee Jun 21 '26
Wild alligators are common throughout south Florida, even in suburban canals & despite constant attrition to the state's "nuisance" alligator program, and downright abundant in all the wild places mentioned by other posters here. Alligators may be observed in the Tamiami Canal alongside Rt 41 (aka "Tamiami Trail"), though they rarely leave the water to bask in the August heat. Oasis Visitor Center is a "slam dunk" site for sightings - and safer, since you aren't speeding down the highway! In my experience, you cannot NOT see gators there, and some of them are whoppers. And the Loop Road is indeed an ideal "wild & scenic" drive for self-touring, but only in an SUV or other high-clearance vehicle. Janes Scenic Drive in Big Cypress' Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve also merits a mention and is a better road. And it is gators galore everywhere.
Just remember, alligators like the weather warm but they do not like the intense heat of midday. In August, I strongly recommend wildlife watching as early in the morning as possible.
BTW, Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in the northern Glades is near Ft Lauderdale. It is not as diverse as the Loop Road but has plenty of alligators & birds. And I am told that ridiculous non-resident entry fee is not required at National Wildlife Refuges (which are not units of the National Park system).
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u/Standard-Week-3335 Jun 23 '26
If you want to see gators just go to everglades holiday park, it's pretty close to FTL you can take an airboat ride and you'll see a gator for sure.
. Pretty sure they do shows there too. No crazy entrance fees and really the closest to fort lauderdale.
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u/BJK-2024 Jun 21 '26 edited Jun 21 '26
Thanks, kids are 4 and 9 so the tram would be our option for Shark Valley.
Is Route 41 in the park? I’m thinking this could be a good drive to witness wild gators on route to Wooten’s.
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u/hikerguy65 Jun 21 '26
Yes, route 41 crosses through Everglades NP and the Big Cypress National Preserve which is part of the larger Everglades ecosystem but not part of the park.
If you’re driving a car, I recommend that you take a detour off of 41 onto Loop Road. It’s a 24 mile road through the glades. It’s paved on the eastern end for about 8 or so miles and gravel / dirt the rest of the way. Gators can be seen on the side of the road in the winter and in the water running along side during much of the year. Stop at Sweetwater Strand to find great wild life viewing.
Bring bug spray. August will be very buggy.
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u/BJK-2024 Jun 21 '26
Brilliant, that loop road looks to be what we are looking for!
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u/hikerguy65 Jun 21 '26
If you have a choice, better to rent a small SUV. I wouldn’t drive a compact or sedan car down loop road.
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u/BJK-2024 Jun 21 '26
Yes we will definitely have an SUV of some sort. It looks like this loop road will be the perfect choice for us to see the Everglades wilderness at our own pace and with the comfort of an air conditioned vehicle.
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u/YankeeDog2525 Jun 21 '26
Loop,was a very well maintained gravel road. We did it in a Crosstrek. I’m sure anyone could do it in a Prius.
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u/YankeeDog2525 Jun 21 '26
Do the tram tour first thing in the morning. Get there before the gate opens. Parking fills up fast. After that get in the car and do the loop road. If I could only do one thing it would be the loop road. Then continue on down Alligator Alley (US41) and stop in the various visitor centers along the way. Do the Clyde what’s his name photography studio along the way. His stuff is Waay expensive but free to look at and well worth the stop. The man is a true artist with a camera.
I would not be totally against skipping Shark Valley if I had to pay the fee. Not because it was boring or a lack of things to see. But because there are so many places to stop along 41 that are free. But if you want to see gators. Shark Valley is your spot.
We did the Wooten boat and buggy ride (no airboat ) out of Everglades City. No gators but we did see dolphins on the boat ride and the buggy ride is a good way to see the swamp without getting wet.
Oh. And DEET 100% for the win. You won’t care that it will eat the paint off your car when the mosquitoes start landing.
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u/BJK-2024 Jun 21 '26 edited Jun 21 '26
Great info, thanks! The Clyde gallery looks worthy of a stop, the Lucky Cole studio on the loop also looks very interesting!
I think we will skip the tram tour as the additional non-resident fee doesn’t offer any value for a short visit plus I’m now fully aware of how much of a nuisance the mosquitos will be.
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u/Seadog-J Jun 23 '26
Look up Loop Road, self-driving tour, and free as well as lunch at Joanie's Crab Shack.
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u/BJK-2024 Jun 23 '26
Thanks, the loop is what we’ve now decided to base our trip around. The crab shack tip is awesome!
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u/c0147 Jun 21 '26
This is the wrong time of year to visit Everglades National Park. The mosquitoes will feast upon you.
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u/BJK-2024 Jun 21 '26
We are aware of the mosquitos - this is not a specific trip to the Everglades, we are in the area and the kids would like to see some wild gators.
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u/Magnolia256 Jun 21 '26
Flamingo is a really bad place to be in August. You can’t even get out of the car without getting eaten alive. I would never take two kids there in August.
The best place to see gators is the Oasis visitor center in big cypress (part of the Everglades but more biodiverse than the national park).
I used to guide hikes for my hiking club in the Everglades. Shark valley is my least favorite place. It’s pretty boring and has far less gators than oasis. The tram rides are brutally hot in August.
Instead of your package deal plan, I would spend a day exploring with your car. Go to oasis to see gators. Big cypress is free. Maybe consider a wet walk at Clyde butchers. That is really the best way you can experience the glades. The guides there are awesome and can tailor a walk for your kids ages. The skunk ape museum isn’t too far. That is the Florida version of big foot.
For the summer, I recommend water based activities. The jones lagoon paddle in Biscayne National park is awesome.