Everglades National Park entrances: which gate for which day
Last reviewed: November 10, 2026. Sources for this page are listed in its fact sheet.
Short answer first. Everglades National Park has three entrances, and they do not connect inside the park. The main entrance near Homestead leads to Royal Palm and the 38 mile road to Flamingo. Shark Valley, on US-41 west of Miami, is a 15 mile loop you ride by tram or bike. The Gulf Coast entrance at Everglades City is the boat gate, for the Ten Thousand Islands. Each one is a different day. Pick the gate first, then plan the day, because driving between gates costs you one to two hours each way on the roads outside the park.
An airboat at speed. Two of the park's three entrances put you on water like this. Photo: Radik 2707, Pexels.
The fee, once, at any gate
A private vehicle pass costs $35 and covers 7 consecutive days at every entrance. Motorcycles pay $30. Entering on foot, by bike, or in a paddlecraft costs $20 per person age 16 and up; under 16 is free. The Everglades Annual Pass is $70. One 2026 change to know: non US residents age 16 and up pay an extra $100 per person at the gate unless they're entering on an Annual Pass or an America the Beautiful pass, so pass holders should bring the pass, not a photo of it. The park is cashless. Gates take credit and debit cards only. Buy the pass at the first gate and the rest of the week's entrances are already paid.
Main entrance: Homestead, Royal Palm and Flamingo
The main entrance sits on State Road 9336 near Homestead and Florida City, with the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center at the gate. This is the entrance for first time visitors who want to walk. Royal Palm, a short drive in, holds the Anhinga Trail, a 0.8 mile round trip boardwalk where the wildlife viewing is densest in the dry season, roughly December to April. Past Royal Palm, the park road runs 38 miles to Flamingo on Florida Bay, with short trails and overlooks strung along it. Give this gate a full day if Flamingo is on the list. Half a day covers Royal Palm and the near trails.
Shark Valley: the loop on US-41
The Shark Valley entrance is at 36000 SW 8th Street, Miami, on US-41, the Tamiami Trail, about 25 miles west of the Florida Turnpike. It's the closest gate to Miami and the most structured visit: a 15 mile loop road into the river of grass, ridden on the park's tram tour or on a rented or brought bike, with an observation tower at the halfway point. The gate is open 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. daily. No cars drive the loop. Our Shark Valley or airboat comparison runs this gate against the airboat parks that line the same highway, and the Everglades gear kit covers what to wear and carry for the bike ride.
Compare Everglades airboat tours on Viator
Gulf Coast: Everglades City and the Ten Thousand Islands
The Gulf Coast entrance, at Everglades City on the west coast, is about 90 minutes from Miami and works best as its own day or as the far end of a cross state drive. The Marjory Stoneman Douglas Visitor Center is the base for boat tours into the Ten Thousand Islands, the mangrove island maze on the Gulf side. The wildlife skews to dolphins, manatees and island bird colonies rather than the alligator density of the east side. Pair it with the drive west and a seafood lunch in Everglades City, and don't try to stack it onto a Shark Valley morning.
The gate picker
First visit, half a day, no car stress: Shark Valley. First visit, full day, walking focused: the main entrance and Royal Palm. Boats and dolphins: Gulf Coast. You're on a tour anyway: the airboat parks on US-41 sit outside the national park boundary and run their own format; the comparison page above lays out what each format actually shows you.
Compare Everglades day trips from Miami on Viator
Shop insect repellent for the trip on Amazon
Fees, hours and entrance facts from the National Park Service's Everglades pages, checked November 10, 2026. Flood and storm closures override any printed hour; check the park's alerts page on the morning you go.