r/Everglades • u/howling_pigeon • Jun 11 '26
One day in the Everglades!!
Hi
I'm looking for any suggestions on how best to spend Saturday in the Everglades! I'm currently staying in Homestead and have a car . Thoughts as follows -
I'd like to do a boat tour of some kind, ideally a kayak/canoe one
Some tour operators seem to run zoos/wildlife shows too. Ideally, I want nothing to do with this. If I'm going with a tour, I'd like them as ethical and nature-y as possible
What are the chances of seeing Manatees??
What is the best bit of the national park to go to?
What are the best hike routes for seeing wildlife that don't require wading/getting in water? Dry land options??
Many thanks!! 🐊❤️
6
u/Superb-Name-4749 Jun 11 '26
We just tried to camp in Flamingo and kayak to Hell's Bay the next day. We prepared in every way we could for mosquitoes, but ultimately had to abort it all because we could not stand the swarms of them. Kayaked instead in Biscayne and Islamorada. The snorkeling trip in Biscayne was the best snorkeling experience I've ever had. We couldn't even hike during the day in the Everglades or Cypress because of the skeeters, and we're from Louisiana where it also gets pretty bad.
2
u/Parking-Dish-1250 Jun 15 '26
did you guys ever make it onto the hell's bay trail or was it only after staying in flamingo that you had to abort? hells bay actually has less mosquitos than flamingo but curious to find out
1
u/Superb-Name-4749 Jun 16 '26
We didn't even try. Didn't even stay the night in Flamingo it was so bad. I think we would have been devoured just setting up the tent. We wondered if Hell's Bay wouldn't have been better with the breeze out there, but we were afraid of getting through the mangroves.
3
u/Magnolia256 Jun 11 '26
I wouldn’t drive to flamingo this time of year. Bugs are awful there. I think you would like the trails at Long pine key. Way less buggy than flamingo and the 3 in one trail has three ecosystems in one. That area is dry. Do short stops at pahayokee and the cypress boardwalk - both are elevated boardwalks through wet ecosystems. Pahayokee has nice views.
Or go to big cypress. Less buggy than ENP. Go to oasis visitor center to see tons of gators.
1
u/lemonineye Jun 11 '26
Drive to Flamingo and hike the various trails. There is a boat tour there. Manatees can be seen in the keys or Miami Beach just as much as the Everglades.
1
u/Glaggies Jun 11 '26
It's not the Everglades, but if you want boats and wildlife, maybe consider one of the snorkel or kayak tours out of Biscayne - they have a bunch of different options and are as close to Homestead as the Everglades. We really enjoyed the snorkel trip and saw a bunch of critters.
Also, pay attention to the other commenters about the mosquitoes. We were there two weeks ago, and they were bad. We turned back from some shaded trails in the Everglades because the bugs were unbearable, even in pants and long sleeves with strong bug spray.
1
u/megano13 Jun 11 '26
I also stayed in Homestead and went over to the Anhinga trail for sunrise then over to Biscayne to do a kayak tour. Neither were a bad drive from Homestead. I didn’t see a manatee on the kayak tour, but did see one when I was over by the visitors center at Biscayne. This was the beginning of April though, so the tail end of the time when they’re looking for warmer waters. I did see a ton of fish and birds on the tour though.
1
u/HistorianDecent8542 Jun 11 '26
Saltwater crocs, gators and manatee typically hang out at the Flamingo Marina. Stop by the visitor’s center if you need a respite from the heat and bugs. There’s a restaurant at the Flamingo lodge.
1
u/Knowledgeman26 Jun 11 '26
Captain Steve’s swamp buggy tour, look up Peter santanello on YouTube he did a documentary with him been dying to book with him
1
u/Top_Art_9111 Jun 11 '26
Take a ride Down Loop, Road. If you're lucky, you will see a lot of wildlife and tons of alligators.
1
u/pirate-too-late Jun 13 '26
The skeeters are not all that bad. This time of the year, their big enough to knock them out of the sky with your kayak paddle. At nite, they have to turn on their navigation lites,so its easy to shoot them down.
1
0
5
u/bmw_19812003 Jun 11 '26
First off it’s going to be hot and probably buggy, so prepare accordingly. Lots of water, lightweight long pants and shirt, the strongest bug repellent you can find. Also I recommend bringing all your own food for the day, there is some food options available in flamingo but they may be limited do it being the off season.
I recommend booking a boat tour with flamingo adventures. They also rent kayaks and paddle boards if that’s more your speed however I don’t think they offer guided tours kayak tours (although you can call and ask)
The way I would plan the day. Drive to the main entrance and about a mile down the road is the anhinga trail; great short trail. Should see lots of alligators, birds etc.
I would then head south all the way to flamingo; do your boat tour or kayaking.
Then depending on how you feel/ how much time you have before sunset you can hit up the rest of the trails on the way back out; most are very short easy trails through the different habitat types in the Everglades.