Everglades National Park
The largest tropical wilderness in the country starts a short drive from your beach chair. Airboats, alligators, mangrove islands and a slow-moving river of sawgrass that runs all the way to the Gulf, all an easy day trip east and south of Naples.
Updated June 2026
Naples sits right on the doorstep of one of the great wild places on earth. Drive east on the Tamiami Trail and the strip malls fall away into a horizon of sawgrass, the famous “River of Grass” that creeps almost imperceptibly toward the Gulf. This is Everglades National Park and its neighbor, Big Cypress National Preserve, a vast tropical wilderness of alligators, wading birds, mangrove tunnels and the rare, almost mythical Florida panther.
It's the easiest big adventure you can have from Naples, and it suits everyone: families chasing their first wild alligator, photographers after herons and roseate spoonbills, and anyone who wants to trade the beach for something genuinely untamed for a day. You can go south to the Ten Thousand Islands and Everglades City, or east along US-41 to Big Cypress and Shark Valley. Below is how we'd point you.
Ways to see the swamp
Four very different gateways into the Everglades, all within an hour or so of Naples.
The wildlife
A few of the residents worth slowing down for.
A perfect Everglades day
Our favorite easy loop from Naples down the Tamiami Trail and back.
- Leave Naples early and drive south to Everglades City, fueling up on coffee before the wilderness swallows the cell signal.
- Take a morning boat tour from the Gulf Coast gateway (the rebuilt Marjory Stoneman Douglas Visitor Center) out into the Ten Thousand Islands to look for dolphins and manatees.
- Grab lunch in town, then point the car east on US-41 and watch for gators basking in the roadside canals.
- Stop at Big Cypress: the Oasis Visitor Center boardwalk for alligators, plus a roadside boardwalk into towering cypress if it's open (check status, as Kirby Storter was fire-damaged).
- If you have the daylight, push on to Shark Valley for the tram and the observation tower, then cruise home into a Gulf-Coast sunset.
Where to go next
More wild, watery escapes within easy reach of Naples.
Ten Thousand Islands
The mangrove maze south of Naples, best seen by boat or kayak from Everglades City.
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary
An Audubon boardwalk through ancient bald cypress, gators and wood storks, east of Naples.
Marco Island
The Ten Thousand Islands' big sister, wide beaches and shelling just south of town.
All Day Trips
Every easy escape from Naples, from the swamp to the islands to the Gulf.
Book an Everglades airboat tour
Common questions
How far is the Everglades from Naples?
Closer than you'd think. Everglades City and the park's western Gulf Coast gateway are roughly 35 miles southeast of Naples, about a 45-minute drive. Heading east along the Tamiami Trail (US-41), Big Cypress is under an hour away and Shark Valley is around 1.5 hours. It's an easy day trip in any direction.
Can you take an airboat ride inside Everglades National Park?
Not in the protected park interior, airboats are not permitted there. Instead, airboat operators run tours on private land, in the East Everglades and around Big Cypress, much of it along US-41 between Naples and Miami. You'll still get the classic wind-in-your-hair ride over open sawgrass and the chance to see plenty of alligators.
What is the best time of year to visit the Everglades?
The winter dry season, roughly December through April, is the best time by far. The air is cooler and less humid, wildlife concentrates around shrinking water holes (so you see far more of it), and the mosquitoes are at their lowest. The summer wet season brings heavy heat, daily storms and relentless bugs, so if you go then, start early and pack repellent.
What is Shark Valley and is it worth the drive?
Shark Valley is a 15-mile paved loop deep in the eastern Everglades, about 1.5 hours east of Naples on US-41. You can ride a naturalist-led open-air tram, rent a bike or walk part of it, all leading to a tall observation tower with panoramic views over the River of Grass. In winter, alligators line the trail in big numbers. Reserve tram tickets ahead in the busy season.
Where can I see alligators near Naples for free?
The Oasis Visitor Center boardwalk in Big Cypress National Preserve, along US-41, is one of the most reliable free spots, with alligators often basking in the canal right below the rail. The nearby Kirby Storter Roadside Park boardwalk has long been another easy, free cypress walk, but it was fire-damaged and may be closed for rebuilding, so check current status first. Always keep a safe distance and never feed them.
Do I need to pay to enter the Everglades?
Everglades National Park charges an entrance fee for areas like Shark Valley and the Gulf Coast gateway in Everglades City, and a park pass is generally required to join the concessioner's boat tours there. Big Cypress National Preserve stops like the Oasis Visitor Center are free to enter. Fees and hours change, so check the National Park Service website before you go.