Do you like being active? Do you like canoeing and kayaking? Or, you want to try? The Everglades is a perfect place to venture out! You can paddle on through freshwater marsh, mangrove forests, and Florida Bay.

All canoeing and kayaking trails in the Everglades are different lengths – some can take a few hours to complete, while others can take several days.

You can bring your own canoe or kayak and you can set sail from many locations in the park. Canoe and Kayak rentals ae available at Flamingo Marina. Click here for more info on rentals. If you don’t want to go alone, you can go with a guide, who will lead your trip. You can find info about the permitted guides here.

If you want a multi-day canoe/kayak backcountry trip in Florida Bay and the 10,000 Islands, visit here. Otherwise, here is where you can go for a day canoe or kayak trip:

• Flamingo’s Canoe Trails: These trails are located 38 miles south of the main park entrance in Homestead. There are beginner, mid-level, and advanced trails. They  can be accessed from launch areas in the Flamingo Marina or along the main park road as you get to Flamingo.
• Nine Mile Pond: This location easily accessible off the main park road just before you enter the Flamingo area.
• Hell’s Bay – This is a good trail if you want to paddle through mangroves. It can be buggy and challenging, but it very popular. You can find it off the main park road south of the Homestead Entrance.
• Gulf Coast Paddling Guide – This is on the west coast accessible through Everglades City.

Take a Ride through the Everglades on An Airboat

If paddling isn’t your thing, see the Everglades on the water by airboat. You get to be on the water without tiring out your arms!  An airboat tour is fun. You will see animals, birds, and plants on this tour you may not get to see by foot.

To book a private Everglades airboat tour, call Captain Mitch’s Private Airboat Tours at 800-368-0065 or click our Private Everglades Airboat Tours page. We are open seven days a week 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. If paying by cash, adults cost $40 (plus tax) and children 12 and under cost $20 (plus tax. If paying by credit card, adults cost $45 (plus tax) and children cost $25 (plus tax).

The Everglades is a National Park. It is home to thousands of plants, flowers, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, and more. The area provides drinking water for much of south Florida. There are species that live in the Everglades that live nowhere else in the world. It’s beautiful and there’s a lot to learn in this expansive Park. However, as years have gone by, the Everglades has shrunk in size. The area has become threatened due to human development and invasive species.

As you’ve probably heard or read about right now, the Everglades is undergoing a restoration process that will take millions of dollars and many years. The point of this restoration is to restore the Everglades back to its original state (change back the flow of water) so the Everglades can begin to flourish again, and better survive alongside humans, invasive species, and climate change.

Government and state officials are those who will and can dictate funding for the Everglades, but what can you do as a citizen of the United States to support this precious park?

• You can become a volunteer at the park. Whether it’s a one-time outing or a long commitment. From picking up trash to leading a group, there are many different volunteering opportunities at the park.
• You can donate. The Park can accept donations by check or through its friends group the South Florida National Parks Trust (by check or credit card). Donations help park programs (education programs, ranger guided programs, public safety programs, etc.) continue to run. Donations can be made directly to the Park by check or money order, payable to National Park Serviceand mailed to :Superintendent Everglades National Park, 40001 State Road 9336,Homestead, FL 33034-6733
• You can donate to the South Florida National Parks Trust, which supports the Everglades. Donations help support education resource protection, visitor services, volunteer activities and community engagement.
• You can join the park’s friends group, the South Florida National Parks Trust. As a member, you will eceive gifts, discounts to bookstores in the four national parks the Trust helps, monthly park updates, and invites to special events.
• You can put a traveling exhibit/display at a facility in your local community like a school or library. It will help spread the word about the Park.

Support from the public is what helps national parks thrive and survive. The national park system is the only federal agency to rely heavily on visitors, donors. and volunteers

To learn more about supporting the Everglades, visit here.

Explore the Everglades on An Airboat

Whether you’re visiting or volunteering, the Everglades is spectacular to explore.  An airboat tour is a fun way to explore the Everglades.

To book an airboat tour, call Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours at 800-368-0065 or click our Private Everglades Airboat Tours page. We are open seven days a week 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. If paying by cash, adults cost $40 (plus tax) and children 12 and under cost $20 (plus tax. If paying by credit card, adults cost $45 (plus tax) and children cost $25 (plus tax).

An airboat tour is a safe ride. Just like going on a boat, car, bus, plane, motorcycle, and any other moving vehicle or vessel, there are risks, but if you and the captain follow safety rules and the boat is kept up, you will be in for a safe, memorable ride.

At Captain Mitch’s Airboat tours, we perform regular maintenance on our airboats to ensure they are safe for rides. Our captains have years of experience and are knowledge with airboats, boating and the waterways of the Everglades. They know how to direct the boat through different areas and waters safely. We also will not set out on the water if the weather is too dangerous. We do no want to get caught in a thunder and lightening storm on the water.

Our captains will bring you by all sorts of wildlife and plant life. You may spot alligators, fish, snakes, frogs, birds, and other animals. You will always be kept at a safe distance – you don’t need to worry about any wildlife feeling threatened.

Our captains will discuss safety precautions before heading out into the water. You should keep your hands down. Dress appropriately for the weather (can get windy/chillier on the boat). You should wear sunscreen, sunglasses, and/or a hat for sun protection.

Our boats have a First Aid kit on board and lifejackets.

If everyone plays by the rules, an airboat tour will be the ride of your life!

Discover the Everglades on An Airboat

An airboat tour is a fun-filled way to explore the Everglades. It’s an experience you’ll never forget, and you will see a side of the Everglades you can’t in any other way.

To book an airboat tour, call Captain Mitch’s Airboat Tours at 800-368-0065 or click our Private Everglades Airboat Tours page. We are open seven days a week 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. If paying by cash, adults cost $40 (plus tax) and children 12 and under cost $20 (plus tax. If paying by credit card, adults cost $45 (plus tax) and children cost $25 (plus tax).

The National Park Junior Ranger program is an activity-based program held in most parks across the United States, including the Everglades. Junior Rangers are usually between the ages of 5 and 13 years old. The motto of the Junior Ranger program is “Explore, Learn, and Protect!” Children take an oath as junior rangers to help protect parks and to learn about parks, while also sharing their ranger story with family and friends.

For children who want to become a junior ranger, they will participate in a bunch of activities during a visit to the park, share answers with a park ranger, and receive a Junior Ranger patch and certificate.

The mission of the program is to connect children and young people to national parks through hands-on, guided, and self-guided activities. The hope is to create future generations who explore and care about the existence and importance of these parks.

In the Everglades and online the Junior Ranger book is available in English, Spanish and Creole but is currently removed as it is being made compliant for those with disabilities. If you would like a digital copy of the any of these languages, you can email  the Everglades National Park to request a copy to be emailed to you.

Ride Around the Everglades on An Airboat

After a run day exploring with your Junior Ranger(s), you can sit back and explode the Everglades in a different way: on an airboat tour.

An airboat tour is fun for visitors of all ages. You will see things on this tour you may not get to see by foot.

To book an airboat tour, call Captain Mitch’s Private Airboat Tours at 800-368-0065 or click our Private Everglades Airboat Tours page. We are open seven days a week 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. If paying by cash, adults cost $40 (plus tax) and children 12 and under cost $20 (plus tax. If paying by credit card, adults cost $45 (plus tax) and children cost $25 (plus tax).