Florida everglades camping

There are only three authorized airboat tours in the Everglades NP and they are along the Tamiami Trail - Cooperstown, Everglades Safari and Gatpr Park. We have stayed in Everglades City several times and there are several airboats operating out of that area. We've only taken an airboat ride once and it was in Mims at the Loughman Lake Lodge, so that is a possibility for you as well.

Tracy

Check out traveling Robert on you tube. He lives in FL and did a trip to the everglades and did a spot on it. Might give some insight on it.

I for one love the Everglades national park.

Some thoughts:(for a quickie one day trip)
1. On the northern side if you come in on 41, (The Tamiami Trail), you will pass many air boat ride places. I would pass the ones heading to the northern entrance of the park in Everglades NP and also pass the entrance to the park in Everglades City. You won't see the true Glades there(just Florida Bay and some off shore Keys)

2 Continue on 41 until you get to where all the Mikkasukee(sp)Indian air boat ride places are and take one of them on the right hand side
Along the way there you will pass "Half Way campground" which is National Forest campground and I think is free

3. camping outside the park: after those air boat places, continue on 41 until you get to the big Mikkasukee (sp) gambling casino and turn right onto Chrome Ave. This will take you to the southern entrance of the NP. Along the way the RV park we use (but it is off the road), is "Miami Everglades campground" which has all the amenineties that you would want.

4. Camping inside the southern section. The southern section is our favorite, and you get to see the true glades. the first NP campground is "Long Pine Key" It is a beautiful campground, but has no hookups.
You can get water at spigots and there are rest rooms, (just cold water)
At the end of the road at Flamingo there is a large mostly wide open NP camp ground which is where we usually put our base camp and then take off into the wilderness for multi day kayak camping trips on the 99 mile "Wilderness Waterway".
If you do go as far as Flamingo; make sure to look from the boat docks for the pair of humongous salt water crocodiles that hang out there.

I hope you have a wonderful trip and make sure you have plenty of bug spray (deet) or better yet, a "Thermecell"

Jack L

I will add that September in South Florida has miserable weather.

RT 41(?) The road from Miami to Naples used to have a couple of airboat operations about 15 miles out past the casino. The one on the north side has an old native village that they take tourist to, kinda interesting. If you go down to the main area by Homestead be prepared for a mosquito onslaught of the winds are calm.

We have a motorcycle for transportation once we park the RV, i suspect just a day stay at the national park and then a air boat ride and then we would leave to the next stop. Staying outside the park is fine if there is a closer campground

One thing to note about Flamingo CG in Everglades is that it is 50 miles from the entrance. It is a nice spacious CG with electricity but no water at the campsite. I think air boat rides are only offered outside the park.