Everglades National Park Alerts and Current Conditions

Cover of Brian Russ's guide to Everglades National Park

Last checked: October 25, 2026. This page tracks what's closed, what's changed, and what's coming up at Everglades National Park, Florida, from the park's alerts, conditions, and hours pages. I check it daily and rewrite it when the park posts something new. The park is shifting from its wet season to its dry season right now, and wildfire, flooding, and storms can close an area quickly, so check the park's own alerts the morning you go.

Current alerts

  • East Everglades Day Use Area is closed. The area along SW 168 Street and all of SW 237 Avenue on the park's northeastern edge is closed to the public during construction with heavy equipment. (NPS)
  • Three wilderness campsites are closed for maintenance: Johnson Key Chickee, Shark Point Chickee, and the Little Rabbit Key ground site. On the Gulf Coast, Hog Key is open for camping but its middle is closed, and Pavilion Key's interior is closed, though the small campsite at its north end stays open by wilderness permit. (NPS)
  • Halfway Creek canoe trail isn't fully passable. It's impassable from the L 3 marker to the L 1 marker. The park describes a reroute along the L markers for paddlers doing the through-trip to Everglades City. (NPS)
  • Roadwork on US 41 (Tamiami Trail). Work to raise the highway along the park's northern boundary can cause delays of up to 15 minutes. Watch for crews and equipment. (NPS)
  • Cashless entry. Fee stations take only digital passes and credit or debit cards. You can buy a digital pass ahead of time. (NPS)

Open and closed right now

  • The park is open 24 hours a day, every day, with entrances staffed from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Entrance is $35 per private vehicle, good for seven consecutive days at all entrances. Non-U.S. residents 16 and older also pay a $100 nonresident fee unless they enter with an annual or America the Beautiful pass. (NPS)
  • Three entrances that don't connect: the Homestead main entrance (open 24 hours, leading to Royal Palm and Flamingo), Shark Valley off US 41 near Miami (gate open 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.), and the Gulf Coast entrance at Everglades City (open 24 hours). (NPS)
  • Shark Valley reopened on August 24, 2026, after a wildfire closure, and it isn't on the current closure list. Its visitor center is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (NPS)
  • Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center (Homestead): open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Guy Bradley Visitor Center (Flamingo): on summer hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Wednesdays and Thursdays.
  • Marjory Stoneman Douglas Visitor Center (Gulf Coast): open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Camping: Flamingo Campground has no seasonal closure listed. Long Pine Key Campground is closed for its off-season through October 31. Reservations for both go through Everglades Guest Services at 855-708-2207 or flamingoeverglades.com.

Coming up in the next few weeks

  • Sunday, November 1: Long Pine Key Campground opens for its November-through-April season.
  • Monday, November 16: Guy Bradley Visitor Center at Flamingo goes to winter hours, open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through April 30, 2027.
  • Dry season: the park says that from November through March, ranger programs are widely available at every entrance and wildlife is usually plentiful. Flamingo Campground reservations are strongly recommended from December through April. (NPS)

What this means for your trip

For most visitors, nothing major is closed. The East Everglades closure affects a small day-use area on the northeastern boundary, not the main routes. The thing to get right is which entrance you use, because the three don't connect inside the park. Shark Valley is the Miami-side stop, Homestead is the road to Royal Palm and Flamingo, and Everglades City is the boat-and-paddle side. Driving between them takes you back out onto the highways.

If you're heading to Flamingo before November 16, remember the visitor center is closed Wednesdays and Thursdays. Shark Valley's gate closes to vehicles at 6 p.m., so plan your visit there for earlier in the day. Coming along US 41, allow extra time for the roadwork.

Paddlers and backcountry campers have the most to check. Several wilderness campsites are closed or partly closed, and Halfway Creek needs a reroute, so confirm your route and campsites with your wilderness permit. Campers without a boat should wait for Long Pine Key to open on November 1 or book Flamingo.

Before you go

  • Check the park's alerts and conditions the morning of your visit.
  • For visitor center hours, call the main park line at (305) 242-7700 or see the operating hours page.
  • Buy a digital entrance pass on the park's fees page before you drive in.
  • For the Flamingo marina store, boat tours, and rentals, call 855-708-2207.

If a closure knocks out part of your plan, my guide to Everglades National Park has nine one- to three-day itineraries at easy, moderate, and strenuous effort, each with a backup plan for weather or closures. You can also check alerts and conditions for every national park.

This page is independent and not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service. Always check the park's current alerts before you go.