The Old Ingraham Highway
A historic road with high, dry, and broad views of sawgrass prairie.
Plan Around The Old Ingraham Highway
A good stop is not just something to read about. Once it belongs on the day, move into a saved trip and build the route around it.
Use this detail page to confirm that the stop is worth it, then carry that decision into a trip draft while the park context is still fresh.
The Old Ingraham Highway Details
The Old Ingraham Highway is a historic road that once extended all the way from Homestead, Fla., to Flamingo. Until a new road opened in the 1960s, the highway was used frequently; nowadays, parts of it are eroded and desolate but hikers and bikers still use the road. The Old Ingraham Highway makes a great day trip, or an easy overnight, for those visitors wishing to explore a more desolate (and historic) area of the Everglades. If you start at Big Pine Key, you can actually walk or bike the entire 22 miles (out and back) of the highway, enjoying sweeping views of sawgrass prairie the entire trip. The old road is one of the few high and dry places in the Everglades, but there's little shade, so plan appropriately. There's a broad canal on the right of the trail that serves as a nice watering hole for gators; also keep an eye out for snakes in the high grass. Places where the grass is beaten down is likely a gator crossing. There are two backcountry campsites along the road; one at 3.7 miles, and one at the end, at 11 miles. These sites are primitive -- no water, no fire pits, no benches -- but are a beautiful place to spend a night immersed in the park.
Difficulty
Moderate
Distance
11 miles
Estimated time
6 hours
Region
N/A
Nearby Parks Around The Old Ingraham Highway
Compare nearby parks around The Old Ingraham Highway when deciding whether to expand the route after this stop.
Nearby Points of Interest Around The Old Ingraham Highway
Use nearby POIs to quickly expand your options beyond The Old Ingraham Highway while the map context is still fresh.
0.9 mi away
Gumbo Limbo
Explore a tropical hammock on this short, .4 mile loop.
0.9 mi away
Anhinga Trail
This is one of the most popular trails in the Everglades, and a great place to see wildlife.
2.6 mi away
Homestead Entrance
The main entrance to the Everglades is located in Homestead, Fla.
2.7 mi away
Long Pine Key Campground
This campground has 108 drive-up sites, plus one group site.
2.8 mi away
Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center
The Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center is open 365 days a year.
