Everglades City, Fla.

Everglades City promotes itself as "The Gateway to the Everglades."

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Everglades City, Fla. Details

Everglades City promotes itself as "The Gateway to the Everglades," and for paddlers and water tourists, this is definitely true. Everglades City is one end of the famous 99-mile "Wilderness Waterway" and perhaps the best spot to set out on an exploration of the 10,000 Islands area, with numerous options for boat rentals and supplies. The town even has a tiny airport, so you can fly in or book a float-plane tour to get a bird's-eye view of the islands, too. Prior to 1923, Everglades City was simply called Everglade. The town was primarily occupied by local farmers who raised sugarcane, vegetables, and bananas. In 1923, Barron Collier purchased most of the land here and built a railroad, bank, churches, a school, and even a streetcar line. Nowadays, Everglades City thrives on tourism to Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park. This is where you can find park water-based activities and information, including boat tours and rentals. There's plenty of options for dining, including small seafood restaurants and bars serving up the catch of the day, but if you're not looking to explore the surrounding waterways, your time may be better spent in Florida City, Homestead, or Key Largo. Check out The Seafood Depot if you have time to spare in Everglades City -- a landmark restaurant that's built inside a historic train depot with awesome views and even better food.

Difficulty

Low

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Region

Outside the Park