Surrounding Parks & Preserves

Free Things To Do | Everglades City | Surrounding Parks & Preserves | Everglades Plants & Animals    

Gulf Coast Visitor Center of Everglades National Park (239) 695-2521. Located one mile south of the Ivey House, in Everglades City. This is the northwest entrance to Everglades National Park. The Everglades National Park is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States and is made up of 1.5 million acres of wilderness. It was established in 1947 and has been designated a Biosphere Reserve, a World Heritage Site, and a Wetland of International Importance. There are over 1,000 species of plants, over 40 species of mammals, over 360 species of birds, and over 50 species of reptiles. The grounds offers picnic facilities and a great place to watch the sunset. Near the water you often see Skimmers, Terns, dolphins, Brown Pelicans, and occasionally manatees. Go upstairs in the wood structure building to visit with rangers and to view the interpretive displays. This is also the location to process your overnight backcountry permit. The concessionaire is located in the downstairs office and offers motorized boat tours into the 10.000 islands.

Museum of the Everglades (239) 695-0008. Located in Everglades City, this building used to be the commercial laundry for the Collier Corporation. The museum hosts a variety of art displays changing each month. Periodically they have guided walking tours of historic buildings, Art in the Park, and other events.

Everglades Area Chamber of Commerce (800) 914-6355 or (239) 695-3941. Located three miles north of the Ivey House, at the intersection of US 41 & State Road 29. It has a gift shop and a variety of books and information about the area.

Smallwood Store (239) 695-2989. Located four miles south of the Ivey House on Chokoloskee Island. Established in 1906, the Smallwood Store & Trading Post served the area with a place to trade hides, furs, and farm produce; handle mail and to sell needed goods to the settlers. It is now a museum and gift shop telling the story of southwest Florida. It was also the actual location of the 1910 gang killing of Edgar Watson, made famous by author Peter Matthiessen.

Shark Valley Visitor Center (305) 221-8455. Located 40 miles east of the Ivey House on Hwy 41 and is another entrance into Everglades National Park. Bike, hike or ride the tram along the 17 mile loop trail which takes explorers into the heart of Shark Valley Slough. An observatory tower at the mid-way point offers one of the best opportunities to view alligators and the endangered snail kite in Everglades National Park. There are also a few short hiking trails and some very informative exhibits. The concessionaire located on the property offers a narrated tram tour and bicycle rentals.

Collier Seminole State Park (239) 394-3397. Located 20 miles west of the Ivey House on Hwy 41. Created to preserve the Royal Palm, it has a 3.5 mile unpaved bike trail, a 6.5 mile hiking trail, 3 mile hiking trail, a 1 mile self-guided nature trail, a 13.6 mile canoe trail, 137 campsites, interpretive exhibits, and boat tours offered daily.

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary (239) 348-9151. Located approximately one hour north of the Ivey House, in Naples. Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is owned and operated by the national Audubon Society and acclaimed as the crown jewel of Audubon's sanctuaries. In 2009 it received the honored as a World Heritage site. The 2.5 mile boardwalk meanders through pine flatwoods, open prairie, and into the largest forest of ancient bald cypress in North America. Corkscrew is world-renowned for supporting the largest colony of nesting wood storks in the United States. Don't forget to visit their well stocked gift shop.

Big Cypress National Preserve (239) 695-4111

• The new Big Cypress Visitor Center, Opening Feb 2010, is located only 5 miles east of the Ivey on Hwy 41 at Sea Grape Drive. It will provide informative exhibits and a movie of the area.
  
• Turner River Canoe Launch is located about 9 miles east of the Ivey House on Hwy 41. It is a public launch area for paddlers to access the Turner River. It is one of the locations we provide naturalist guided kayak trips into the heart of the Everglades.
  
• H.P. Williams Wayside Park is located about 9.5 miles east of the Ivey House. There is a small interpretive boardwalk overlooking the Turner River Canal. Large alligators are often seen swimming here, as well as a variety of birds. People often choose to drive the dirt road following the canal to extend their wildlife viewing opportunities.
  
• One of our favorite Scenic Loop Drive in this area is to connect Turner River Rd. with Birdon Road and then back to Hwy 41. This creates a 17 mile u-shaped drive through predominantly open grass prairie dotted with slash pine and bald cypress. We have seen the snail kite, turkeys, deer, and flocks of egrets and herons when driving this loop.
  
• Fire Prairie Trail is a 5 mile round trip hike which begins 14 miles north of Highway 41 on Turner River Road. It follows an old oil road through a hardwood and cypress forest and across open prairie to an old oil pad.
  
• Kirby Storter Boardwalk, located 16 miles east from the Ivey House is a .5 mile boardwalk into the cypress forest.
  
• The Oasis Visitor Center is located about 24 miles east of the Ivey House on Hwy 41. There is a small boardwalk in front of their office and they host a variety of exhibits and provide an informative movie about the Preserve. The Florida Scenic Trail, a trail system that spans across the state of Florida, passes directly through Big Cypress.
  
• Loop Road is a 23 mile dirt road beginning at Monroe Station and ending near Shark Valley. This road passes through a beautiful cypress forest often filled with feeding Ibis and sunning alligators. This road will be closed through Nov. 2010, but you can still access the ends of this road which are very beautiful areas.

Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park (239) 695-4593. The world's only Bald Cypress/Royal Palm forest is located in this strand. This State Park is a valuable habitat for a variety of tropical plants. Its deep sloughs provide a humid, frost-free environment in an otherwise sub-tropical area. More native orchid species including the famous Ghost Orchid grow in this 75,000 acre wilderness. The headquarters are located in Copeland, about 5 miles north of the Ivey House off of SR 29. Ranger led activities include swamp walks and orchid talks.

Jane's Scenic Drive, located 7 miles north of the Ivey House off of SR 29. This is a dirt road and not well maintained but often see owls and flocks of ibis, egrets, and sometimes Roseate Spoonbills. There are many old logging paths intersecting the dirt road for those who wish to go for a hike in the swamp. For the adventurous, these make great starting points for a more strenuous swamp walk.

Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk, located 7.1 miles from the intersection of Hwy 41 and SR 29. The 1 mile boardwalk extends into an old-growth bald cypress swamp with 500-600- year old bald cypress trees. At the end of the boardwalk is a beautiful alligator hole populated by many types of wading and diving birds, as well as one or two adult alligators and typically two or three generations of immature alligators. Often seen are red shouldered hawks, bald eagles, raccoons, barred owls, turtles, anoles, and several different kinds of snakes. There is an Indian gift store located next to the trail head filled with hand-made gifts and souvenirs.

Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (239) 417-6310. Located at the northern end of the Ten Thousand Islands off of Hwy 951 (towards Marco Island about 30 minutes from the Ivey House), it is one of the few remaining undisturbed mangrove estuaries in North America. They have an educational learning center with such programs as Shark Facts, Skulls & Bones, Munchin in the Mangrove, and others. An art gallery showcases traveling art displays. There are several mile walks along Shell Island Road with botanical signage. Their Shell Point Canoe Trail is marked and takes you through mangrove tunnels, mud flats, oyster beds and rookery islands. The Briggs Boardwalk is a mile loop through rare coastal scrub, pine flatwoods and marsh habitat. They also have primitive camping in designated areas.

Clyde Butcher Photo Gallery (239) 695-2428. Located about 25 miles east from the Ivey House on Hwy 41. A large selection of Clyde's black and white photography can be seen in his gallery located on thirteen acres in the center of the Everglades. An enjoyable, short nature walk behind the gallery provides visitors an opportunity to observe the environment of a cypress strand. Clyde often gives photographic workshops on the acreage surrounding the gallery.

Naples Botanical Garden. (239) 643-7275. Located approximately 32 miles from the Ivey House in southern Naples. The botanical garden is a world-class subtropical garden paradise that combines delightful exotic cultivated gardens with beautifully restored natural habitats. They have three main areas, the Tropical Mosaic Garden, Butterfly House, and the Florida Uplands Preserve.

Everglades National Park - Flamingo Visitor Center (239) 695-3101. Located 130 miles south from the Ivey House and is another location to access the Everglades National Park.

The following locations are measured in miles from the intersection of US 41 and SR 29:

1.6 - Mantees - North side of the road, look for a pond with a small island and a palm tree. It is a possible sightings and depends on the season.
2.0 - Sea Grape Drive - South side of the road, nice canoeing area and the location for the new Big Cypress Visitors Center.
3.4 - Donna Drive Campground - South side of the road, campground and nice canoeing area
4.2 - Ochopee Post Office - South side of road, and is the Smallest Post Office in the U.S.
5.5 - Trail lakes Campground (239-695-2275) - South side of road, tent and RV camping.
6.1 - Turner River Canoe Launch - North side of the road.
6.6 - H.P. Williams Wayside Park - North side of the road. Good place to see alligators and fresh water birds
6.6 - Turner River Road North leads to Bear Lake and if you take Wagon Wheel Road you can loop back to Everglades City.
13.7 - Kirby Storter Roadside Park - Picnic area and walk on south side of the road
16.0 - Moment Lake Campground - North side of road, primitive camping
16.8 - Monroe Station - South side of the road, This begins Loop Road which is approximately 18 miles and very scenic. Closed until Nov. 2010.
21.0 - Oasis Visitor Station (239-695-4111) - North side of road, informative movie, resource books and displays
21.9 - Big Cypress Gallery - South side of road, Clyde Butcher's Gallery (Black and White photography)
23.8 - Primitive Campground - South side of road
38.9 - Craft Center and Airboats - South side of road
39.4 - Miccosukee Indian Village and Airboat rides (305-223-8380) - South side of road
39.7 - Gas Station, airboats, restaurant - North side of road
40.0 - Shark Valley (305-221-8455) - South side of road
57.6 - Jct 997 or Krome Ave. - Gas Station

If you go straight you head towards Miami (US 41 turns into 8th Avenue)
If you turn North you can go to the Indian Bingo
If you turn South you head towards the Keys and Flamingo,