Everglades City: A Florida Trail Town

Everglades City is surrounded by both State and National Parks, including the largest state park in Florida; Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park. All of the parks are within an hour or less drive of Everglades City and links for more information can be found below.

Everglades City offers many local trails that can accommodate cyclists and pedestrians. The routes through the city include newly added sidewalks and bike lanes, and separated multi-use trail that connects to Chokoloskee Island.

Just outside of town, additional multi-use natural-surfaced trails are accessible via Janes Memorial Scenic Drive. Janes is a 6-mile dirt road and is the main access point for Fakahatchee. Janes provides many jumping off points for hiking or biking, including a 4.5 mile trail that is closed to vehicle traffic.

Situated along the Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail (CT), Everglades City is where Segments 13 and 14 connect. Segment 13 begins north at Lovers Key and is approximately 68 miles

Paddling

Segment 14 of the CT begins in Everglades City and ends at Long Key State Park. This segment is 99.5 miles via the Gulf side or 126.5 miles via the Wilderness Waterway. This segment is the longest stretch along the CT without a fresh water supply. For more information on the CT, see the link below.

Turner River Paddling Trail

Just to the east of Everglades City is the Turner River Paddling Trail. This paddling trail has several different options for trip length and can be done in out and back sections. From the canoe launch on Hwy 41 in Big Cypress Preserve to Chokoloskee Island, the trail is 8.5 miles in length. An additional 3 miles can be added by paddling to the Gulf Coast Visitor Center in Everglades City. Paddling this trail can take anywhere between 5-8 hours. For more information please see link below.

Everglades City has many local stores and restaurants that provide food, drinks and supplies for trail users. Click on map pins for addresses.

Click on map pins for location addresses

Rod and Gun Club

The historical  Rod and Gun Club  features a restaurant and rooms. Call (239) 695-2101 for more information.

Everglades City Motel

Visit the  Everglades City Motel  website for more information.

The Ivey House

Visit  The Ivey House Website  for more information.

River Wilderness Waterfront Cabins

Visit the  River Wilderness Website  for more information

Everglades Visitors Center

Run by the  Everglades Society for Historic Preservation , this visitor's center also doubles as the Trail Town Headquarters. For more information check out the  website .

Museum of the Everglades

Located a block away from the Visitors Center, the  Museum of the Everglades  features local historical information.

Historical Buildings

In addition to the Rod & Gun Club and the Museum of the Everglades, there are a couple other historical buildings in Everglades City.

Originally constructed in 1927 for Barron Collier, the Bank of Everglades operated until 1962. From 1962 and on, the building was used as a rooming house, newspaper headquarters and a bed & breakfast until it closed in 2017. Currently the Everglades Society for Historic Preservation is working diligently to restore the building. For more information on their efforts, visit  their website .

McLeod Community Park

Situated in the center of Everglades City, McLeod Community Park features a large pavilion, benches, water fountain, restrooms, playground, tennis courts, basketball courts, community map and a bike repair station. McLeod Community Park also is used for many events and festivals in Everglades City including the annual  Seafood Festival .

Chokoloskee Island

Just a few miles south of Everglades City is the small island community of Chokoloskee Island. This island sits at the edge of the Ten Thousand Islands and offers lodging, restaurants, boat tours, guided fishing trips and more.

Established by Ted Smallwood in 1906, this trading post provided a place to exchange goods for remote and isolated communities. In 1974, the store was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The store shut in 1982, with 90% of the original goods remaining in the store. Ted's granddaughter reopened the store in 1990 as a museum and still remains a time capsule of Florida pioneer history today. For more information, check out  their website .