National Parks Near Miami
National Parks near Miami. There’s so much more to this waterfront paradise than the feel of the sand and the sounds of the water. In this article, More Than Just Parks takes you to five incredible national park sites that are within a day’s drive of Miami.
I’ve been to so many of these amazing places since retiring from teaching in 2018. Did I mention that I taught history? I spent a lifetime teaching about the history behind these momentous sites. Then I got to see them firsthand. And now I’m sharing the stories of these incredible places with you. It doesn’t get any better than that!
To be clear, this list includes national park sites (as in sites managed by the National Park Service) as well as full-fledged national parks. To learn more about the difference between the various National Park Service designations check out our article that explains everything!
Now let’s go ahead with 5 reasons why you’ll want to hop in your car and make a day’s drive from Miami to one of these truly amazing places.
Table Of Contents
- Why Trust Us About National Parks Near Miami?
- Meet The Parks Brothers
- Everglades National Park
- Biscayne National Park
- Big Cypress National Preserve
- Canaveral National Seashore
- De Soto National Memorial
- Map Of National Parks Near Miami
Why Trust Us About National Parks Near Miami?
You should probably know that we don’t just make this stuff up out of thin air. My sons have spent their entire adult lives exploring and filming America’s national parks and public lands.
As for me, I’m a retired lifelong educator and a proud dad of these two wonderful guys who are hopelessly obsessed with the national parks. I taught history for over a quarter of a century. Now I enjoy researching and writing articles for More Than Just Parks. I’m always on the hunt for topics where nature and history intersect so please feel free to share any ideas that you might have with me.
We’ve worked with the National Park Service, the Department of Interior, and the U.S. Forest Service for years creating films on important places and issues. Our work has been featured in leading publications all over the world and even some people outside of our immediate family call us experts on the national parks.
Meet The Parks Brothers
We’re Jim Pattiz and Will Pattiz, collectively known as the Pattiz Brothers (and sometimes the Parks Brothers) and we absolutely LOVE the national parks.
Our goal here at More Than Just Parks is to share the beauty of America’s national parks and public lands through stunning short films in an effort to get Americans and the world to see the true value in land conservation.
We hope you’ll follow our journey through the parks and help us to keep them the incredible places that they are. If you’re interested in joining the adventure then please sign up below!
Best National Parks Near Miami
1. Everglades National Park
Distance From Miami: One hour & 10 minutes via FL-836 W & US-41 W.
I retired as a teacher so that I could join my two sons on an incredible adventure bringing America’s national treasures to life.
Known for its reptiles, Everglades National Park represents the best chance people have to see the American Alligator in a national park.
While the park itself is actually quite massive (third largest in the lower 48), the hike-able regions of it are somewhat limited.
The best user experience is on a boat and the most popular iteration of this is the fan boat where folks can travel at high speeds and cover a lot of ground.
One of Florida’s many parks, the Everglades is a great addition to any south Florida trip.
Best Things to Do at Everglades National Park
Anhinga Trail is the “can’t miss” hike of Everglades National Park. The trail itself is only .8 miles long but is quintessential Everglades with a boardwalk, gators, the whole deal.
Fan Boat Tour – Everglades is best viewed by water and there’s no way to cover more ground by water than a classic fan boat ride through the park.
Wildlife Viewing While alligators may be a crowd favorite the Everglades are absolutely teeming with wildlife including some of the best bird watching in the world.
Camping in Everglades
There’s only two drive-able campgrounds in Everglades National Park. Both are accessed via the Homestead entrance of the park and managed by a third party outfit (not the park service).
Wilderness Camping
There is an abundance of Wilderness camping opportunities at Everglades National Park. A popular option is kayak camping through the everglades.
To do this, you must fill out a wilderness permit in advance of your trip which can be done through recreation.gov.
Lodging
In the nearby town of Homestead (mere minutes from the park entrance) there are a plethora of lodging options including:
CHECK OUT: 11 BEAUTIFUL ALABAMA NATIONAL PARKS
2. Biscayne National Park
Distance From Miami: 52 minutes via Ronald Reagan Turnpike.
Biscayne National Park is a snorkelers & divers dream with an immense diversity of underwater sea life begging to be explored.
While this park is not really a hikers park with more than 90% of it being underwater, it is a unique addition to the National Park System that is a great addition to a south Florida trip.
Best Things to Do at Biscayne National Park
Scuba Diving is one of Biscayne National Park’s primary activities as 90% of the park is underwater. The reefs here are no stranger to the adverse effects of climate change as the entire ecosystem is under threat.
Boating is another great way to see and explore the park. Biscayne is full of beautiful mangrove swamps which are best viewed by kayak or canoe.
Camping
There are only two campgrounds in Biscayne National Park, both of which are exclusively accessed by water. That means you’ll need a boat to get there.
Lodging
The same town that services Everglades National Park, serves Biscayne as well. In the nearby town of Homestead (mere minutes from the park entrance) there are a plethora of lodging options.
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3. Big Cypress National Preserve
Distance From Miami: One hour via FL-836 W & US-41 W.
Famous as one of the final refuges for the once-prevalent Florida panther, the Big Cypress National Preserve is a vital conservation area.
This massive swamp (729,000 acres) is home to a vast array of wildlife and plant species.
Named for the abundant cypress trees that exist on the preserve, Big Cypress features all sorts of beautiful wetland scenery.
The preserve itself shares a border with Everglades National Park and is worth a stop if you’re in the area!
things to do
Go Hiking – There are lots of great hikes in the Big Cypress National Preserve. The Kirby Storter Boardwalk is a great entry level quick hike that gives visitors a beautiful glimpse into the preserve.
Canoeing – Perhaps the best way to soak in the scenery Big Cypress National Preserve is via canoe. For everything you need to know about canoeing including where to put in and safety tips visit the Big Cypress NPS canoeing page.
Birding – Big Cypress is home to nearly 200 bird species which makes it a popular spot for birders.
Camping
Big Cypress has great camping options featuring 7 campgrounds with 150 campsites including tent, RV, drive-in, & group sites.
- Bear Island Campground
- Burns Lake Campground
- Gator Head Campground
- Midway Campground
- Mitchell Landing Campground
- Monument Lake Campground
- Pinecrest Campground
- Pink Jeep Campground
lodging
For hotels I recommend staying in Naples which is about 30 minutes driving from the preserve. All of the major chain hotels are there.
Hampton Inn
Fairfield Inn & Suites
Holiday Inn
Hilton
Hyatt
Best Western
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4. Canaveral National Seashore
Distance From Miami: Three hours & 40 minutes via Florida’s Turnpike & I95 N.
Canaveral National Seashore is world famous for its prime rocket launch viewing but there’s so much more to the park than just that.
This barrier island plays an important role in protecting Florida from storms and harboring a vital ecosystem.
The seashore is home to ancient Native American burial mounds as well as a massive number of plant and animal species.
Canaveral represents an all too rare undeveloped coastline on east coast of the United States.
things to do
Rocket Launch Viewing – Cape Canaveral is one of the best places in the world to watch a rocket blast off into space. As such, the national seashore draws millions of folks for this very reason every year.
Windy Castle Trail – The Windy Castle Trail is a great way to experience the flora and fauna of the region. Be sure to pack mosquito repellent as there is a very high chance you will encounter some on the trail.
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5. De Soto National Memorial
Distance From Miami: Four hours via I-75 N.
The De Soto National Memorial recognizes the arrival of conquistador Hernando de Soto to the Tampa Bay Area.
The site tells the story of the indigenous people who resisted his conquest of their native homeland.
This park is great for kids and families and makes a great trip from the Miami area.
Best Things to at De Soto National Memorial
Living History Demonstrations – The National Park Service does a wonderful job of reenacting and recreating what life might have been like for the Spanish and natives through their living history programs.
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Map Of National Parks Near Miami
List Of National Parks Near Miami
- Everglades National Park
- Biscayne National Park
- Big Cypress National Preserve
- Canaveral National Seashore
- De Soto National Memorial
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Our goal here at More Than Just Parks is to share the beauty of America’s national parks and public lands through stunning short films in an effort to get Americans and the world to see the true value in land conservation.
We hope you’ll follow our journey through the parks and help us to keep them the incredible places that they are. If you’re interested in joining the adventure then please sign up below!
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