Shark Valley Visitor Center

It's amazing that this is under to around one hour away from Miami! We're so privileged to get to experience this regularly. I wish more people would get out to explore the Everglades to appreciate the real Florida and advocate for them. You'll definitely see gators, herons, and other creatures out here. We even saw one of the two crocodiles today. It was so exciting! Pro-tips: 1. Arrive EARLY. I mean it. You'll avoid the line and the worst of the heat. There is extremely limited parking inside the park itself, so if you want a spot, arrive before 9 AM. 2. Reserve a bike online ahead of time if you want to bike the loop and don't have your own. They hold some bikes for those without reservations, but they go quickly. Don't be shocked if they're gone within 30 minutes of opening time. 3. Bring sun protection. A hat, SPF, and clothing that covers you is essential. 4. Bring enough water. There is minimal shade and the only water is at the 7 mile mark at a refill station.

There are four entrances into Everglades National Park in Florida, USA. The Shark Valley Visitor Center is one of them. My daughters and I were the first ones to the gate on June 7, 2024, at 8:30AM which is not early enough when the temperatures reach 90 degrees Fahrenheit by midday. I made reservations back in February for a 15-mile bicycle ride loop. Each bike was $25 to rent. It was a neat experience to me, but daughters weren't big fans mostly because of the heat, bugs, and humidity. An abundance of wildlife can be seen here: + alligators + crocodiles + fish + cardinals + Great Egret + Wood Storks + Ibis + bugs... beware of those flying creatures that bites! + & so much more The staff members were all nice and helpful -- especially when I had to flag down the tram to get them to radio in a new bicycle for my daughter who rode the chain off. Lol. TIP Helmets are required by law for children under 16 years of age. My T-Mobile service did not work out there at all except a couple of bars at the top of the tower. Took about 20 minutes to get a replacement bike while I and later another patron both greased up our hands trying to stupidly slip the chain back on. CONS - Mylar balloons and other trash in the swamps. Pisses me off. I would go back again someday if I could, but my daughters not so much. Lol. They both said, "See you later alligator and after a while, crocodile!"

Go first tour of the day as Parking is ridiculous One car out ..one car in We would have missed our tour if we had waited We parked on the side of road ( lady said they will tow and ticket you ) they won't Tour drivers were great and we enjoyed the tour

Shark Valley is one of four Visitor Centers in Everglades National Park. They have bike rentals, a tram tour, bathrooms, a water refilling station, and a gift shop. The parking can get tight in the busy season, but we didn't have any trouble getting there when it opened during a hot summer day. Bring your sunscreen!

Fabulous experience- alligators are creepy creatures but very fascinating. The bike rental people were friendly and helpful. Pay attention while riding!!! Almost crashed into water while bird watching, hahah.

A nice little place. Stopped here and walked around before our tram visit. My wife said the Christmas ornament she bought here was the least expensive out of nearly 2 dozen National Parks visited. Can't beat that!

My friends and I decided to ride our bikes at Shark Valley. Shark Valley Observation Tower gives you a birds eye view of the Everglades National Park. The Observation tower is located at about midway on the 15-mile Shark Valley loop trail. Took me 4 hours to complete the whole trail. Had to stop a couple of times to enjoy nature, took pictures along the way, and died a couple of times from being out of shape. This trail was no joke.

An absolute must, just be prepared! There are four visitors centers to the Everglades National Park. The Shark Valley (no sharks!) center is the one that offers a 15 mile loop that can be walked, biked, or for a fee, take a tram. Get there early! This is one of the national parks that has not moved towards time entry, however entrance timing is predicated upon parking lot space availability inside, which is limited given the size of the park. Upon arrival, we found a line of cars up the road from the entrance gate, this was due to the parking lot already being full and it was one car in for every car out. We were informed by the park ranger that the interior parking lot is typically full by 10 AM daily, particularly during high season of November through January (peak times are the weekends so mid week to avoid some of the crowd). We were able to park outside of the entrance on the main road and ride our bicycles in to avoid the wait. There are entry fees to the park and they can be pricey. Check the website for entry fees and verify for your group whether the carload versus on foot option may be a better deal. Further, if you're 62 years or older, you can purchase your lifetime pass for a one time $80 fee and it is good for all national parks. Pays for itself after just two visits generally speaking and allows the cardholder to bring in up to three guests. for those that are under 62, the annual pass may be the way to go if you plan on visiting several parks in a year. Once inside, there is a nice visitor center that has restrooms, water, and miscellaneous souvenir trinkets plus loads of information (no food sold in the park). Rangers are available to answer questions and bike rentals are available for a fee, as are tram ride tickets. Regardless of how you plan to see the park, water is an absolute must! Bring bottled water for everybody and bring plenty of it!! We were prepared with several bottles of water for our bike ride around the 15 mile loop. Note that at the halfway point (the observation tower) there are no amenities, and the day we went there the bathrooms were out of order (portapotties were available), and there was no water for bottle refills. We brought our lunch and used the observation tower as a stop to refresh before returning back. The only observed seating on this trip was a long bench at the observation tower, and one or two along the bike path so if you plan to do this on foot, which is not recommended due to the heat, be prepared! Even folks on the rented bikes are going to have quite the go so headcover/hats and sunscreen is highly recommended too! If you are prepared you will have an awesome time! We saw dozens of alligators, an absolute massive crocodile that lives below the observation tower, and a wide array of birds and turtles. The alligators literally line the bike path and folks should not get to comfortable trying to take selfies while standing next to them as a good 12 to 15 feet is recommended! The observation tower offers the opportunity to gain perspective on the size of this national treasure. We rode our bicycles at a decent piece and completed the loop in 1.5 hours. We stopped for about a half hour at the observation tower for lunch and with time a the visitor center, this is a solid 3 to 4 hour visit, so plan accordingly. Water, sunscreen, and if you're so inclined, bring little snack/lunch to have at the observation tower. We noted that all the bicyclists that came out there had brought lunch too! Note that there is no food sold inside the park and feeding the wildlife is not permitted. Remember, you don't have to be faster than the alligators, you only need to be faster than everyone else in your group if you decide to walk (LOL)! This is such a cool place, you have to come here and just be prepared.

Took the tram ride with Barbara and Brintney which is 40min to the tower. They stay about 20 min at the tower and then 40 min back. So about 2 hours total time and you need to buy your ticket ahead of time. $32 for adults, $24 for seniors. We were in Jan so some birds but in another month or so as the water drops and birds come down more Feb to March so be great. Enjoyed the trip and they stop as they see gators or birds. Barbara talks about the park and wildlife during the trip. There is snack area and park area to buy merchandise. Good restrooms at the start , but tower got flooded so they had the restrooms closed and using portable toilets.

Shark valley is in the Everglades pff Tamiani Trail. I live biking the 15 mile loop to test my strength and speed. There are no cars to contend with. Just nature and a clear paved road. There is an observation tower that you can go to halfway around the loop. There you can get panoramic views of the Everglades. I encountered some exotic birds, plants, a turtle and a huge alligator along the trail. All you hear is the rustling of the wind and tranquility. The loop is 15 miles in length. Come early because there is a long line at the gate later in the day. Bring lots of water because there is no shade and you are exposed to the sun. No water stops because you are in wilderness.

It took some time to accept that a visit to the Everglades is not the same as visiting, say, Yellowstone. It is not really possible to make a circuit of the whole park and pop in and out of different sites. Essentially, there are about 3 areas for a visitor to explore: Shark Valley, Flamingo, and the 10,000 Islands area on the far west end of the park. If technically possible, I don't think it is very practical to visit more than one of these in a day, since you will have to backtrack completely out of the park to proceed on to one of the other areas. Flamingo in particular does not connect directly to any other area of the park (Shark Valley or 10,000 Islands). From Miami, it is easiest to visit Shark Valley. The drive is about an hour each way. The path towards Flamingo was also possible, and it looked a bit more natural and "rugged." However, the hiking trails en route were reportedly short (like 45 minutes or less each), and black vultures may wreck your car in those parking lots. Thus, we chose the path of least resistance and went to Shark Valley. I was a bit skeptical, because the Shark Valley area sounded perhaps a bit too touristy, with most visitors taking a tram tour. Otherwise, you can rent bikes or walk the same 15 mile road the tram takes. Again, we chose the path of least resistance and booked the tram tour. It wound up being a great tour! Our driver, Taylor, and guide, Ricky, were both really good at conveying info and making sure we got great views of all the animals. Other tour participants were duly reverent of the wildlife and equally invested in what we were seeing. It did not feel like being at Disney at all. Though there are mostly alligators in the park, there are 3 crocodiles reportedly in the Shark Valley area. We were lucky enough to see two of the three during our tour. In addition to the countless alligators, there was also good birdwatching opportunity. There are toilets at the visitor center, though they don't flush (more like latrines). The rest of the facilities are what you'd expect, with toilet paper, sinks, and paper towels. There were port-a-potties at the lookout tower halfway through the tram tour. No handwashing stations or hand sanitizer. It looked like there were also more permanent facilities at the lookout tower, but I am not sure if they were actually open. After the 2-hour tram tour, my husband and I did walk some of the trail beside the water on foot, which was nice for seeing some of the same wildlife at a bit of a slower pace. The path is completely unshaded, so take heed. There are some shorter trails that offshoot along the way, such as the Bobcat Boardwalk right by the visitors center, and there is a bit more cover there. We tried to do the Otter Cave Hammock Trail as well, but it was a bit flooded from recent rains. We booked our tram tour weeks in advance, since I heard it could sell out. I am glad we did, because the tram did look pretty full to me! We arrived at the park a bit after 10am on a Thursday, and there was no line of cars or parking issues. The crowds were still reasonable when we left around 2pm, so maybe visiting on a Thursday was really helpful, in that respect. The day also began overcast, with threats of rain that never came, so that probably helped keep the crowds at bay, too.

A site not to be missed in your Everglades adventure! Shark valley has a good concession area, decent amount of parking (over flow goes out to the road) and is easy to get in and out of. The entire loop is 15 miles long and so beautiful. We saw at least 100 gators along our ride. At the half way point is a look out with bathrooms and water fountain. This is a great stop to break up you drive to the keys or explore the Everglades!

This is by no means one of the nicer or bigger National Park entrance and visitor centers - but it serves the purpose here and is basic but has the basics. Not a lot of items available for sale here if you are a collector - but they had some bare bones items. The rangers offered great info on the length of the trail for walking/biking and I rented two bikes in advance for my husband and I to take the round-trip trail for the day. We arrived after noon but they were still available and we easily rented them and headed out. There is no shade on the trail and we saw several people the first few miles and then no one - plenty of animals, birds and we even saw an alligator on the path! Just rode our bikes right around him and had no issue. The observation tower in the middle is gorgeous - though you can't go all the way to the top using the spiral stairs anymore. The trail is long (about 15 miles) and provides zero shade at all - I wouldn't recommend walking it since there are bikes available. You can also ride the shuttle for about $15 a person but it takes a long time and I preferred the freedom to stop when I wanted and keep going on the bikes.

This was a great place to visit during my exploration of the Everglades National Park system. When you drive in, it doesn't seem large, but first impressions can be deceiving. The visitor center is small, but there are displays and lots of information about the area. They even had a huge burmese python skin that scared me witless (I'm terrified of snakes). From the visitor center, you can purchase a ride on the tram, or rent a bicycle to go on the trail to the observation tower. This is where looks are deceiving. It didn't seem like much when driving in, but it is seven miles to the tower. This is not a hike I'd recommend on foot. There is little shade along the way. Riding a bike not only gets you there quicker than walking, it's fun, great exercise, and provides a bit of breeze during a still, hot day. I didn't take the tram ride, so I can't say anything about that, but I'd definitely love to do this again.

This was a great stop on our vacation. There is an entry fee to enter the park. This visitor center is small but there is a ton of information. On one side, there was a bit of an educational center that had a few different exhibits. The employees rolled out a snake skin for some younger kids that were there at the same time as our group. They were also happy to show us where we might be able to see some baby gators (we couldn't see them the day we were there). There is a small gift shop as well and you can buy snacks/bottled waters. We booked a tram tour to take us to the overlook since we were limited on time. The guide and driver did an amazing job of taking us on the biking trail and pointing out different birds. Again, we didn't see any gators. We had time at the overlook to walk up and take pictures. Overall, it was about a 2 hour tram tour with great history of the park and the ecology. I would love to come back at a different time to see the differences between wet season and dry season.

What a great experience riding our bikes on the 15 mile paved loop. We arrived around 1:45 on the Wednesday after new years. After waiting in line about 15 min to go in to park, we turned around and parked on the roadside. Since we brought our bikes, we rode them in. My husband is a veteran so we didn't have to pay but there was a ranger that was checking in people that were walking or riding. After a quick bathroom break we headed out. We had a strong head wind out to the lookout tower but were entertained by the around 45 gators we saw along the side of the road. It was a little disconcerting at first but all were sleeping or just laying in the sun- I will say I was glad I wasn't walking . The tower view is amazing! After another potty break we headed back on the rest of the loop with the wind to our backs. This is a popular place so be patient with parking or just park on the road and walk in. Didn't take the trolley but many families did and looked happy.

It's my own fault that I should have done more research but I didn't realize the observation tower was 7 miles away and the only tram was a guided tour for $28 pp. The wildlife and tropical scenery is nice and we managed to see a few gators. Make sure you wear insect repellent.

Showed our park pass, we're given a map and parked in a large lot. There was a ranger station with the gift shop, displays, clean latrines, bike rentals, tram tours. Tram tours leave on the hour, Ricky was our guide & Mike our driver. Two hour tours are $27 and they go fast. We drove to the boardwalk and tower and then went back stopping to look at animals. We stopped to identify & photograph alligators, crocodiles, exotic birds, fish, nesting turtles, snakes & foliage ...

I had this place on my bucket list for a little too long; today, I finally went to visit. I arrived underprepared, with nothing on my stomach and nothing on my hand but water. Still, I had a great time. I biked the whole 15 miles. If you pay attention, you will be gifted some incredible sights. I loved the altitude and sightseeing from the Tower. I got to see a few turtles, many different birds, and alligators.

The Shark Valley Visitor Center is the Northern park entrance for the Everglades National Park. It's decently close to Miami/Homestead making this entrance pretty popular (e.g., busy). This is the closest entrance to all the airboat tours as well making this a seamless entrance to get into the park. They have helpful rangers here, it's also the entrance to the Shark Valley Tram Tour and concessions, gift shop souvenirs, restrooms, and some great little boardwalks right nearby if walking the 15-mile loop isn't something you're up for. You can also rent bikes if you'd prefer to see the loop at your own pace. Think of this spot as the gateway to all the activities to the northern side of the park.

Saturday biking adventure at Shark Valley Trail on Miami Everglades. Perfect overcast day and not too hot. Great views of Florida Everglades, wildlife, birds and lots of huge gators to be seen. Go at your own pace, smooth bike trail loop. Half way around loop is huge observation tower where you can see for miles across Everglades. We really enjoyed the 16 mile bike trail. Visitor center is nice and has bathroom accommodations. We are not professional bikers by any means. Highly recommended.

I go biking here several times a year. I am an annual pass holder to help support the Everglades. I have rented bikes at the center in the past. I own my own bike now so don't need to rent, but the center has great vending snacks and drinks and clean bathrooms. If you have 2-3 hours to ride the 16 mile trail highly recommend it.

One of 3 National Parks in Florida, Shark Valley is located 30 miles west of Miami on Rt 41 (Tamiami Trail). By the way - you won't see any sharks or shark artifacts. The name comes from the Shark River that flows through the Everglades. We took our own bikes down to ride the 15-mile trail. The trail is all paved roadway, although there is a little boardwalk that connects the two sides. Not much in the way of scenery. Very few trees, just marshland (so no shade). Today was a scorcher! At the 1/2 way point, there is a tower where you can get a view of the Everglades. Didn't see any Gators today - just turtles. The visitors center is closed due to COVID, but the Bike Rental is open and the Tram Ride was operating. Next time we'll have to go on the Tram as it would be nice to hear a little about the park - not just reading the signs. The Park is not free. It's $15.00/person if walking in, or $30.00 per car.

Love it here!!! It is a National Park so there's is an entry fee or get an annual pass for the parks and get in to any across the country. Dogs can't be on the trail because of being gator bait (a few places down south they aren't allowed). It is the wild, some days you'll see gators some you won't. I have been and seen a bunch and close to the path, and been and seen 1. Hit or miss. Park gets crowded. It is a national park and well known. Get their early. Parking lot is small-ish, may have to park along 41. Biking is fun, but be warned --no shade so bring water and wear comfy clothes.

Nice park to visit for a long walk or bike ride! Scenery is typical for Florida so don't expect a lot of thrills! We biked the whole 15 miles at a leisurely pace and it took us about an hour 45 min including stopping at the tower to observe the beautiful wildlife at the bottom of the pond. We saw a couple of baby alligators and a lot of birds. Definitely bring a couple of waters as it can get really hot and humid and definitely make sure you have plenty of time to explore as it can be a lot to walk/cycle.

If you're looking for a peaceful day to yourself in order to disconnect (literally because there's no reception out there. Lol) Shark Valley is a must. Just you and a lot of alligators, pig frogs and birds for 15.8 miles. Don't get me wrong there are a lot of people that go in groups or with families and small kids. You can either rent a bike, which lately it seems you have to book far in advance because they get booked quick! Or take your own wheels, whether it be bikes, skates, or what have you. Bathrooms are at the beginning, where the visitor center is and at the observatory. There used to be port a potties but didn't see any this time around. Make sure to take lots of water because it gets HELLA HOT out there, sunscreen, a rash guard to protect yourself from the sun and insect repellent. Also, don't forget some snacks for your pit stops, otherwise you'll get a nasty headache.

I was very skeptical about coming here because due to quarantine I am very out of shape but my friends some how convinced me to do a 15 mile bike ride last minute. Upon arriving we had to pay $30 to enter the park and we were told that lasts 7 days so if you really wanted to you can come multiple times that same week. There's a convenience store also located on sight which has snacks, cold beverages, and any items you might need prior to beginning the trail. I might add that this store was on the pricier side so I would suggest bringing snacks but again since this was last minute we did not bring anything but water. I won't lie I did find this trail a tad challenging but again only because I am out of shape. However, the most challenging part was starting off and getting your own flow. Having to stop often because one of our members would get tired would ruin that flow and throw us all off. So finding your own rhythm is extremely important as well as pacing yourself. We had a friend who started off way ahead of all us and she ended up not finishing the trail. At the halfway point (7 or 7 1/2 miles) there's a stop where you can hike up a tower and have a view of the everglades. A lot of people were just taking a break here, eating some snacks before finishing up the trail. We did the same and then headed on back to finish since the park was closing within the hour and we still had 7 miles to go. On the way back our bodies had already adjusted to it and we found our own pace so we didn't stop once! The way back was very relaxing and not so draining as the beginning. I won't lie towards the end I couldn't wait to finish because my body was killing me! But I pushed through and finishing that left me feeling so accomplished and proud of myself! This is definitely a good place to come if you want to challenge yourself but also have a good time! I can't wait to go back again however this next time with lots of sunblock and snacks!

Incredible Experience. We decided to do the entire 15mi on foot (regretted that halfway and for a few days after) and saw so much. Stay aware when you're here and walk/ride to the middle of the path whenever possible! The observatory is all the way at the bottom/halfway mark of the trail but worth checking out. If you're looking to rent bikes you need to reserve them ahead of time. We can't wait to go back and ride the trail. 10/10 recommend if you're looking to explore the Everglades and see more than you would on an air boat tour. Overall we saw 73 gators, 1 croc and 1 nest of little gator babies.

This review goes to the very bitter old grandma who was extremely rude to me at the gift shop on 3/20/22 at approximately 3pm. It was a very sunny Saturday and my boyfriend wanted to be sweet and buy me a hat. Not realizing the hat he bought me, valued at $12, was for little girls. I immediately returned back to the store and asked if I could exchange it for a visor, valued at $10. I did not want my money back. I wanted to wear a hat that fit. The narrative: Me: "Excuse me. My boyfriend bought me this hat but it's too small." Bitter Grandma: "No refunds." Me: "I don't want a refund. Can I change it for this hat?" Bitter Grandma: "No refunds or exchanges." I took it and walked away. However, this didn't sit well with me. As the gift shop has NO SIGNS that display "No refunds or exchanges." The gift shop also does not disclose at the time of purchase. (They conveniently have NO cameras.) AND they did not give us a receipt. I returned and asked her to show me the sign. She said "I don't need to have one." WELL BITTER GRANDMA. Let's take a stroll through Florida Statue 501.142 (picture attached) which reads; The regulation of refunds is preempted to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services notwithstanding any other law or local ordinance to the contrary. Every retail sales establishment offering goods for sale to the general public that offers no cash refund, credit refund, or exchange of merchandise must post a sign so stating at the point of sale. Failure of retail sales establishment to exhibit a "no refund" sign under such circumstances at the point of sale shall mean that a refund or exchange policy exists, and the policy shall be presented in writing to the consumer upon request. Any retail establishment failing to comply with the provisions of this section shall grant to the consumer, upon request and proof of purchase, a refund on the merchandise, within 7 days of the date of purchase, provided the merchandise is unused and in the original carton, if one was furnished. Nothing herein shall prohibit a retail sales establishment from having a refund policy which exceeds the number of days specified herein. However, this subsection does not prohibit a local government from enforcing the provisions established by this section. Still being rude, she continued to talk nasty things and finally asked a manager to honor the exchange. - THEN she said "I have the right to deny your business." CONGRATULATIONS! You know your rights. You most definitely do have the right to deny my business. I demanded a refund, which she gave to me. You lost my business. $12 + $30 at the door. You got a nasty review. Her day was ruined. ALL OF THIS because she was LAZY, BITTER and UNKIND. Save yourselves a lawsuit and get rid of this extremely bitter woman and put up some signs.

This is our second time visiting and we continue to be blown away by our trips! There is a park entrance fee or you can use your national park pass. There is a large parking lot near the visitor center that does fill up as the day goes on. There are vault bathrooms with running water sinks and water fill stations. Due to Covid precautions the visitor center gift shop is not open but there were some rangers helping with directions and Junior Ranger program just outside the center. There is an option to rent bikes and I would highly recommend as there is an approximately 15 mile paved trail that has a lookout tower at mile 7. (Make sure to make your reservation in advance as they go quickly!) There is also a paid tram you can take to the tower. Along the paved trail are plenty of alligators, flowers, birds, and other wildlife! There was a park ranger leading a bird talk when we arrived! At the lookout tower are a set of bathrooms and water fill station. If you don't want to walk or bike the entire paved loop trail, you could also take smaller loops through the marsh area that are in much smaller increments. A very family friendly area for a day of fun!

Don't waste your time or money with those commercial air boat rides along the way! If we had known, we'd would've kept driving and gone here first. You'll see way more wildlife in their natural habitat that those noisy, polluting rides. Go early for parking, though overflow typically park on the main road and walk in. It's still well worth the price of entry.

I had been told about Shark Valley not long after moving to Fort Lauderdale but I had never had the time to visit. Then recently, one of my friends was describing the experience he wanted (a place to ride bicycles for several miles in a locale that allowed for communing with nature) and I remembered having heard of just such a place. My rack can hold two bikes so I offered to pick him up, and I called him enroute to let him know I was on my way, only to be told I was a day early. So, since I had carved out the time anyway, I went without him and explored the place on my own. The next day I picked him up and we met up with another friend. So here's what you need to know. Pay attention and you can save some money. This is a national park and is part of the Everglades. As such you pay for parking (about $25). But, if you go outside the park, you can park alongside the roadway for free. Just follow the signs and park properly and you'll save the $25 parking fee. You can ride your bikes in for free (or walk in). The path is 15 miles long, if you do the entire loop. There are also side trails coming off of it, but I haven't explored those yet. The biggest draw are the alligators. They come up out of the water and lie in the grass. During cool weather they are especially numerous as alligators (like all reptiles) are exothermic and cannot create their own body heat. They need to soak in the sun, and this is the ideal spot to do it. They will not attack you, are perfectly harmless and should be left alone. Pictures are okay. Do not pet them. They don't like it. Nor are yo allowed to try to ride them. You won't get far and might lose a limb. If you go, be respectful of nature. Don't litter. Don't take anything away except selfies and memories. Don't leave anything behind but footprints. This place is really beautiful and should be kept that way.

Great place to walk or bike ride! Lots of nature to see and enjoy! Alligators are on the path, but are not aggressive. The Observation Tower allows views of the Everglades. Rode the 15 mile path.

We took the tram tour and had a great time! Knowledgeable tour guide with sharp eyes for spotting dozens of animals along the ride.

Nice setup retail store with tour on one side, NPS info and park rangers on the other. Excellent tram tour for two hours gave us a chance to see a ton of wildlife up close. Restrooms and snacks available with plenty of parking. There is also bike rentals and trail maps for hiking. For some reason very difficult to pay with a credit card for my NPS gear. It went through and I signed, but ranger made me pull up my credit card online account, then I had to leave my receipt and phone number as she didn't "trust new system". It made me out in front of the crowd as trying to steal my stickers. Hmm....was not a fan of that. Big Cypress down the street ran my card on the new system with no issues, so not sure why so much fuss at Shark Valley.

This park is a part of Everglades nation park, by saying that you can imaging to see alligators all around your biking/walking trail. It's a 15 miles trail and they provide rental bikes or even they have tour to give you a ride and shows you around. The best of park is the tower that you can watch the whole if valley from the top. Highly recommend to visit and bring your company there.

It is a wonderful place to take your bike and see alligators, birds and other species of the Everglades. This is a true experience. You can take a tram too. Now at Spring it is mating season. I hope I can go to see some baby alligators. Please do not feed Wildlife! Just watch and move slow, do not scare the animals with loud noise. I love this place! It is a true experience.

QUICKIE REVIEW Worth it; it's not everyday you get to stroll by alligators. EXPERIENCE We arrived to Shark Valley 7 minutes after the tram left (tours run hourly for 2 hours). We opted in to do the bike ride on the trail, why not? The trail itself is one big loop that is roughly 14 miles, which takes about 2-3 hours to complete via bike. Before we could even start the trail, an alligator greeted us. After that, it felt like every 100-200 feet we were running into multiple alligators. Benefit or drawback, depends on your perspective, of riding on the trail is that you get to stop as you please and take as many pictures as you like, i.e. you can get as close to nature as you dare. Do not be a recipient of Darwin's award. Turn around point for the trail is an observation tower that allows you to overlook the surrounding area. This gives you a really good view of what Florida use to look like before people inhabited it. After you are done taking it in, it is back on the trail to the starting point. PRICE $25 to enter the park, $9 per hour for bike rental (average rental is about 3 hours). I would say $52 is a good deal considering the close up experience. TIP Get there early, parking fills up. Weekday is preferable if you can. DO NOT LEAVE YOUR BAG AT YOUR BIKE, bring it with you. While checking out the observation tower, crows will rob you blind. I knew this for camping but didn't think of it for the Everglades. The crows gave a friendly reminder this day. If you are a veteran, I would look into getting the "America the Beautiful" access pass. It waves the entry fee. That's $25 back in your pocket. Also, if you are local to Miami and have a bike, bring it. The bikes that are there are OLD. There is one speed and the seat cushion is not the softest. You can save yourself $27 and have a much more comfortable ride.

This is one of my "go to" places when I want to give out of town visitors an Everglades experience. I live in Miami and I have brought each of my three daughters and some of their boyfriends here when they are visiting from MA. I've had a great experience every time I have been Shark Valley and have been here 5 or 6 times. There is a paved one lane road that goes out to an observation tower at this park. The tower is about 50 feet high, it is about 7-8 miles out, and the same 7-8 miles back. You can buy a ticket for a tram out to the tower or take a bike (pretty sure you can rent one too). With the tram you have a tour guide telling you all about the Everglades and the wild life. I have done the tram 3 or 4 times. I was never interested in being a meals on wheels and taking a bike! That said, lots of people take the bikes. The alligators, that are plentiful, are not very interested at all in the humans. There are tons of birds to see in this park. The variety of birds you will see "almost" steals the show from the alligators. I have only been in the winter months and during dry season when the water level is low. On 1/2 the occasions I have been here I have had to park outside the park on the SW 8th / Tamiami Trail. However, it is a relatively short walk in. Even if you do not take the tram or rent the bike there is plenty of wild life to see in the first walkable portion of the park. On one of my visits I did not take the tram and my guest was perfectly happy with the experience. Some advise is to take some sunscreen and bug spray. For me a visit to Shark Valley and a ride on an airboat (Buffalo Tiger) is the perfect Everglades day-trip. 5 stars for Shark Valley. See ya later alligator....

I've visited the park by myself, and with my husband and friends, with my bicycle 4x and it was great. Each time has been during the winter because it's much cooler and not buggy. It's a flat route, but, challenging on the second 8 mile loop if it's a windy day. Highly recommended for people of all ages and abilities.

This nature center lies within Big Cypress National Park, and has a great 15 mile bike path. You can also opt for a trolly style tour of the area. You are bound to encounter some 'gators. However, if you ride past quickly, they usually don't seem to mind that you're there. With that being said, use extreme caution and follow the parks rules. Halfway through the trail, there is an observation tower. I truly felt like I was experiencing nature, and loved every minute of it. I even upgraded to the annual pass after visiting.

Lol covid ... the tram ran once in two hours, because covid or nobody wanted to work don't know which..... expensive to get in... walked 3 miles saw a lot of gators

Shark Valley is the closest launching off point to the Everglades from Miami proper. It's popular for viewing wildlife, namely gators, along a 15-mile stretch of paved road to an observation tower that sits in the middle of the everglades. I went during an off-peak season -- the summertime. It's hot, humid, and water levels are at it's highest so gators like to hide. Keep that in mind. Regardless, I only walked around shortly on some short nature trails situated over some boardwalk since it was so HOT. There were a ton of locusts and I may have stepped on a few. Whoops. You really have to go deep down the paved trail to really view anything. In that light, they have bike rentals at the visitor center for $8/hour I think. Those start going out at 9am and people definitely line up for them so get there early before they run out. The bike ride is 15 miles both ways, so a total of 30 miles which they say takes 2-3 hours. The glades are pretty flat, so I'm sure it's not terrible, but most likely will be if it's hot and humid out, like it was on the day I went. It was 90 degrees and blazing. You also have the option of the tram which leaves at 9:30am at the earliest. I was very surprised at the beauty of the everglades which certainly stretches for miles. It definitely is a very unique ecosystem where only specific wildlife and plants can thrive. The rangers at the the visitor center were ultra friendly and informative. There is a counter inside for you to acquire your NP Passport stamp and there is a unique cancellation for Shark Valley. According to the ranger, it was "virtually bug-less" during my visit, but these areas are usually prone to mosquito activity and they do sell some bug spray at the visitor center I want to say for $7 or so. After your jaunt through the everglades at this outpost, be sure to check out the many air boat tours nearby!

When my husband and I decided to ride bikes through Shark Valley I was hoping that we would be able to see an alligator or two. Wow was I blown away....gators, gators, and more gators! There were little ones, big ones, bigger ones, and mom gators with dozens of babies. They were everywhere & it seemed as if they were posing for our cameras! We also saw so many beautiful birds; egrets, herons, cormorants, roseate spoonbills etc. We paid our $30 entrance fee & arrived at the visitor center early on a Friday morning. We brought our own bikes because we read that sometimes they run out of rental bikes. After a quick stop at the well maintained bathrooms we started our 15 mile bike ride. There is a nice tower that overlooks the Everglades, and since it is about 1/2 way through the trail we packed a picnic style lunch and ate there. The trail is great & really makes you feel one with nature. Other than a few trams of tourists going the other direction; we had very little human contact for about 3 hours. (There was also no cellular service which is good because you can really disconnect from civilization; but it could be a negative if you had an emergency.). The first half of the trail was really fun, easy, & enjoyable; however the way back, although still enjoyable, was much more difficult because we were against the wind the whole time. I definitely suggest that you bring water with you & if you're not used to biking, or not in good health; the tram might be a better option for you! Overall we thoroughly enjoyed our Shark Valley visit and will be back again when we have visitors from out of town! Don't forget the camera, the water or the sunscreen!

Ok this is def worth visiting. However READ my advice: 1. Take.sunscreen. 2. Take.Water. 3. Obey their rules. Parents, do NOT try to get your kiddos' pics with the alligators. DO keep your children with you the entire time. Do not let them get too far away on their bike that they can barely manage. 4. Stay on the side of the road, not middle, so we can pass. 5. You are not the only person in the damn park. Be considerate of others. Turn your weird music down just a tad, stay in your lane, stay in your lane, stay in your lane. 6. Keep your children close. If you have a lot of children with you, maybe you shouldn't go. It's a great park. Hundreds of alligators to see. Long 15 mile bike ride!

Okay, I loved this place! Yes, it's $20 to get in, but that lasts for 7 days. Seven glorious days of this wild and amazing place! Of course we were only there for a few hours, but we could have been there for 7 days if we had time! We wanted to make it to the Observation Tower, but we just couldn't. We had bug spray, and hats, but no sunscreen (dumb move by us!) and left our water in the car. But we took the Bobcat Trail (definitely use the bug spray here) and saw a baby gator, plus, I could not get over how clear the water was! So pretty! Then we went back through and saw a few more gators although two babies and on medium sized one. No huge monster gators though darn it. But, we screwed up and went tin the afternoon and it was HOT! I'm from Houston and I'm used to hot, steamy weather but this was hot like woah. If you're not used to the Florida weather, stay hydrated and stay cool as you can get into trouble quick! Dehydration is no fun and can be dangerous! I wish we had more time to explore this area and the others, but I am still glad we made the stop! I had dreamed of going to the Everglades since I was a kid living in Kansas and I read "The Black Stallion's Ghost"....and although it wasn't like the book (ha ha), I still loved it! The tram tour would have been fun, but man $24.95 a person on top of the entrance fee? A little steep, but it is two hours and you don't have to walk, so I could see where it could be worth it to people, especially with any mobility or health issues. All in all, this is a fantastic place with tons of cool wildlife, but remember, this park was made more for the animals more than for the people!

We recently went to the Everglades National Park on President's weekend. Since it was holiday weekend, I knew there would be lines. It took about 20 minutes to get through the main gate as we had to wait for one car out before one car could go back in due to a full parking lot. There was only one of four trams operating by the third-party Shark Valley tram service. This created a lack of availability for us to book any times on the tram for the 7 mile tram trek to the tower. The only available spots were 2 to 3 hours out. Somewhat disappointing that three of the four trams were not in operation on such a big weekend. We did go for a nice quick stroll out a few miles and back and then down to the Bobcat Trail. There's not a whole lot of wildlife to see on the driving trail out, but the Bobcat Trail had a nice alligator with some of her young ones.

The Everglades National park is a wonderful park for nature-lovers and visiting Shark Valley is one of the best ways to experience it! The entrance fee is $25 but you can buy a park pass for $40 and its good for an entire year. There are three ways you can enjoy this visit: by walking, by tram, or by bike! I like to bring my own bike but I do recommend taking the tram if you want to enjoy an informative ride with a tour guide. You will see alligators, and lots of them! Especially if you go in the winter months, which is when they love to stay out of the water and bask in the sun! Other wildlife you'll encounter include several bird species, snakes and turtles. Halfway down the 15 miles loop is the observation tower which is a great photo-op! I highly recommend bringing bug spray and plenty of drinking water if you plan on visiting during the summer!

This place is so awesome- where else can you literally bike in the wilderness next to alligators sunbathing who don't give a crap about you? I was definitely worried about getting attacked but rest assured, they could care less. I did see one area roped off with an "aggressive alligator" sign so they know the dangerous ones and where they hang out. $9/hr to rent a bike. Warning- they are quite jankity and are obviously old. If you're a local, this is a great spot to get an annual pass and just cycle the 15 miles time and time again. It's $25 for a day pass, $40 for an annual just to this park, and $80 for all parks! It's 7 miles to reach the observatory deck which offers amazing views and you can take another 8 mile path back or the same one. You do have to squeeze by the trams. Seriously though- so worth every mile exploring! The tram tour would be good if you don't want to bike and you want to be educated. Such great wildlife. The observation deck gives you an amazing panoramic view of the park which makes me think of the scene where Simba is told everything in the light is his kingdom.

My friend and I decided to do the tourist thing of visiting this Shark Valley Visitor Center at the Everglades; we figured we didn't want to haul a canoe and do the trails this first round (especially since it's summer and we would be eaten alive by mosquitoes). So onwards to the park we went. It was a short-ish 50-odd minute drive from Miami, right along old Tamiami Trail. You really can't miss the entrance to this place, and along the way, we even spotted a few alligators in the canals next to the road! Score! So we got there a little early, and waited, since they don't actually open till 8am, and was let in a little after 8am. Though I feel that there were bikers who have been in the area before opening time, but that's ok. Entrance fee for each car is $25, so it really is a better deal if you come with a few friends, especially if you're splitting the cost of going here. However, I noticed that there are some cars who parked on the side of the road and walked/biked in, and I believe that the price for that is $8 per person. Here there is a small visitor center with a small exhibit, and a store where you can get water and some snacks! I think the water is definitely a necessity here! You can also rent a bike for $9 per hour, and/or a tram tour for $25 per adult (it's a little steep in my opinion). The bike trail is really quite nice, it is paved and very flat. This makes it really easy to ride even for someone who is not in shape, like myself. It took us almost 3 hours to finish the trail, but we stopped at the observation tower for a good 30 minutes. There is a straight route to start the bike route, and then a curvy section. Like many others, I have to agree that the straight route actually has a lot more wildlife, the curvy route may have more birds, but that's lacking in the summer (I have been told winter is good for bird watching!). We had a great time, the wildlife though a little sparse was still decent, and honestly I had a good time looking at the scenery and landscape all around. Surprisingly, we didn't get any mosquito bites, and because we went early enough, the sun wasn't beating down on us! I might decide to go back should I feel like another 15 mile bike ride! ;)