Everglades National Park will gradually reopen starting May 4. Entry fees are waived.
Everglades National Park is gradually reopening to the public starting on Monday, granting access to its main road from the Homestead entrance to Flamingo, as well as to the Flamingo marina and boat ramps, and all beach campsites in the wilderness. The park is waiving entrance fees.
All visitor centers and buildings will remain closed except for the Flamingo marina store, restrooms, and gas pumps, the National Park Service said in a statement on Friday. Park locations such as Shark Valley and Gulf Coast will remain closed, as will the Royal Palm area, which includes the Anhinga Trail, a popular stop for visitors. Concession tours and boat rentals are also still closed.
“I am pleased that we can be part of our community’s efforts to take incremental steps toward reopening,” Superintendent Pedro Ramos said in the statement. “Our action to restore access to the park’s main road and Flamingo provides additional opportunities for people to spread out a little more while practicing social distancing.”
The waters of Biscayne National Park and Dry Tortugas National Parks are open, but visitor centers remain closed. The parks are deciding on their own reopening plans.
The parks closed to the public on March 20 after Miami-Dade County ordered sweeping closures of public parks and beaches as part of an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.
The Park Service said the public should follow local area health orders, including the regulations listed in the Miami-Dade County Emergency Order 21-20 for marinas, boat ramps, fish cleaning stations, and fishing piers.
This story was originally published May 1, 2020 at 11:37 AM.
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