Everglades National Park Trail Status

Last updated Oct 7, 2026 (7:35 a.m. ET) · Status checked against National Park Service sources on Oct 6, 2026.

This page lists Everglades National Park trails, paddling trails, campgrounds and key sites by area, with the status shown on official National Park Service (NPS) pages when we last checked. It is not an official NPS page. Conditions can change within hours because of weather, fire, flooding or wildlife.

Closed or limited right now

40 trails and sites listed: 28 open · 4 passable, not maintained · 2 partly open · 3 closed · 3 unknown.

• Bear Lake Trail (Flamingo): Unknown NPS: “passable, but not maintained” (critical habitat for endangered species); travel at your own risk. NPS: Bear Lake Road “closes to traffic in the summer months due to flooding and erosion”; NPS does not state the current road status (place page re-checked Oct 7, 2026).
• East Everglades Day Use Area (East Everglades): Closed NPS: closed to all public use during construction with heavy machinery.
• Gulf Coast Canoe/Kayak Launch (Gulf Coast): Unknown NPS sources conflict: one NPS listing says the launch is closed for construction, while the place page and the Gulf Coast visitor center page describe a kayak launch. Call Gulf Coast rangers at (786) 758-0635 before you go.
• Halfway Creek (Paddling – Gulf Coast): Partly open NPS: not completely passable; impassable from L3 up to L1 marker; detour via L markers.
• Turner River (Paddling – Gulf Coast): Unknown No closure listed; NPS: may be impassable if water is too high or too low.
• Bear Lake Canoe Trail (Paddling – Flamingo): Closed NPS: “Bear Lake Canoe Trail is no longer passable” (place page re-checked Oct 7, 2026).
• Wilderness Waterway (Paddling – Wilderness): Partly open Waterway itself: no closure listed. Wilderness sites closed for maintenance: Johnson Key Chickee, Shark Point Chickee, Little Rabbit Key Ground Site; Hog Key middle and Pavilion Key interior closed. Permit required overnight.
• Long Pine Key Campground (Campgrounds): Closed Closed for the season May 1–Oct 31, 2026; NPS lists it as open November–April.

Everything else in the table below is listed as open or passable by NPS. The park’s three entrances (Shark Valley, Homestead and Gulf Coast) are open; NPS says “All entrances and areas are open except for those noted below” on its Alerts & Conditions page.

Trail and site status by area

• Royal Palm
• Long Pine Key
• Pa-hay-okee
• Mahogany Hammock
• Flamingo
• Shark Valley
• East Everglades
• Gulf Coast
• Paddling – Gulf Coast
• Paddling – Flamingo
• Paddling – Wilderness
• Campgrounds

Nearby: Big Cypress National Preserve

Kirby Storter, Oasis and Loop Road are in Big Cypress National Preserve, which NPS manages separately from Everglades National Park. As of Oct 7, 2026, the Big Cypress roadside parks page says Kirby Storter is only partially open because of a fire in summer 2025. Check Big Cypress alerts and conditions before you go, and see our alligator viewing guide for other stops along US 41.

How we check

• Statuses come only from the NPS Alerts & Conditions page, the NPS alerts banner, and individual NPS trail, place and campground pages. We never guess a status.
• “Unknown” means NPS sources conflict or don’t say. Call the park (NPS main line 305-242-7700) if that trail matters to your plan.
• Weather and storms can close areas quickly. Check the National Weather Service Miami forecast and, from June through November, the National Hurricane Center. See our hurricane season guide.

Planning the day? Start with which park entrance to use, then see things to do by area or the Shark Valley guide.

Frequently asked questions