Best Time to Visit Everglades National Park

Pick a month. Best months are in bold.

The best months to visit Everglades National Park are October, November and December — computed from official NPS visitation (2021–2025 average), NOAA weather normals and daylight. February is the crowd peak (103,636 monthly visits); October is quietest at 37% of peak.

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Bring for Everglades in October

Sun protection and 2L+ water per personSee it on AmazonWhy: highs average 88°F.
Rain shell + pack coverSee it on AmazonWhy: 5.5″ of precipitation is normal this month.
Waterproof bootsSee it on AmazonWhy: 5.5″ of precipitation is normal this month.

October is one of Everglades's best months. Going in another month? Pick it in the month row above: each month page has its own list.

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Current NPS alerts (as of 2026-10-31, live conditions →):

Current Alerts and Conditions (Park Closure)
For entrance fees, we accept digital passes and credit/debit cards (Information)
Roadwork may cause delays on US 41/Tamiami Trail (Caution)

Best months for fewer crowds

The quietest months at Everglades, leaving out harsh weather and months when main access is typically closed.

Everglades in October37% of the February peak Everglades in September42% of the February peak Everglades in November58% of the February peak

Monthly crowd curve

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Average monthly recreation visits, 2021–2025 (NPS Visitor Use Statistics). Amber bar = current month.

A sunset creates a silhouette of a cypress tree with needle-like leaves that is shaped like an 'N'. — Everglades National Park — photo: NPS Photo by Miguel Salas (public-domain NPS media)

Everglades month by month

Month	Verdict	Avg visits	% of peak	High / Low	Precip	Daylight
January	Peak crowds	102,615	99%	78°F / 55°F	1.7″	10.7h
February	Peak crowds	103,636	100%	81°F / 57°F	1.8″	11.3h
March	Peak crowds	103,078	99%	83°F / 58°F	1.9″	12h
April	Peak crowds	88,739	86%	86°F / 62°F	2.9″	12.7h
May	Shoulder	68,963	67%	89°F / 67°F	5.8″	13.4h
June	Shoulder	69,355	67%	91°F / 72°F	9.0″	13.7h
July	Shoulder	70,086	68%	93°F / 74°F	6.8″	13.6h
August	Shoulder	61,469	59%	93°F / 74°F	8.6″	13h
September	Shoulder	44,014	42%	91°F / 74°F	9.0″	12.3h
October	Best window	38,164	37%	88°F / 71°F	5.5″	11.6h
November	Best window	60,587	58%	83°F / 64°F	2.4″	10.9h
December	Best window	74,833	72%	80°F / 59°F	1.9″	10.6h

Crowds: NPS Visitor Use Statistics, mean of 2021–2025 (2020 excluded as a COVID-19 anomaly). Weather: NOAA 1991–2020 monthly normals, station ROYAL PALM RS, FL US (8 mi from park coordinates). Daylight: computed for the 15th of each month at the park's location. Methodology.

How many people visit Everglades each year

Everglades National Park had 778,198 recreation visits in 2025, 5% more than 2024 (NPS Visitor Use Statistics). The busiest year since 2015 was 2022, with 1,155,193. Over 2021–2025 it averaged 885,539 visits a year, which makes it the 27th most-visited of the 63 national parks.

Year	Recreation visits	vs. year before
2025	778,198	+5%
2024	741,983	−8%
2023	810,189	−30%
2022	1,155,193	+23%
2021	942,130	+34%
2020	702,319	−37%
2019	1,118,300	+87%
2018	597,124	−41%
2017	1,018,557	+9%
2016	930,907	−14%
2015	1,077,427	—

Calendar-year recreation visits as published by NPS Visitor Use Statistics. 2020 is shown here but left out of the monthly averages above, because the COVID-19 pandemic makes it unrepresentative. See how every park compares: all 63 parks ranked by visits.

What to pack for Everglades in October

Computed from October's weather normals — Everglades's best month above. Visiting another month? Each month page has its own weather-computed list.

Sun protection and 2L+ water per person — highs average 88°F
Rain shell + pack cover — 5.5″ of precipitation is normal this month
Waterproof boots — plus navigation and a basic first-aid kit — 5.5″ of precipitation is normal this month

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Common questions

What is the best month to visit Everglades?

October, November and December rank best for Everglades on VisitWhen's computed score — the strongest balance of low crowds (NPS data), comfortable weather (NOAA normals) and daylight. The numbers are on Everglades in October.

What is the most crowded month at Everglades?

February: an average of 103,636 recreation visits (NPS, 2021–2025). The quietest is October, at 37% of the February peak.

When is Everglades least crowded with decent conditions?

October. It is the park's quietest month (37% of the February peak, 38,164 average visits) without harsh-season weather.

How many people visit Everglades per year?

What is the weather like at Everglades through the year?

The warmest month is August, with average highs of 93°F. The coldest nights come in January, averaging 55°F. The wettest month is September, with 9.0″ of precipitation. (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, ROYAL PALM RS, FL US station.)

Everglades month by month: notes from the park service

January: January is peak Everglades weather, in the middle of the dry season the park puts at November through April. Afternoons average about 77°F and nights around 53°F, and the park names an abundance of wildlife among the reasons the dry season is so popular.
February: February is the heart of Everglades' dry season, which the park service runs from November through April: mild, pleasant days, low humidity and clear skies make it one of the busiest times to visit. Ranger-led programs run at Royal Palm, Flamingo, Shark Valley and Gulf Coast.
March: March is still Everglades' dry season (November through April), which the park service calls mild and pleasant, with low humidity and clear skies. That makes it one of the most popular months.
April: April is the last month of Everglades' dry season, which the park service runs from November through April, with mild days, low humidity and clear skies. It is still one of the popular times to visit, with ranger-led programs at Royal Palm, Flamingo, Shark Valley and Gulf Coast.
May: May is when the Everglades turns from dry to wet: the park says the summer wet season runs from about mid-May to November. Expect highs near 90°F with humidity above 90% and heat index readings over 100°F, plus afternoon thunderstorms that often pass quickly.
October: October is still in the Everglades wet season. Most of the park's nearly 60 inches of yearly rain falls between mid-May and November, and the largest totals usually come with tropical storms and hurricanes.
November: November is the Everglades' changeover month, ending the wet season and opening the dry one, which the park calls among the most popular times to visit because temperatures drop, mosquitoes ease and wildlife becomes abundant. Some facilities are not fully open in the wet months, so check what is operating before you drive to Flamingo, Shark Valley, Royal Palm or the Gulf Coast.
December: December is inside the Everglades dry season, which the park service describes as running November through April: mild and pleasant, with low humidity and clear skies, and one of the most popular times to visit. Rare strong cold fronts can bring near-freezing nights.

Each month page carries the full note and the NPS page it comes from.