Shark Valley… in the Everglades?

But…are there sharks??

First of all, you may be sad to learn that you will NOT see Sharks at Shark Valley. So, why is it called Shark Valley? The Valley part comes from the fact that even though there are no mountains, the elevation of this area is lower than the surrounding areas. Shark Valley is about 7 feet above sea level. The Shark part of the name stems from The Shark River and the little Shark River which are both estuaries supplied by the Everglades River. The Shark River water is brackish, which provides a perfect breeding ground for BullSharks, Lemon Sharks, and Blacktip Sharks. So, while you won’t see Sharks IN the park here, you can see them not too far away.

Before I give you all the deets about Shark Valley, I’ll share a bit more about Everglades National Park.

About Everglades National Park

Everglades National Park is located in Southern Florida. The park was established in 1937 in an effort to protect the fragile ecosystem of the Everglades. In 1976 Everglades National Park was listed as a World Heritage Site. Everglades National Park is the 3rd largest National Park and is 1.5 million acres. Over 1 million people visit the park every year. Everglades National Park is the largest wilderness East of the Mississippi and the largest tropical wilderness in the US.

Everglades National Park is home to many species of animals. Many of these animals are listed on the Endangered or Threatened list, making preservation of this ecosystem even more important! Some of the at-risk animals you might find while exploring the Everglades are:

• Florida Panther
• American Crocodile
• American Alligator
• West Indian Manatee
• Wood Stork
• Snail Kite

Can you tell the difference between an Alligator and a Crocodile?
The American crocodile can be distinguished from the alligator by its pointed nose and visible rows of teeth when its mouth is closed

There are a lot of activities that you can do in Everglades National Park. There are numerous opportunities for bird watching or animal watching. You can boat, kayak, or canoe. There are places to hike, geocache, or take a tour. You can bike too! Shark Valley is a GREAT place for bike riding in Everglades National Park!

Accessing Everglades National Park

There are currently 4 entrances to Everglades National Park. Entrance fees are $30.00 per vehicle for a 7-day pass. You can use the pass at any of the Everglades Entrances. You can also purchase the America The Beautiful pass for $80.00 and get unlimited access to all NPS sights for one year.

• Gulf Coast Visitors Center— Located the furthest North East of all of the park entrances, it is located in Everglades City. This is your entrance if you want to explore the area 10 thousand islands which is only accessible by boat.
• Flamingo Visitors Center–This is the Southern most entrance and is located closest to the Keys. From Flamingo, you can take boat tours, and get camping permits. You can rent kayaks, canoes, and bicycles.
• Ernest F. Coe Visitors Center— A bit further North from Flamingo is Ernest F Coe Visitor Center. There is a bookstore and numerous walking trails that leave from this visitors center.
• Shark Valley Visitors Center— Closest to Miami, this one makes a great day trip from the city and offers many amenities. This is the focus of this post, so read on for more details on Shark Valley.

Shark Valley is a great introduction to the Everglades National Park. The other areas will be fun and interesting too, with boat rides, or kayaking, but I loved Shark Valley for its hands-on, accessible approach to visiting the Everglades.

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Shark Valley

The entrance gates at Shark Valley are open from 8:30 am -6:00 pm and the visitors center is open from 9:00am – 5:00 pm.

The Shark Valley visitor center has books, souvenirs and educational opportunities. They also sell snacks and water.

Be sure to get water at the visitors center! You’ll need the water to stay hydrated while exploring the area, and the visitors center is the only place to get any in this section of the park

Shark Valley has a 15 mile paved loop that you can explore by walking, riding a bike or taking a guided tram. Be sure and budget enough time to fully explore this area. Halfway through the loop is a 45 foot tall observation tower. This is an awesome spot to gaze over the area, and view wildlife. From the tower, we saw more birds than we could name, alligators, a crocodile, and turtles.

You can walk the loop, but its far more fun to ride a bike, or take the tram!

Biking Shark Valley

You can bring your own bike, or you can rent one from the tour company located by the visitors center. Bike rentals are $20.00, and you can rent helmets too. You’ll need a driver’s license in order to rent the bikes. You can sign up to rent your bike online, or in-person (first come first serve) at the park. The road is flat, and easy to ride. You will want to reserve about 3-4 hours to do the ride, as you will likely be stopping along the way to take in the sights. Again, don’t forget to bring water! If you don’t want to buy it at the visitors center, I love this hydration backpack and this reusable water bottle. You can even rent a basket for your bike if you don’t want to carry a backpack!

Shark Valley Tram Tour

If riding isn’t your thing, there is a Tram tour that is educational, and interesting. We opted for the tram on our trip because it was HOT outside, and we didn’t have half a day to ride the route on our own. You can reserve your tram tour online, or in person at the tram office at the park. If you are visiting during the winter (December-March) you should definitely plan ahead and book your tour online as they fill up. When we went in April we were able to just hop on the next tour, but you may not get that lucky.

Prices for the tram tour are (at the time of this writing)

• Adults (13-61) $27.00
• Seniors (62+) $21.00
• Children (3-12) $14.00

The Tram tour last about 2 hours. The tours are escorted by Naturalists that are knowledgeable about the ecosystem of Shark Valley. The tram is open on the sides, so you can see out and get great photos of the tram. They go slowly and stop anytime there is something of extra interest to look at. Halfway through the tour, you will arrive at the observation tower. The tram stops and you are able to get off and walk up the tower. The walkway up to the tower and the tram ride are both handicap accessible too!

The Tram tour last about 2 hours. The tours are escorted by Naturalists that are knowledgeable about the ecosystem of Shark Valley. The tram is open on the sides, so you can see out and get great photos from the tram. They go slowly and stop anytime there is something of extra interest to look at. Halfway through the tour, you will arrive at the observation tower. The tram stops and you are able to get off and walk up the tower. The walkway up to the tower and the tram ride are both handicap accessible too!

We learned so much on our tram tour. This was our first visit to the Everglades and it was great to learn so much about the history, ecosystem, preservation, and animals of the area. I think that a bike tour would be fun, but I’m glad that we had a guide to teach us for our first time.

After the tram, we walked around a little on our own. All of the paths are paved, and easy to walk. We walked along a path that paralleled the water. We saw alligators, baby alligators, fish, birds, and turtles on our walk.

When to visit Shark Valley

Florida weather is mild year-round. That being said, there definitely is a remarkable difference in the Everglades during different seasons. December- April is considered a dry season in the Everglades. The temperature is just perfect, and because there is less standing water there are FEWER MOSQUITOS! Fewer mosquitos make everything more enjoyable! We went in late March, and it was fun. When we were there, things were pretty dry, and we got to see a lot of the landscape of the park. I’d love to visit again when there is more water, just to see the Everglades in a different way.

Visiting Shark Valley would make an excellent day trip from Miami or a great stop on a Florida Road trip! There are so many fun things to do in Florida! Be sure and add this amazing park to your National Parklist of places you must see!

Essentials to take when visiting the Everglades

Be sure and check out these other awesome National Parks too!

Mount Rainier, North Cascade, Joshua tree, New River Gorge

Happy Travels! Be sure and send me some Alligator pics from your trip!