Follow our road trip down the Tamiami Trail, a scenic drive into Real Florida. The original road from Tampa to Miami travels through Big Cypress Swamp, and more. Our trip focused on the portion of Tamiami Trail starting outside of Miami headed west to Everglades City. There are many amazing and interesting stops along the way, including many opportunities to see wildlife. Even the elusive Florida Panther has been spotted along this trail.
Background
For Paul’s birthday this year, he wanted to spend time with as much family as possible on the beach. So, we booked a week stay at a timeshare in Pompano Beach right on the ocean. A week at the beach sounds nice, but Paul was looking for adventure. So, he planned 3 different days of adventures in South Florida with different members of our family. Unfortunately, Becky had to work some this vacation. Paul had the vacation time, but Becky doesn’t have as much, and sometimes has to work during our vacations. So, Becky decided to stay back this day with our daughter and parents. But Becky’s brother Kelly was with us and ready to go. Paul and Kelly had the whole day to explore.
Exploring the Tamiami Trail was the one adventure Paul really looked forward to. This road is the Northeastern border of the Everglades and goes through Big Cypress swamp to the Gulf Coast. There has been controversy over its effect on the Everglades essentially cutting off water flow into it. Read this interesting article that explains about the history and efforts to restore the water flows.
Planning the Tamiami Trail
One of the highlights on the Tamiami Trail is the Everglades National Park Shark Valley Visitor Center. However when planning, it was determined the Shark Valley area would easily take a half day on its own. So, we were planning to visit Shark Valley the next day. So, this trip down the Tamiami Trail will focus on stops past Shark Valley. Our first stop would be the Big Cypress National Preserve – Oasis Visitor Center. From there we would explore multiple stops along the way to Everglades City.
The Tamiami Trail is the southernmost stretch of US-41, and at some parts is also SR-90. For us, it really starts after you pass the Miccosukee Resort & Gaming casino at SR-997 or Krome Avenue. This was a little over an hour away from where we were staying. From the casino, it is about 45 minutes to the Oasis Visitor Center passing Shark Valley about half way.
Start of the Tamiami Trail
Once past the casino, you will start to see signs for airboat rides and the canal on the right. We will talk more about the airboat companies on our next day’s adventure. On this beginning stretch we were able to spot some alligators in the canal from our car. We also went over the newly constructed bridges. Not only do they provide for better water flow, but also provide great views showing the vastness of the Everglades. The Miccosukee Indian Village is right past the entrance to Shark Valley, but was closed due to Covid. Once past this village, the landscape changed as we entered Big Cypress National Preserve.
Our Stops along the Tamiami Trail
Click on any of these links to go straight to one of the following stops:
- Big Cypress National Preserve – Oasis Visitor Center
- Big Cypress Loop Road Scenic Drive and Gator Hook Trail
- Kirby Storter Roadside Park and Boardwalk
- H.P. Williams Roadside Park and Boardwalk
- Joanie’s Blue Crab Cafe
- Ochopee Post Office
- Big Cypress National Preserve – Swamp Visitor Center
- Everglades National Park – Gulf Coast Visitor Center
- Smallwood Store in Chokoloshee
- Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk
- Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park – Scenic Drive and Trail
Big Cypress National Preserve – Oasis Visitor Center
Our first stop was the Big Cypress National Preserve Oasis Visitor Center. For more information, check out their webpage at: Big Cypress National Preserve (nps.gov). In addition, read more details about our time in Big Cypress in our post: Journey into Big Cypress National Preserve.
We arrived at the Oasis Visitor Center by mid-morning. We turned right crossing over the canal to get into the parking lot. On the left is a boardwalk and on the right is the visitor center. We see tape in front of the boardwalk entrance so we head into the visitor center. We get a passport stamp for Becky. There we ask the ranger about the boardwalk. He said it’s closed because an alligator is on it. We rush out just in time to see them removing it! Once that gator had been removed, the boardwalk was back open.
The boardwalk is right in front of the canal. It is raised up and fenced so there’s plenty of protection from the gators as long as one is not on it! To our surprise, the canal in front of the boardwalk was full of alligators. You can easily walk from one end of the boardwalk to the other within 10 minutes, but we took our time. There were gators swimming in the water, and gators sunning on the shore just beneath the boardwalk. All of these gators were a good size and we had an up-close view of them.
Big Cypress Loop Road Scenic Drive and Gator Hook Trail
Just a few minutes past the visitor center is the 24 mile long Loop Road Scenic Drive on the left. You can get more information here for the Loop Road Scenic Drive. This road is gravel from the start. So, we decided to go a little ways rather than do the whole 24 mile loop back. We stopped at 2.2 miles at the Gator Hook Trailhead.
The trail is a 5 mile walk into the swamp. It begins on a dry area that was once a tram road built by loggers. However, the sign warns you will soon enter ankle to knee-deep water. This trail begins more wooded but dry. There were a LOT of mosquitos especially at the beginning of this trail. We went back to the car to get more bug spray where Kelly decided to stay. But Paul wanted to go back and ran through the wooded area until it opened up. Once out of the wooded area, it was beautiful.
On either side was sawgrass with trees in the distance on either side. It was really a neat spot just to be there in the middle of it. Paul walked to the end of the open area back, but soon hit water. The trail was flooded, so he headed back. With Paul and Kelly reunited, they turned around on this gravel road back to Tamiami Trail. The next stop was another recommended spot, the Kirby Storter boardwalk and picnic area.
Kirby Storter Roadside Park and Boardwalk
Once back on the main road, the Kirby Storter Park is just a few minutes down the road on the left. The park has a large parking lot with covered picnic tables, vault toilets and the boardwalk trail. The boardwalk trail is a one mile roundtrip and is definitely more family-friendly then the last trail. The boardwalk trail starts through a sawgrass prairie into a cypress swamp and ends at a gator hole. We saw many air plants in the cypress trees along the way.
Once we got into the swampy area to the gator hole, we saw lots of wildlife. We were able to see a Florida red-bellied Cooter sunning on a log. We also saw another turtle in the water. At the end we did see a gator at the gator hole hiding in the water.
We spent a little time at the gator hole area enjoying being so close to nature. It was a really nice boardwalk with a nice ending. We got to see an anhinga perched on a tree limb take flight. Kelly also pointed out a baby gator just below the boardwalk as we were leaving. We then headed back quickly returning the same way we came.
H.P. Williams Roadside Park and Boardwalk
Another 5 minutes down the road was the next quick stop, the H.P, Williams Roadside Park. This park was much smaller than Kirby Storter Park, but still had ample parking, picnic tables and a vault toilet. The boardwalk here is 200 meters and is on the waterway. It is similar to the one at the Oasis Visitor Center, but shorter, and on a waterway instead of the canal. We could see fish swimming in the waterway, but we didn’t see any gators. It was a nice stop with restrooms.
Joanie’s Blue Crab Cafe on the Tamiami Trail
By this time, it is after noon and we were hungry for lunch. Joanie’s Blue Crab Café is just 3 minutes past the last boardwalk. This café is the only place to get something to eat between Shark Valley and Everglades City. So, it was a good thing we planned to stop here.
We knew being the only place around, this was more of a tourist trap. The menu prices were high, but we expected it. They are known for their local foods and their crab. But it was disappointing they had marked out crab cakes and crab soup from the menu. The only crab left on the menu was fresh blue crabs at market price and a soft shell crab sandwich. Paul got the sandwich and Kelly got the burger. The food was alright and it was a nice stop. Fueled up, we were ready for the next stop around the corner.
Ochopee Post Office on the Tamiami Trail
Just past Joanie’s on the left was a small Post Office. The Ochopee Post Office is considered to be the smallest post office in the United States! After a fire in 1953, this building that used to be an irrigation pipe shed, became the post office.
We got out and walked around. They have a sign that explains more about the post office. We peered in the window and there was actually someone working inside!
Big Cypress National Preserve – Swamp Visitor Center
Big Cypress National Preserve has 2 visitor centers. The Nathaniel P. Reed or Big Cypress Swamp Visitor Center is on the Western edge. We turned left into the parking lot. We headed inside and got more stamps for Becky’s passport book. They also have park rangers there to answer questions, more exhibits, as well as another store. We didn’t stay too long. However, we went out back, where they also have a boardwalk.
Their boardwalk, however, is on a canal. You can tell you are closer to the Gulf Coast of Florida. Mangrove trees are all along this boardwalk, and on this waterway which heads out to the Gulf. We didn’t see much wildlife, but it was a nice view different than the others we’d seen this day.
Everglades National Park – Gulf Coast Visitor Center
At this point we turned South off Tamiami Trail on SR-29 to Everglades City. Everglades National Park has 3 main entrances into the park and the Gulf Coast Visitor Center would be the second one we’ve visited. We went through the Homestead entrance back in 2014, our first time to the Everglades. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much to do here.
The visitor center is actually a temporary trailer building since the original was destroyed by Hurricane Irma in 2017. We knew they had boat trips you could book, and possibly kayak rentals too. But at this point in the day, we just wanted to explore on land. The visitor center was closed, but there was a park ranger that would help through a window. There was a short line, but she was able to ask questions and provided the stamp for Becky’s passport book.
Other than book boat trips, there wasn’t any hiking trails. But she said there was the Smallwood Store in Chokoloshee just south of there that could be an interesting stop. We thanked here and walked over to the dock where the boats were parked. It looked like we would have had a boat to ourselves. We were the only ones there. We looked out at the Gulf of Mexico toward the Ten Thousand Islands. After a few minutes, we decided to check out the Smallwood Store.
Smallwood Store in Chokoloshee
We thought Everglades City was the farthest South by land you could go on the Gulf Coast of Florida. However, the historic Smallwood Store is the southernmost point on the West Coast of Florida! We drove through Everglades City down to Chokoloshee Island. This store was established in 1906 as a trading post and is now a museum filled with many original goods and relics. It is also on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
When we got there, we were greeted with a sign in front of the store that it costs $5 to enter. Paul wanted to see inside, but Kelly decided to just walk around the outside. Paul walked up the stairs and paid at the entrance. This store used to be a general store and is still the post office for Chokoloshee. The store was left the way it used to be and you see vintage goods you can look at, but not buy. Walking through it was interesting, however. There are also areas that provide information about the Smallwood family and about the Native Americans that used to come here. Out the back is the water, where traders would come by boat or canoe. Is was an interesting stop, but we were ready to head to our next stop.
Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk
We were excited to go to the Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk. It has been recommended by multiple park rangers along the way. Ironically the boardwalk is not in the Big Cypress National Preserve. But rather is located in the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park. It is really hard to keep these names straight! This state park is the largest in Florida and known as “the Amazon of North America”. To read more details about our adventures here, check out our post: The Real Florida in Fakahatchee Strand Preserve.
This 2,000 foot long boardwalk trail, like others we traversed that day, is elevated and goes straight through the woods. There were mature cypress and royal palm trees over 100 feet tall. We tried taking pictures of them, but you can’t get the whole tree in the picture. Then we heard some birds and to our amazement we saw a pileated woodpecker. There are interpretive signs on the trail and one was of a strangler fig tree wrapped around a big cypress tree. It looks like something out of Beetlejuice!
As we walked along the boardwalk, we see many grasshoppers. We start to see some water and soon enough we are at the end. The boardwalk opens wide to a serene pond adorned by swamp lilies. There are benches to sit, but we were more interested in taking in the scenery. Kelly spotted a smaller alligator in the water on the left perfectly hidden behind some lilies.
Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park – Scenic Drive and Trail
We were so pleased with the boardwalk trail, we wanted to see more of Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park. So, we headed to the main entrance in the town of Copeland. We turned around to head East and when we got to the intersection of SR-29, this time we turned north. We drove through a neighborhood to the park and to its visitor center, then headed to Janes Scenic Drive.
The Janes Scenic Drive is also a dirt gravel road, but fairly wide. The main road and the trails were all used for logging cypress trees in the 1940s. There are 2 main trails you can access from the scenic drive, the West and East Main Tram trails. We drove to the 1st, the West Main Tram trail, about 4.5 miles down. We stopped, but being late in the afternoon, we decided to continue driving to the East trail. Another 2 miles at 15-20MPH, we made it to the end of the dirt road where there is a small parking lot. Like the West Main Tram trail, it starts at a gate.
The trail itself was pretty well maintained. We walked for a little while and felt like if we would have gone farther, we would have had a chance to see some wildlife. But, we decided to head back before it got dark. We returned back on the gravel road taking about another 30 minutes before we get to the exit.
Return and Tamiami Trail Summary
We left Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park and the Tamiami Trail behind as we headed to I-75. “Alligator Alley” or I-75 is the newer and larger road, and our quickest road back for dinner. There were multiple places we could have stopped on the way, but decided we needed to get back. After a day on the Tamiami Trail, we got back in time for dinner with the rest of the family.
The Tamiami Trail was an exciting road trip into “Real” Florida. There were some many great stops and we were able to go East Coast to West Coast and back in the same day. We loved the boardwalk trails we did and would love to one day get farther into the swampy areas. We didn’t see the elusive Florida panther, but we saw a lot of wildlife and most stops are family friendly. Though always use caution along the trails and be prepared. The one area of the trail we didn’t see was Shark Valley, but that is where we go the next day with the whole family!
Other Adventures This Week
Check out our other adventures this week in South Florida at these 2 national parks:
Really enjoyed reading about your adventures in Alligator Alley!!! Great how u included the various Links. Will be really helpful in planning our trips. Awesome pics as well!