Florida Everglades statistics show a national park shaped by water, low elevation, and exceptional biological variety. Everglades National Park covers 1,542,526 acres, includes 137 miles of coastline, and averages about 1 million visitors. The figures below describe the park’s size, landscape, climate, wildlife, history, and visitor infrastructure.
Contents
- Park size and wilderness
- Water, habitats, and coastline
- Wildlife and plants
- Threatened and endangered species
- Climate and seasonal conditions
- Trails, roads, and visitor facilities
- History and major additions
Park size and wilderness
Everglades National Park covers 1,542,526 acres, equivalent to 2,410 square miles. Its scale makes the park one of the defining protected landscapes in Florida. The park’s average elevation is 6 feet, while the full elevation range runs from 0 to 8 feet. These measurements help explain why even small changes in water movement can shape such a broad wetland environment.
The National Park Service reports 1,296,500 acres of designated wilderness and another 81,900 acres of potential wilderness. Together, wilderness and potential wilderness account for 86% of the park area. That proportion places most of the park in categories associated with large, relatively undeveloped landscapes.
The park’s main size and wilderness figures are:
| Measure | Statistic |
|---|---|
| Total park area | 1,542,526 acres |
| Equivalent area | 2,410 square miles |
| Designated wilderness | 1,296,500 acres |
| Potential wilderness | 81,900 acres |
| Wilderness plus potential wilderness | 86% of park area |
| Elevation range | 0–8 feet |
| Average elevation | 6 feet |
Source: NPS Everglades Park Statistics.
Water, habitats, and coastline
Water and wetland habitats account for much of the park’s physical character. Florida Bay and the Gulf of America cover 484,200 acres in the National Park Service’s resources and facilities figures. Sawgrass and freshwater marsh cover 572,200 acres, making that the largest named habitat category in the supplied park-area breakdown.
Mangrove forest covers 230,100 acres, while coastal areas cover 220,000 acres. These categories describe different parts of a connected landscape: freshwater marsh inland, mangrove forest along salt-influenced shorelines, and coastal areas at the edge of the park. The park also has 137 miles of coastline.
The habitat figures provide a compact comparison:
| Park feature | Area or length |
|---|---|
| Florida Bay and Gulf of America | 484,200 acres |
| Sawgrass and freshwater marsh | 572,200 acres |
| Mangrove forest | 230,100 acres |
| Coastal areas | 220,000 acres |
| Coastline | 137 miles |
Source: NPS Everglades Resources & Facilities.
The park’s water routes also have substantial measured length. The Wilderness Waterway spans 99 miles, and the Hell’s Bay Canoe Trail spans 8 miles. Both figures illustrate how visitors can encounter the Everglades through waterways as well as roads and walking trails.
Wildlife and plants
Everglades National Park supports a wide range of wildlife groups. More than 400 bird species have been identified in the park, while the National Park Service reports more than 360 bird species sighted. The park is also home to 25 mammal species and 60 amphibian and reptile species.
Fish diversity includes 125 species from 45 families. The park has more than 120 tree species, more than 1,000 seed-bearing plant species, and over 24 orchid species. The National Park Service lists 13 endangered species among the park’s resources and facilities figures.
The National Park Service’s bird information adds a more specific measure: 16 different species of wading birds live in the Everglades. The two bird totals use different wording and should be read accordingly. One describes species identified in the park’s resources summary, while the other describes species sighted in the park’s bird information.
Key biodiversity figures include:
- More than 400 bird species identified in the park.
- More than 360 bird species sighted.
- 16 species of wading birds living in the Everglades.
- 25 mammal species.
- 60 amphibian and reptile species.
- 125 fish species from 45 families.
- More than 120 tree species.
- More than 1,000 seed-bearing plant species.
- Over 24 orchid species.
Source: NPS Everglades Resources & Facilities and NPS Birds.
Threatened and endangered species
The National Park Service’s threatened-and-endangered-species figures use a broader accounting than the park’s general resources summary. Everglades National Park is home to 36 federally listed threatened or endangered native Florida species that may occur in the park. Those listed species include 8 plants, 7 invertebrates, 2 fish, 8 reptiles, 10 birds, and 4 mammals.
Seven of the federally listed species are considered extirpated from the park. The National Park Service also reports that critical habitat is designated or proposed for 10 of the 39 listed species that occur in the park. Because the figures refer to different classifications and counts, they should not be combined into a single total without additional definitions.
The federal species categories are:
| Category | Number of species |
|---|---|
| Plants | 8 |
| Invertebrates | 7 |
| Fish | 2 |
| Reptiles | 8 |
| Birds | 10 |
| Mammals | 4 |
| Federally listed species that may occur in the park | 36 |
Source: NPS Threatened and Endangered Species.
Approximately 180 plant and animal species in the park are also listed by the State of Florida as threatened, endangered, special concern, or commercially exploited. That state listing is broader than the federal categories above because it includes several status types, including special concern and commercially exploited.
Climate and seasonal conditions
Everglades National Park receives an average of 60 inches of annual rainfall. The park’s elevation ranges only from 0 to 8 feet, so the rainfall figure is especially relevant to understanding the wetland setting. The National Park Service identifies hurricane season as running from May 1 through November 15.
Seasonal temperature averages differ noticeably. Winter temperatures average a high of 77°F and a low of 53°F. Summer temperatures average a high of 87°F and a low of 67°F.
| Seasonal measure | Average high | Average low |
|---|---|---|
| Winter | 77°F | 53°F |
| Summer | 87°F | 67°F |
Source: NPS Everglades Park Statistics.
These are average seasonal conditions for the park, not a forecast for a particular visit. The hurricane-season dates are a calendar definition supplied by the National Park Service and do not describe the weather on any individual day.
Trails, roads, and visitor facilities
The park has 129 miles of surfaced roads and 156 miles of trails, including canoe trails. Of the trails, 5 miles are surfaced trails and 1 mile consists of elevated boardwalk trails. The distinction matters because the overall trail figure includes canoe trails, while the surfaced and elevated figures describe specific trail types.
Camping infrastructure includes 3 campgrounds totaling 423 sites, as well as 48 designated backcountry campsites. The park also has 208 buildings, 5 visitor centers, 2 fee collection stations, and 7 authorized concessioners.
Visitor infrastructure at a glance:
- 129 miles of surfaced roads.
- 156 miles of trails, including canoe trails.
- 5 miles of surfaced trails.
- 1 mile of elevated boardwalk trails.
- 3 campgrounds with 423 sites.
- 48 designated backcountry campsites.
- 208 buildings.
- 5 visitor centers.
- 2 fee collection stations.
- 7 authorized concessioners.
- Average annual visitation of 1 million visitors.
Source: NPS Everglades Resources & Facilities and NPS Everglades Park Statistics.
The measured road, trail, and waterway lengths are not interchangeable. Surfaced roads describe vehicle routes, the trail total includes canoe trails, and the Wilderness Waterway is a separate named water route. Keeping those categories distinct avoids treating every mile as the same kind of visitor access.
History and major additions
Everglades National Park was authorized on May 10, 1934, and established on December 6, 1947. It was designated wilderness on November 10, 1978. The park’s international and wetland designations followed in later decades.
The park was designated an International Biosphere Reserve on October 26, 1976, and a World Heritage Site in 1979. It was designated a Wetland of International Importance on June 4, 1987. These dates identify formal recognitions; they are not measurements of park area or visitation.
The park’s recorded additions include the East Everglades addition, which added 109,500 acres in 1989, and the Tarpon Basin addition, which added 600 acres in 2010. Together, these entries show two different scales of later boundary additions: a large 109,500-acre expansion and a 600-acre addition.
Source: NPS Everglades Park Statistics.