Everglades National Park Wilderness Permits
CLOSURE: Effective April 1, 2024, the Gulf Coast canoe/kayak launch and adjoining parking lot are closed for construction. Alternate launch sites are available. Fees at these sites vary. Contact the sites directly for more information:
- Everglades City: Everglades Bait and Tackle or the Rod & Gun Club
- Chokoloskee: Outdoor Resorts of Chokoloskee and the Chokoloskee Island Park and Marina.
Everglades National Park protects an unparalleled landscape that provides important habitat for numerous rare and endangered species like the manatee, American crocodile, and the elusive Florida panther. The Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wilderness Area within Everglades National Park is the largest subtropical Wilderness in the United States. An Everglades Backcountry Wilderness permit allows overnight camping in the backcountry wilderness at chickee (elevated platform), ground and beach campsites.
Visit the park's Wilderness Trip Planner before booking your permit.
Permit & Season Information
This permit allows the permitee and group to camp overnight at designated campsites within the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wilderness. Book reservations online, year-round. Reservations open daily at 10:00 a.m. ET, 90-days before trip start date on a rolling basis. Making separate reservations for each night is not necessary. One permit/reservation per trip.
Your reservation confirmation email will serve as your permit. You are NOT required to pick up a physical permit in person, but you are required to carry a physical copy or screenshot of your final itinerary.
Need to Know
BEFORE YOU RESERVE YOUR PERMIT:
- Safely exploring the wilderness by water requires careful preparation and planning. Visit the Everglades Wilderness Trip Planner or if you require assistance planning your trip, call or stop by the Flamingo Visitor Center or call 305-242-7700 before booking your permit.
- Permits are required for all overnight camping in the wilderness (except when sleeping aboard boats). If you need frontcountry (car) camping, you may reserve Flamingo and Long Pine campgrounds through Flamingo Adventures (an authorized park concessioner).
Everglades National Park designates campsites to prevent resource damage and to improve visitor experience. There are currently three types of campsites within the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Wilderness.
- Chickee Sites: Elevated platforms with roofs that give campers a unique experience of camping above the water's surface. Chickee platforms are 10 ft x 12 ft and are built to hold a maximum of 6 people or 1 group per platform. A group's tents must fit on one reserved platform. A portable toilet is provided at each chickee. Campfires are not allowed. There are 17 chickee sites in Everglades National Park, twelve of which are double-chickees.
- Ground Sites. Along interior bays and rivers, typically on mounds of earth a few feet above the surrounding mangroves. Ground sites can accommodate larger groups and can hold multiple parties. Campfires, as well as wood, charcoal, and coal-fueled grills and stoves are not permitted, so the use of gas grills or gas stoves is required. There are 13 ground sites in Everglades National Park.
- Beach Sites. Beach sites are located on the coast and provide opportunities for camping on the sand along the shoreline. Coastal breeze during ideal conditions makes insects scarce at times. Beach sites are the only type of campsite in the Wilderness where campfires are allowed, but fires must be built below high-tide line. There are 15 beach sites in Everglades National Park.
- Groups over 6 people. Contact the Guy Bradley Visitor Center for group reservations.
OTHER THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU BOOK YOUR RESERVATION:
- One permit can include multiple nights. A reservation may have multiple consecutive nights for a single $21 non-refundable permit reservation fee. Make sure to select all consecutive nights and campsites before proceeding to payment.
- Nautical chart and compass. You may purchase charts at the Coe Visitor Center, from Flamingo Adventures (Marina Store), or ordered thru the Florida National Parks Association. Corresponding chart numbers are 11430, 11432, 11433, and Florida Bay 11451.
- Permit. A permit (digital or physical copy) with dates & campsites is required to camp in the wilderness area.
- Entrance Fee. All paddlers and boat operators must pay the Everglades entrance fee (separate from permit fees). Pay upon arrival or in advance. The park also honors valid annual & lifetime passes (e.g. Senior, Military, 4th Grade, etc.).
- Safety course. A completion certificate from the Everglades Boater Education course is required for powerboat operators.
- Fires allowed at beach sites only. The park allows fires below the high-tide line. Use down & dead wood only (no cutting of standing dead trees). Remove all traces of fires before leaving. No fires at ground sites or chickees (we allow gas stoves or gas grills).
- Trash. Pack out all trash. Do not bury, burn, or dispose of it in toilets. Dumping trash at sea is illegal.
- Human Waste. Use toilets where provided. Where not provided, pack it out or bury it at least 6” deep. At beach and coastal ground campsites, urinate directly in the water. Pack out toilet paper with trash. Do not throw trash or wipes in toilets.
- Food. Remove all food particles from dishes before washing. Do not dump food scraps into the water; pack them out with trash. Wash dishes (and yourself) away from waterways and sprinkle the gray water over the ground to soak in.
- You must bring all drinking and cooking water, a minimum of one gallon per person per day. Fresh water is not available anywhere along the coastal portions of the wilderness.
- Weather. Be prepared for intense sun, rain, strong winds, thunderstorms, lightning, and cold. Check the Weather forecast before departing. Carry a weather radio if possible.
- Tides. Tides can influence the time and difficulty to paddle to sites and to navigate shallow waters in a powerboat. Always check tide predictions for your trip.
- Selected Site. You must stay at the site listed on this permit unless safety factors require otherwise.
- Noise. Be considerate of others when in close proximity. Generators and bug sprayers prohibited.
- Pets are not permitted anywhere in wilderness. This includes campsites & beaches.
- Fishing. Visit Fishing In Everglades National Park for regulations.
- Mosquitoes and no-see ums can be aggressive. Bring insect repellent, bug jackets, and/or long pants & sleeves.
- Do not feed or harass any wildlife. Raccoons will do nearly anything to get food and water. Store both in hard-sided containers or secured aboard a boat (NOT in tents).
- Manchineel (Hippomane mancinella). This native, endangered, tree with shiny heart-shaped leaves is toxic. Contact causes severe burning.
- Plants, animals, seashells, and artifacts are protected in the park. Removal prohibited.
- Paddlers. When encountering motorboats in a narrow pass, as boat approaches, pull as far to the side as possible. Point the bow of your canoe or kayak into the boat’s wake.
- Possession of firearms in the park is in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations. Discharge of a firearm prohibited.
- Generators, chain saws, and other portable motors are prohibited.
- Closed Areas. All keys in Florida Bay are closed to landing, except Bradley Key (open sunrise to sunset), and designated campsites. In Florida Bay, the mainland from Terrapin Point to U.S. 1 is closed to landing.
- Vessels must meet Coast Guard safety regulations. Airboats and personal watercraft (jet skis) prohibited.
Fee Policy
Permit Reservation Fee: There is a $21 non-refundable permit reservation fee.
Recreation Fee: A $2 per person, per night recreation fee is required for the length of a reservation.
Entrance Fee: Everglades charges an entrance fee which you may pay upon arrival or purchase in advance. The park also honors valid annual or lifetime America the Beautiful-the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Passes (e.g. Senior, Military, 4th Grade, etc.) also known as interagency passes. For more information visit the park's Fees & Passes web page.
Cancellation Policy
Abuse of the permit system (multiple permits, false information, etc) can result in cancellation of your permit and potential for you to be added to a restricted list.
Cancellation Policy: The permit holder may cancel their permit at any point prior to permit issuance/printing – no refunds are provided on cancellation of a permit reservation. Quota from cancelled permits will be immediately released and available to the public upon cancellation.
Change Policy: Once created, the permit holder may modify their group size or itinerary locations prior to permit issuance/printing. If the group size is increased (quota permitting), the permit holder will be required to pay the additional $2 per person, per night recreation fee. If group size is reduced at any point, no refund is provided. The permit holder may not modify their permit start date; if the permit holder would like to change their start date, they will be required to cancel their existing reservation and book a new reservation.
Contact Information
Mailing Address
40001 State Road 9336 Homestead FL 33034
Phone Number
(239) 695-2945 for Guy Bradley Visitor Center/Flamingo. (786) 758-0635 for Gulf Coast Information.
