Everglades National Park | BACKCOUNTRY CAMPING

Backcountry Campsite Map (click to enlarge)

Backcountry Campsite Map (click to enlarge)


For a complete list of rules, campsites, capacity, and amenities, visit the National Park Service’s Wilderness Trip Planner web page for Everglades National Park.


Backcountry camping at Everglades National Park requires staying in designated campsites, and all require a boat of some type to reach. There are 46 sites in all. Those on the rivers and creeks have a capacity of 6 to 20 people, with most holding less than a dozen. Beach campsites, which are found on the outlying islands in the Gulf of Mexico, can hold has many as 60 people. Capacity is further broken down into groups. For example, a campsite might hold 12 people, but no more than 3 groups. This means if three groups of two people have already reserved the site, a single, seventh person cannot stay despite the fact that the campsite is only half full.

Backcountry campsites can now be reserved at Recreation.gov anywhere from 1 day to 3 months in advance. Reservations can only be made through Recreation.gov. Sites not reserved are available on a first come, first served basis on the day you wish to go camping. Not making a campsite reservation presents a big problem in that you can make all the plans you want, but when you show up and your requested sites are not available, you must figure out a new plan on the spot.

There is a fee for backcountry camping. The current camping fee is $21 per group for an administration fee plus $2 / person for each night. Keep in mind that prices can always change, so be sure to get the latest fee on Recreation.gov. Fees are now collected for camping year-round. Summer camping used to be free, but I suppose the National Park Service figured that if you are dumb enough to camp in the Everglades in the summer, you are dumb enough to pay $21-plus to do so.

Permits for camping are now sent by email when you make a reservation. You can either print a physical copy and carry it with you or save it (or a screenshot) to your phone. If requested, you must be able to show the permit, possibly without Internet access, so be sure the permit is physically stored in memory on your phone. Those obtaining a permit is person on the day of the trip will get the permit at the park at either the Gulf Coast Visitor Center or the Flamingo Visitor Center.

Backcountry campers originating from the Florida Keys and staying at North Nest Key, Little Rabbit Key, Johnson Key, Shark Point Chickee, Johnson Key Chickee, and Cape Sable and who did not make a reservation in advance must call the Flamingo Visitor Center at (239) 695-2945 within 24 hours of departure. If there is no answer, try (239) 232-0057.

Permits / reservations for camping at the end of the Old Ingraham Highway are also available in advance at Recreation.gov. For day-of permits, stop at the Everglades National Park entrance station near Homestead, Florida. Access to the area is on foot or horse only. No wheel carts or bikes are allowed.

For those on longer trips, once on the water the weather can frequently pin you down at one campsite for an extra day or prohibit you from reaching your next destination. If you show up at a campsite without a reservation, if at all possible, the other campers will try to make room for you. However, if the place is full, there’s not much that can be done. Be particularly cautious about trying to show up at a chickee, for there is only room for a couple of tents on each platform.

Typical chickee in the backcountry of Everglades National Park

Typical chickee in the backcountry of Everglades National Park

Mosquitoes and gnats are a common problem in the backcountry even during the winter. If it gets cold or the wind is blowing, they tend to disappear, but if it is above 50° (F) at night and the air is still, they will be after you. When I arrived at the Hell’s Bay Chickee, the wind was so strong I couldn’t even put up a tent, so I just slept in my sleeping bag. About 10 PM I was awoken by the sound of buzzing in my ear. The wind had ceased and I was being swarmed by mosquitoes. I put up my tent in record time. I recommend bringing insect repellent and full bug regalia—long pants, long sleeve shirt and jacket, wide brim hat with mosquito net, and thin gloves.

From November through the end of April, stays at each campsite are limited to anywhere from one night to one week. This does not mean you cannot camp longer in the backcountry, it’s just that you must move to a new campsite (backcountry camping is limited to 14 consecutive days during the peak season, and no more than 30 days total for the entire year). The general idea is that the sites are used as overnight stays for multi-day paddling trips, so most people pack up and leave the next day anyway. The only sites where people may want to stay multiple nights are the beach sites, and these are the ones that tend to allow one-week stays. However, beach sites with low capacity may have shorter limits.

There are three types of campsites: beach sites, ground sites, and chickee sites. Most have a portable toilet, but a little over a dozen are completely primitive.

I did not visit any beach sites. I do know that camping is allowed anywhere in the sand along the shoreline. Only beach sites allow campfires.

Ground sites are located along the banks of rivers, bays, and mangrove-covered islands. A few have docks to land at, while at others you simply beach your boat and drag it out of the water. Be sure to tie it to a tree. No campfires are allowed, so use portable grills and stoves fueled with gas or propane for cooking. No wood or charcoal is allowed. There may or may not be a portable toilet. If not, pack out human waste or bury it in a hole at least 6” deep.

Alligator Creek backcountry campsite in Everglades National Park

Alligator Creek backcountry campsite in Everglades National Park

Chickees are the sites most people are unfamiliar with. These are basically floating docks located on the water in out-of-the-way-places where keeping a camping area clear of mangroves is not practical. Chickees are comprised of two platforms connected together by a walkway. A portable toilet is in the middle. The platforms are 10′ x 12′ and can be occupied by only one group of up to six people, though six people would be like packing sardines into a can. I’d say that one large or two small tents and up to four people could comfortably occupy one platform. If I were camping with a friend whom I do not plan on sleeping with, I’d reserve both platforms if available.

During low tide the water level is far below the dock, so it can be quite difficult to unload your equipment. It is nearly impossible—not to mention impracticable and impolite if another camper is also at the chickee—to haul your boat out of the water and place it on the dock. Thus, you must tie it to the platform, and tie it up good. If you do not have a rope you won’t be able to stay.

When camping on a chickee, you are basically sleeping on a dock, and I can tell you that you might as well be sleeping on a block of concrete—I cannot recall a more uncomfortable place to sleep. I highly advise making room in your equipment bag for some sort of cushion or camp cot to sleep on. It may also be very windy, and if so, there is no practical way to pitch a tent, especially if you are alone. Regardless of circumstances, you cannot stake the tent down, both by regulation and practicality. Thus, if you do manage to pitch a tent when the winds subside, be sure to fill it with your equipment to weigh it down.

You can get complete weather information at the Visitor Centers. The Rangers can tell you about tides, winds, rain, etc. I planned a two-day trip in the Gulf Coast area and was told the winds on the second day would be 30 knots in the opposite direction I was heading. Not only would it be very difficult to paddle against such winds, but also the threat of capsizing and drowning was real. The Rangers won’t stop you from going, but they will tell you what you are up against. I cancelled my plans and took my chances a couple weeks later in the Flamingo area and ended up with a nice day for an overnight trip to Hell’s Bay.

For details on planning a long trip on the Wilderness Waterway, a 99-mile water trail that runs from Gulf Coast to Flamingo, see Drew Boon’s article, Canoeing the Wilderness Waterway. I met Drew just before he embarked on a seven-day trip and invited him to write a story for National Park Planner. I never expected to hear back, but a few months later he contacted me and wrote the excellent article. You can also read about my backcountry camping trip on the Hell’s Bay Canoe Trail review page.

Here are a few photos of the campsites that Drew stayed at.

Watson's Place Campsite

Watson’s Place Campsite

Lostman's Campsite

Lostman’s Campsite

Crooked Creek Chickee

Crooked Creek Chickee

Lopez River Campsite

Lopez River Campsite

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Last updated on August 15, 2024
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