Everglades and Biscayne National Parks are Modifying Operations to Remain Consistent with County Orders

Homestead, Fla. – Everglades and Biscayne National Parks are announcing modifications to operations to implement the latest guidance from the White House, Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), and local and state authorities to promote social distancing. As a result of yesterday’s Miami-Dade County Emergency Order to close all non-essential businesses, as well as all county parks and beaches, Everglades and Biscayne National Parks will close to public access in Miami-Dade County starting Mar. 20. Preparations are underway and the parks will close the designated areas to visitors by the end of the business day.

Where it is possible to adhere to the latest health guidance, visitors may enter Everglades National Park through Everglades City, located in Collier County, which has not yet enacted county-wide closures of public parks. Visitors may also enter Everglades National Park by boat from the Florida Keys, located in Monroe County, which also has not closed public parks. The Flamingo launch ramps and marina are closed.

Backcountry camping in Everglades National Park remains open to those accessing the wilderness campsites via water access. Wilderness campsites will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The waters of Biscayne National Park remain open but all land-based access is closed including Convoy Point, Boca Chita, Elliott Key, and Adams Key.

Big Cypress National Preserve in Collier County and Dry Tortugas National Park in Monroe County remain open at this time, although access to visitor centers and concessions services remain suspended.

Everglades and Biscayne National Parks have a variety of digital materials on park websites and videos on YouTube. Follow the parks on social media for continued education, updates, and new virtual experiences.

The health and safety of our visitors, employees, volunteers, and partners at the National Park Service (NPS) units in south Florida is our number one priority. The NPS is working with the federal, state, and local authorities to closely monitor the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) situation. We will notify the public when we resume full operations and provide updates on our website and social media channels.

The NPS urges visitors to do their part when visiting a park and to follow CDC guidance to prevent the spread of infectious diseases by maintaining a safe distance between yourself and other groups; washing your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds; avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth; covering your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze; and most importantly, staying home if you feel sick.

For high-risk populations, such as the elderly and people with underlying conditions, we ask that they take extra caution and follow CDC guidance for those at higher risk of serious illness.

Updates about NPS operations will be posted on www.nps.gov/coronavirus. Please check with individual parks for specific details about park operations. For refunds on camping or program reservations from our concessions or partners, please contact them directly.

For more information and updates about the South Florida NPS sites, visit the individual websites. Links to social media can also be found there.

Big Cypress National Preserve – www.nps.gov/bicy

Biscayne National Park – www.nps.gov/bisc

Dry Tortugas National Park – www.nps.gov/drto

Everglades National Park – www.nps.gov/ever

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