ernest f. coe visitor center

Definitely worth stopping here before or during your Everglades visit. Of all the visitor centers in ENP, this one has the most interesting and plentiful exhibits, as well as the largest gift shop.

After several days of sighting birds from a distance, it was a thrill to get so close to herons, cormorants and ibis that I could see the lacy breeding plumage without binoculars. The animals aren't tame, just accustomed to people being nearby.

The center i,s actually outside the park entrance, so free. There are videos and exhibits that let you understand what the Everglades is all about and what to expect in the park. There are trail maps, a gift store, rest rooms, and very helpful rangers and volunteers.

The dioramas were well done and the exhibit was small enough to not be overwhelming. Talked to a ranger about what to do next and received a map. Very helpful. We drove a few miles further to Royal Palm Visitor Center and took a short walk (.8 mi) along the Anhinga Trail viewing numerous birds and alligators sunning themselves. We also walked through the hammock forest along the Gumbo Limbo trail which was equally short. Didn't see much of anything along this trail other than trees.

This visitor centre is better than the one at Shark Valley. From this visitor centre, it is a short drive to the Anhinga trail. This is an easy trail to walk. Our visit was during the dry season, so there was a lot of wildlife near this water area. We saw alligators, anhinga, herons, vultures, ibis and others.

This park is free which is always a bonus. 5 miles from the visitor center is a little board walk that you can see lots of birds and fish in the water. Head up River road to see dozens of gator in the wild. Careful around the banks when trying to get a picture. They are all around. If you are around the area I recommend at least a half day here, if you want add an airboat ride at Captain Jacks.

I am a big supporter of the US National Park system but other than the bathrooms, I think most of the visitor centers need renovation. This one is no exception. It just feels a bit dated...It was easy to park here, bathrooms were clean, and the ranger was very helpful in helping us get to Anhinga Trail, which was our ultimate destination.

Visitor center is nice and informative. Rangers were very helpful. Restrooms were clean and had a little gift shop. Limited parking space which gets full quickly.

This center does a great job of giving you an overview of what to see in The Everglades. I wouldn't spend too much time here, but grab a map, look at a few exhibits, and stop at the restroom and have a drink of water/fill your water bottle. It's cool and calm in here, and you can set out on chairs outside by the borrow pond, but your time is better spent on the trails.

This is a great visitor's center. Amazingly helpful and patient rangers. Great information and videos. The $8 billion restoration project for the Everglades all came together for me after spending time in this visitor center watching the videos and soaking up all the information available there. The Everglades is a fascinating place. If you don't have a lot of time, I would highly recommend this as your stop and then hitting the Anhinga trail and the Gumbo Limbo trail a few minutes down the road. These three things will give you a great overview of the park. We drove to the end at Flamingo and did a few hikes, wished we had planned to kayak, but in the end, enjoyed the first section more than any of the park.

Stop here first to watch the 10 minute movie of the Everglades then plan your day.Very informative - very helpful staff.The Everglades is not a swamp, it is a slow moving wide river. Get informed.

I would recommend stopping in and spending time at the Coe Visitor Center. It has a lot to offer as well as good information provided by park rangers. Much much better than the Flamingo center.

The Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center is the first visitor center you arrive at when driving from Miami / Florida Turnpike / Highway 1 and definitely worth stopping to get your bearings for exploring the Everglades National Park and a free map. The National Park Rangers are excellent, full of knowledge and really want to help you make the most of your visit. There is no charge to visit the center, however, there is a $10 per car fee to enter the Everglades National Park.The visitor centers have limited facilities for buying food and drink, so best come prepared and make a stop in Homestead before you enter the Everlades National Park for supplies of water, food and mosquito spray (needed for the Gumbo Limbo trail).Please check-out my review for the Royal Palm Visitor Center, which is approximately four miles west of the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center and a good place to explore next. Hoping you enjoy the Everglades as much as we did, the highlight of our trip to Florida.

The Ernest F. Coe visitor center is the main and the largest visitor center of everglades NP. There are many education displays and videos. You will learn almost everything about the gators, birds and the eco system.

They must be redoing the main visitor's center. When we went, a temp visitor's center was set up in a small trailer. One small room had a map, brochures and a well meaning volunteer who unfortunately couldn't answer naturalist questions. The second small room was a gift shop. The third small room had a Discovery Channel show about the Everglades on loop. We were expecting more. By the high season, the regular visitor's center will probably be open. I bet it's nice.