This was the second time we had been to Coopertown. The first time was a few years ago and we…read moreabsolutely loved and thought it was well worth it! This time, I'm sorry to say it was a waste of time and money. There were 5 of us and we paid ahead of time 130.99 on Groupon for our tickets, along with an additional 8.00 a person National park fee once we got there! Along with a child. The first time we went, there was an exhibit where you could pet a baby alligator and ask any questions you had about them. This time there was nothing. This time we got on the airboat ride and it wasn't until we were headed back that an alligator was spotted! Of course we were not told beforehand that it was mating season and spotting gators was not as likely to happen. Had I known that, or been warned I would have reconsidered. I was on the other side of the boat of course so Even standing, I barely got a glimpse of the gator before he went under. We got back to the doc and that was it. I felt like I had paid almost 200 for an experience that was very different from our first trip. I contacted the company and talked with the assistant manager Mary Anne, and told her of my disappointment and she didn't seem to care. They didn't offer any sort of compensation, and the customer service was more of a "suck it up"- experience. I contacted Groupon and they said it was something that had to be worked out with the merchant. A few years ago I would have highly recommended this experience! Now, not so much. It's was overpriced and not guaranteed or cared about if you see anything.

This place was such an amazing experience! I absolutely loved it. The staff was incredibly friendly…read moreand super knowledgeable--they shared so much interesting information about the different species in the Everglades, which made it even more enjoyable. The airboat tour was definitely the highlight. Our tour guide (I wish I could remember his name!) was so fun, engaging, and informative. He answered all of our questions and made the whole experience feel exciting and memorable. I'm from Las Vegas, so getting to see live alligators and be out in nature like that was really special. I was honestly expecting way more bugs, but it wasn't bad at all--I barely got bitten! They also have a cute little gift shop if you want to grab souvenirs. Overall, this was a 10/10 experience and something I would definitely recommend to anyone visiting the area!

This was such a fabulous and unique experience! We saw so many alligators and baby alligators. Our…read moretour guide Elvis grew up in the area and has known the gators since age 7. I got to hold a baby alligator!

For the price, I think this was a great airboat option. Kids under a certain age are free and…read moreadults were priced well. Sadly we happened to show up the week that the tribe island was closed so there wasn't an Alligator show. We did see one large alligator AND they had a baby alligator for everyone to hold before you got on the boat. Some people might get mad that "we didn't see any" but nobody can control where the animals will be. It was also cool to hear a little about the Miccosukee history. But the ride was fun if you just wanna mark the Everglades ride off your list of must do things in Florida. They provided the kids with large headphones and adults with earplugs.

Amazing tour. We had the 8 am with Captain Mike & it was perfect - got to see everything we were…read morehoping to see, & Mike was extremely knowledgeable & friendly! Highly recommend this

Joe is the best! Super knowledgeable and friendly, took us to all the great spots and happily…read moreanswered all of our questions! Saw over a dozen gators, highly recommend! Super fun and great experience.

This tour was so much fun! 5 stars all around. Booked the combo mangroves and grasslands airboat…read moretour, mangroves were definitely the highlight. Captain heath was amazing, knowledgeable, entertaining, pro gator spotter, great air boat driver/drifter. After the mangrove tour headed over to Wootens few miles away for the grasslands tour which was interesting in its own way. Then get to walk around a wildlife park, see a gator show and the other highlight which is holding a baby gator! Highly recommend this tour whether visiting Florida for a short time or a local :) Will be back

Heath was an awesome tour guide with lots of local knowledge. My family and I had a blast and we…read morewill definitely be back next time we're in the Everglades!

I have always wanted to do an airboat ride and finally got around to doing it here. This company is…read morelocated in the small town of Everglades City and is appropriately named and easy to find. I did not make a reservation for my late January ride and was able to get on a boat only having to wait about 40 minutes for a seat. The lady behind the ticket counter was very friendly and accommodating. I could tell that this is a family owned business. Finally Captain Matt arrived back at the dock dropping off his passengers to pick up a new group counting 5 including me. Their boats are not large and can only take 6 passengers at a time. That's good because the smaller boats are faster and more maneuverable. The tour lasted 50 minutes and was a lot of fun. Every passenger wears electronic ear muffs that allow communication between the passengers and captain so that he can narrate certain parts of the tour. The ear muffs are also necessary because the airboat engine is loud. The engine decibel level along with the other airboats operating in the area doing the same thing means that you really don't see much wildlife. Maybe a few birds but good luck on seeing an alligator or big fish as the noise scares them away. Matt told us that the day before he saw a dolphin.... However the fun is the speed and turns the boat makes. At times we were going 35-40 mph going down the narrow water streets with vegetation on both sides and then doing turns in the open water areas. This tour was fun and well worth the $52 adult cost. They operate a few boats at the same time. I recommend this company and ask for Matt. I would go it again!

Amazing tour. 55 minutes of great guided site seeing and journey through the mangroves. We saw…read moredolphins (momma and baby). The guide (Travis) was amazing and knowledgeable and so friendly. He made the tour for us and our kids. Family operated (support local).

This Shark Valley trail itself is five stars, but the way it's operated isn't…read more Get there early if you'd like peace and quiet before the trams start which seems to be 9:30. Trail is paved, direct sunlight. In Jan saw over 60 gators a couple crocs. Took about 2.5 hrs with stopping to watch. Most national parks will allow you to access and pay earlier hours -- this park doesn't. This park gate opens at 8:30am, and creates a line that goes out into traffic, clearly only catering to people using the trams. We had to park on the Hwy and bike in, which was allowed but there was someone at the booth even at 730 to take money-- why not just open the parking lot early if someone is manning it anyway? To cater to the trams, which are very expensive. We were trying to enjoy watching some baby gators and the tram came up to about a foot behind us on our bikes to loudly scream over an intercom about the babies. Really takes away from the natural experience.

I am generally a fan of National Parks. The Everglades is fairly uniform and spread out over a huge…read morearea. There are multiple entrances (and perhaps visitors' centers) but we only checked out this one. Shark Valley is about an hour west of Miami on Hwy 41. En route, you pass 3 - 4 airboat tour companies that all take you near or into part of the park on their tours. That is, to me, the quintessential Everglades experience. However, you can't do that tour at the Park HQ. At Shark Valley, the main apparent draw is a large (15-mile) loop road that goes south from the highway. At the far end is some tall observation tower. You cannot drive on this road, so you have 3 options: walk it, rent a bike from the ranger station, or take a periodic tram tour (2 hours) that costs (I think) about $34. When we arrived, it was already 3 p.m. and if we took the 4 p.m. tram tour, we'd have been driving back through downtown Miami in the dark. Traffic there is scary enough in daylight, so we skipped that. They also had a boil water advisory that day (?), so we could not refill our water bottles. The ranger station was nice enough, with a few exhibits. I think the entrance fee is $20 per car. When we arrived, the lot was full so you could either wait in a short line of cars (where the let one in as one left) or park out on a wide shoulder of Hwy 41 and walk to the ranger station (probably about 1/3 of a mile one way). Depending on what sort of Everglades experience you're looking for, this may be worth a stop. Or you may just want to choose one of the airboat places instead.

Paid $24 each person on their website, no tax (regular price: $30 in person)! They provide…read moreearplugs. Friendly staff. They have a baby gator you can touch/hold! The ride was awesome, not too windy or sunny (it's March). Saw lotsss of gators birds and turtles. It's definitely worth the $24.

It's easy to tell how much the guide Dave loves and respects the Everglades. Thank you for an…read moreincredible trip! We did the three day camping kayak tour. It was a blast. We saw diverse wildlife, learned a lot about the ecosystem, drank our coffee in the morning watching the sunrise on the beach, learned to steer a kayak, and swam in the Gulf- what more could you ask for! Dave is a great guide and so knowledgable about the Everglades! Definitely worth the trip.

There's only one Everglades in the entire world! Have you always been curious, but unsure how to…read moreapproach such a huge wilderness? Are you eager not just to see, but to intimately explore and experience this unique ecosystem? Are you looking for an adventure vacation which offers an escape from winter? Well, come immerse yourself in the backcountry with us and experience the REAL Everglades! We offer fully outfitted a guided 3-5-8-day overnight kayak camping tours in the backcountry of Everglades National Park.