Everglades City is known more for its swamps than its beaches. Most of the shoreline here is mangrove swamp and salt marsh, but there are a few pocket beaches on the outer islands near Everglades City. These are NOT touristy beaches and cater to adventure travelers looking for a seldom visited wild place.
The only beaches here accessible by road are a few small pocket beaches on Chokoloskee Island. The other beaches here are very remote and are accessible only by private vessel. If you want to see the shoreline here and not actually land on the beaches, there is a Ten Thousand Islands Tour available daily from the Gulf Coast Visitor Center at Everglades National Park.
This 90-minute excursion ventures across Chokoloskee Bay, into Indian Key Pass, and through the mangrove islands of Everglades National Park. A naturalist will highlight the rich history and unique wildlife of the area. This excursion ventures across Chokoloskee Bay, into Indian Key Pass, and through the mangrove islands of Everglades National Park. Upon arrival to the Gulf of Mexico, guests may enjoy views of Indian Key, Stop Key, Picnic Key, and Tiger Key.
On the way you will encounter alligators, crocodiles, dolphins, and manatees. The tour is $40 and is a good introduction to the Everglades coastal environment.
Due to the presence of NUMEROUS alligators, snakes and crocodiles swimming is NOT advised at any of the Everglades City area beaches.
If you visit the outer islands here, there are NO concessions available – PACK IT IN, PACK IT OUT. You must bring everything you need. There is no electricity and NO running water available at Indian Key, Stop Key, Picnic Key or Tiger Key.
Chokoloskee Beach
The small pocket beaches on Chokoloskee Island are the only beaches in the Everglades City area accessible by road. The largest of which is the beach facing Chololoskee Bay near the causeway just across from the Fishing Hole boat ramp. Parking at this beach is FREE, and offers access to a tenth of a mile of beach.
There are 2 other beaches on Chololoskee, a small pocket beach as the end of Calusa Drive, and one by the Ted Smallwood Trading Post Museum. These beaches face southwest , also towards Chokoloskee Bay.
These beaches are often muddy and are not the sand beaches typical of the more developed areas of Southwest Florida. The beaches here mostly serve as launch points for exploring the Ten Thousand Islands.
Indian Key Beach
Indian Key Beach is the southernmost beach in Collier County. It is located in Everglades National Park and is the most popular backcountry beach in Everglades National Park. Accessible only by private vessel this is the easiest of the Everglades City gulf beaches to access.
If you time it with the tide, paddling out to Indian Key is very easy. The ebbing tide will take you 5.5 miles down through Indian Key Pass out to Indian Key. All you have to do is steer to stay in the marked channel. This is a good introductory tour of the mangrove forests in this part of the everglades.
The island is visited by both day trippers and overnight campers visiting from Picnic Key. The beach on Indian Key is about 3 quarters of a mile long and since the island sits in the middle of the Indian Key Pass currents its a great place to go fishing for both backwater and open water species.
Once the tide turns (the tides here are semi-diurnal), the currents will push you right back to Everglades City.
The real star attraction here isn’t really the beach, but the waters around the area. The abundance of wildlife here is what people come for, with dolphins, manatees, crocodiles, and alligators all seen in the areas near Indian Key.
Stop Key Beach
A tiny islet near Indian Key, this can be an alternate destination for adventurers, and is almost always less visited than Indian Key. Do I need to say that the island is TINY. With only a tenth of a mile of beach, this is just that a quick stopover on the way to Picnic Key or Tiger Key.
Picnic Key Beach
Like the name suggests, this is a great place for a picnic. This is one of the few true sandy beaches in Everglades National Park. This is also the most popular backcountry camping site in Everglades National Park. Its just west of Stop Key, across Gaskin Bay. The beach is a fine white sand beach that stretches .6 miles along the gulf from Gaskin Bay to Jane and Tina Pass.
On Picnic Key there is an outhouse and minimal facilities available. The beach on the east end of Picnic Key is a mess of tangled driftwood, but the west end is one of the finest beaches in Everglades City. Here along Jane and Tina Pass is the main campsite and the beach here has some of the clearest water. If you are going for a dip – make sure water is CLEAR. Crocodiles can hide in murky water and are easily upset.
Tiger Key Beach
Across Jane and Tina Pass from Picnic Key is the slightly more remote Tiger Key. Here you will find a FULL MILE of west facing gulf beach. The island stretches from Jane and Tina Pass in the southeast to West Pass in the northwest. The park service limits the number of campers on each island. If you go during the week, you will be alone. If you go on a weekend, be sure to get your backcountry camping permit promptly at 8 a.m., when the ranger station opens.
Tiger Key also boasts views of the parties and fireworks that oftentimes occur on the infamous Camp Lulu Key near Port of the Islands.