The Everglades and Francis S. Taylor WMA
The end of the drive: hundreds of thousands of acres of sawgrass and open water, just west of Miami.
At the end of the drive from Miami Beach you reach one of the largest wild areas in South Florida: the Everglades and Francis S. Taylor Wildlife Management Area. It’s not a national park or a state park. It’s a wildlife management area run by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).
How big is it?
The management area covers about 671,831 acres across Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties. That’s more than a thousand square miles of freshwater marsh, wet prairie and tree islands, west of Fort Lauderdale and Miami.
Why airboats?
Most of the interior can’t be reached on foot or by car. The water is too shallow for regular boats, and the sawgrass is too thick to walk through. That’s why airboats are used out here. With a flat bottom and a big fan in the back, an airboat can glide over just a few inches of water and cross sawgrass that nothing else can.
What lives here
The area is part of the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail. On the water you might see:
- American alligators, often sunning on the banks or floating near the boat.
- Wading birds, including egrets, herons and wood storks.
- Snail kites, a hawk that feeds almost entirely on apple snails.
- Turtles, fish and, in cooler months, many migrating birds.
Wildlife sightings vary with the season, the water level and the time of day, and none are guaranteed.
How to get out there
Our tours launch from Dade Corners, at the eastern edge of the Everglades, and head out across the sawgrass and open water. If you’re staying in Miami Beach, you don’t need a car. Round-trip hotel pickup is included with every private tour.
Start at the beginning with our complete drive guide.
Skip the drive. We pick you up.
Every private airboat tour includes round-trip private transportation from your Miami Beach hotel or rental. Call with your address and group size to book.
