flamingo visitor center

The cooler weather kept the gators and crocs in hiding. The plants and birds were interesting. We did see manatees by the docks. Our guide was very knowledgeable and entertaining. A relaxing and pleasant boat trip.

The only place on the planet where crocodiles and alligators coexist, thanks to a delicate balance between brackish and fresh water. A severe cold snap can kill the crocs, but that hasn't happened since 2010. Oh, and there are manatees too.

Not many exhibits, but you can get trailmaps and lots of information from the rangers and volunteers. There are restrooms and a great view from the walkways.

The Flamingo Visitor Center is at the end of a 40 mile road through the Everglades National Park. You walk up a long ramp to the second floor to a very low key visitor center. Not much there. Some of the displays are empty. The history of the Flamingo area is interesting and sad. The local people were forced out of their homes in the early fifties and the area was taken over.

We drove all the way to Flamingo to see the edge of the Everglades. It was an easy drive, although kind of long. You can rent canoes here and take a few boat tours, and there is also a chance to see manatees and crocodiles. There is a restaurant which is decent, with fair prices considering they're the only option around. My friend had the alligator tail ($16) and it was good. Almost everything is fried however, so if you want healthy options, pack a lunch! All in all if you have time, it's worth a visit. If not, you're not missing out on too much.

After finishing my ranger-led, morning canoe tour at Nine Mile Pond, drove down to Flamingo to hit the restroom and check out the reported wildlife spottings. Stopping in the Flamingo Visitor Center is helpful, the rangers and volunteers are happy to tell you the daily happenings. Viewed the 5-6 manatees lazing around the Flamingo Marina. The kids really delighted in seeing them. The water was murky so didn't see much. Sauntered over to where there was commotion, and sure enough on the far side of the Marina where there's a concession to rent canoes, beyond the gated road for authorized personnel only, a rare American Crocodile was quietly sunning itself (how do you tell if boy or girl?) on top of the stone canal wall. Cool!Close to the Flamingo Visitor Center was thrilled to view the osprey nest and momma osprey, the Great Egret stalking its prey, and another cool looking bird eyeballing me from a tree on the side of the paved road. None of these birds paid me any attention and the best part of Everglades National Park, one gets to see all these wonderful animals, birds and plants in their natural habitat. No bars, no glass, no pit or contained zoo area. Though I enjoy zoos too, there's something immensely satisfying to be able to connect with nature and critters on their own turf but I'm the outsider lolSome may balk at the long drive from Homestead to Flamingo, but it's worth the trip. And if you have time to stay over and camp, there's lots of trails to hike, bike, bird watch, canoe or kayak! I would love to see the Eco-Tents brought back so we have alternative accomodations in Flamingo in the future! Didn't have time to hike the Coastal Prairie Trail to the former ghost town of Flamingo, but imagine daily life was pretty rough back then even if you could see large numbers of pink flamingos back in the late 1800s. Get to cross off visiting the southernmost headquarters of the Everglades NP from my bucket list but also added doing the 99-mile Wilderness Waterway Canoe Trail. That will be a future adventure :-)

Just drove down here during Everglades day trip to say we did. Lovely drive. Hiked the eco pond. Saw water birds. No snakes or alligators. Ranger helpful.Bathrooms are stinky upstairs, they smelled better downstairs. I think it has to do with being so near the water or the septic system that is required for that environment.Didn't try the food at the snack bar. Looking back, it probably would have been better than the disappointing meal we had in Homestead.

A long drive to get there but good road surface and quiet road. There is a lot of information at the Visitor Centre and we were rewarded at the harbour by seeing a manatee surface regularly at about the same spot every five minutes or so until we moved on

While the center is small it does have some history of the area to examine. What struck me was the lack of information or very vague information by staff on the area trails and campground knowledge when asked. Also, there seems to be a lack of ability to obtain information from outside sources for the staff to use. Couldn't get info on other areas of the park and pretty much told I can get it from the internet. Only problem is I don't have access in Flamingo to the internet and not a cell signal as well to use my phone to access info.The view from the upper deck area is nice and they have fixed binoculars to use.

It was our first time in Everglades, so we decide to go all the way south to be at the end of Continental Florida. What a disappointment ! Nothing seems to be alive there. I believe the spot was harshly damaged by a hurricane because it's forsaken. There's still a little shop step away with dirty bathrooms but honestly nothing to see there. Surrounds are cool though and beautiful. Could be so much more. Don't waste your time and your precious insect repellent.

This was at the end of the 39 mile journey through the Everglades. There was nowhere to go but back the way we came. At the visitor center here one building was still closed from hurricane damage from a few years ago. The other building had nothing interesting at all. There was a marina store where boat tours were available for about $34 and food or drinks were available at high prices. This was July so off season so maybe things are different when in season.

After visiting all the Everglade visitor centers, this was the worst. Came all the way from Virginia Beach, VA only to find the door open but everthing locked up inside. No rangers! Wanted to get our Park Passport stamped, but could not. Waste of vacation time!

The Flamingo Visitor Center had pontoon boat rides, so you will want to head down there in the early afternoon (like 1 - 3 pm) to see the times and get a ticket. We had no trouble getting a ticket on a Sunday for a ride that would leave in half an hour. They offered two types of boat rides at different times. They do not leave on the hour, it was more like half past the hour when our boat ride left. The captain checks back to make sure there isn't any other people on their way to the boat before he leaves. You can bring snacks and drinks on the boat. I don't think there was a bathroom on-board. The pontoon boat had a shaded canopy or the front area out in the sun. The biting flies were a constant even when we were moving in the water and wind. It was a little less annoying in the sun. The flies stayed attached to the underside of the canopy. Bug spray would help (and a fly swatter).The bathroom at the visitor center had a lot of flies, since it did not have a screen door like a the Ernest Coe center.Note to those who mosquitoes love: I did the whole day without mosquito spray. I ended up with 14 bites. I think it was mostly from the boat ride and the biting flies and the Pineland trail that had deep holes in the limestone that had pools of stagnant water and that had a lot of mosquitoes that even followed me into the car.In addition to the cold drinks, there were ice cream bars which really tasted good on a hot day. They had a few T-shirts but not much in the way of things that you would want to buy as souvenirs. No exhibits. They offered tarps to protect your car from the crows that will try to eat your windshield wiper rubber or sunroof rubber. We chased a crow off our car and didn't have a problem overall. Probably too hot for the crows that day.We saw a crocodile in the lagoon and two manatees in the water that the captain got to come back for us. We saw them at the back of the docked boat with their noses that came out of the water to breathe. It was wonderful to see the wild manatees.

Very informative..Bought a tee shirt...I really liked this place...Has people there to answer all your questions...Handicap friendly

Watch out for the speed trap as you are leaving the park. The speed limit is 45 through most of park and occasionally 55. As you go past the first visitor center when you are leaving the park, the speed limit changes to 35 so the park ranger officer can give you a speeding ticket to support the national parks.