Flamingo Visitor Center

During Florida’s cooler months (November through April) the Flamingo Visitor Center and surrounding complex buzz with activity. It's the place to go if you want to explore the Everglades by boat. You can take a backcountry boat tour into the Everglades or a tour of Florida Bay with a naturalist on board to share details about the history, ecology, and wildlife of the region.

If you’d rather travel by your own volition, you can rent canoes, kayaks, or bicycles. There is also a campground and houseboats available for overnight stays. You can pick up snacks and other necessities at the marina store.

• Head to the Flamingo Visitor Center if you want a water-based Everglades adventure.

• Permits are needed for backcountry camping trips, and there are often long lines in high season.

• Bring bug spray, long-sleeve shirts, and pants to ward off mosquitoes.

• The center is wheelchair and stroller accessible via a steep ramp.

The Flamingo Visitor Center is at the end of State Highway 9336 (the main park road). The center is 38 miles (61 kilometers) south of the park’s main entrance and about 78 miles (125 kilometers) south of Miami. The best way to reach the center is by car. Once inside the park, follow the signs for the Flamingo Visitor Center.

The center is open from mid-November through mid-April and has no regular hours off-season. Winter is high season in southern Florida, so you can expect more crowds, but it is also the most tolerable time of year when it comes to heat and mosquitos.

The 99-mile (160-kilometer) Wilderness Waterway is a kayaking and canoeing route that takes paddlers from Everglades City to the Flamingo Visitor Center (or vice versa) by way of a mangrove-lined maze of channels. The multi-day backcountry adventure is only recommended for experienced paddlers who have prior experience with overnight stays in the Everglades. Kayaks and canoes are available to rent at the Flamingo marina, and permits must be obtained from the visitor center.