Flamingo: Lodge, Marina, and Florida Bay

The area brings together lodging, camping, a marina, and a restaurant. Much of its character comes from the open water of the bay, which can be explored by paddle or boat.

The Flamingo Lodge is built from eco-conscious shipping containers, with studios and one- and two-bedroom suites, each with a kitchenette and a private balcony over Florida Bay. Accessible rooms are reached by ramp or elevator. For a stay between camping and lodging, Eco-Tents are safari-style glamping tents on elevated platforms reached by boardwalk, with a private bathhouse, electricity, a fan, and bay views. The Flamingo Restaurant sits next to the lodge and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Flamingo Campground has 274 sites, 41 of them with electrical hookups, plus group sites and a tents-only section by the bay shore. Walk-in sites offer some of the best views of Florida Bay. The campground also has bathhouses, two dump stations, picnic tables, and grills. An amphitheater on the grounds hosts ranger talks every evening. Mosquitoes are common here, so tent campers might prefer the bay shore section, where the wind sometimes keeps the bugs down.

Flamingo Marina is the only marina in Everglades National Park, run by Everglades Guest Services. The store stocks food, drinks, and gear for fishing and camping, and restrooms sit right beside it. You can rent canoes or join a boat tour here, and the campground is about a 20-minute walk from the marina and visitor center.

Flamingo is a good place for wildlife watching. Manatees can be seen near the docks, and the area is a known spot for sightings of American crocodiles, which are harder to spot. Flamingo has canoe trails and several hiking trails, and saltwater fishing is plentiful nearby.