Sight · Everglades National Park
A roadside pond and hand launch on the drive to Flamingo.
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The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Everglades Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Everglades National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Everglades audio tourRecorded for this place
Coot Bay Pond: A Simple Picnic Stop“You're nearing Coot Bay Pond, a small roadside stop with picnic tables and a hand launch. It's a handy place to eat a packed lunch, but mangroves screen much of the water from the tables.”
Plays as you drive up to Coot Bay Pond in the Parkwolf Everglades Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
Coot Bay Pond is a small roadside pond beside Main Park Road in the Flamingo unit, a few miles before Flamingo. Stop for a picnic or use the hand launch to explore the pond; it is a modest stop rather than a major paddling destination. Mangroves and other vegetation screen much of the water from the picnic tables.
The pond opens toward Coot Bay, and wildlife viewing is part of its appeal. Beyond it, the connected route passes through mangrove tunnels and open water where wind can make paddling harder. The channel between the pond and Coot Bay is not confirmed as navigable, so check locally before planning a longer outing or relying on a continuous route to Coot Bay or Mud Lake.
There is roadside parking, picnic tables and seating, plus an interpretive sign. Treat it as a bring-your-own-meal stop, not a dining destination; the tables have no grills. There is no restroom at the pond, so use one before heading down Main Park Road. For a closer look at the water and mangrove shore, go to the launch edge rather than expecting a clear pond view from the tables.
Wildlife
15 sightingsMountain LionMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
1,429 sightingsWest Indian ManateeMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
4,397 sightingsAlligatorMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
1,672 sightingsCrocodileMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
42 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
15 sightingsBobcatMost seen around 7 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Everglades. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyRowdy Bend Trail5.2 mi · 2.5 hr · 0.7 mi awayA long, flat birding walk through buttonwoods and coastal prairie.
EasyBear Lake Trail3.2 mi · 2.5 hr · 1.6 mi awayFollow a 1922 canal through hardwood hammock and mangroves
EasySnake Bight Trail3.7 mi · 2 hr · 1.9 mi awayFlat hammock walk to a small Florida Bay birding platform.
ModerateChristian Point Trail3.6 mi · 2.5 hr · 2.5 mi awayA rough, quiet walk from mangroves to Snake Bight's open shore.
EasyGuy Bradley Trail0.6 mi · 24 min · 3.4 mi awayA bayfront shortcut through mangroves, past Flamingo’s old pier pilings.
EasyWest Lake Trail0.5 mi · 20 min · 3.7 mi awayFollow a level boardwalk through mangroves to West Lake.
EasyEco Pond Trail0.5 mi · 30 min · 3.9 mi awayA short wetland loop for shorebirds and occasional crocodiles.
ChallengingCoastal Prairie Trail12 mi · 7.5 hr · 4.5 mi awayA long, exposed walk to a remote Florida Bay beach.
Sight · 0.4 mi awayMrazek PondA quick bird stop; winter wader flocks are a rare bonus.
Sight · 3.1 mi awayFlamingo MarinaCome for a boat trip; watch the dock for manatees and crocodiles.
Visitor center · 3.3 mi awayGuy Bradley Visitor CenterGet oriented at Flamingo, with bay views and backcountry permits.
Restaurant · 3.4 mi awayFlamingo RestaurantTurn a legal, in-season catch into dinner on Florida Bay.
Lodging · 3.4 mi awayFlamingo LodgeA bay-side stay 38 miles south of Homestead.
Picnic area · 3.7 mi awayWest LakeA short mangrove boardwalk beside a picnic spot and boat launch.Sight · 3.9 mi awayEco PondA half-mile wetland loop for birds, alligators, and softshell turtles.
Campground · 4.1 mi awayFlamingo CampgroundSome bayfront sites, dark skies, 38 miles south of Homestead.Parkwolf’s Everglades ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
