Darwin's Place

Overview

About Darwin's Place

Why stop

Shell-and-cement homestead artifacts remain visible.

Heads up

No dock; reaching the site takes a planned water trip.

Map

Where it is

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Full map

SightDarwin's Place25.69401, -81.20230

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Plan your stop

Before you go

Getting there and camping

There is no dock, and boats pass through the channel frequently. Secure your vessel carefully and plan your approach with the wilderness trip planner. The full 99-mile route between Flamingo and Everglades City is recommended for experienced paddlers; most paddlers allow at least eight days for the full trip.

Darwin’s Place is a ground site: a raised earth mound among mangroves. Ground sites tend to have more insects than chickees or beach sites, and campfires aren’t allowed. Overnight campers need a wilderness permit.

4 active Everglades alerts

ClosureEast Everglades Day Use Area closedThe East Everglades Day Use Area is closed to all public use from SW 168 Street westbound to SW 237 Avenue, including the entire roadway of SW 237 Avenue.Official details
ClosureGulf Coast wilderness sites closed or restrictedClosures and restrictions affect several Gulf Coast wilderness areas and sites. - Hog Key: Camping is open, but the middle of the key is closed.Official details

See all 4 alerts

A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone — Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

Everglades Tour Guide

Your drive to Darwin's Place, narrated.

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Wildlife heatmapsfor Mountain Lion, West Indian Manatee, Alligator, and 13 more
Works offlinemaps, 19 trails, 33 places, and audio download before you lose signal
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Guide

More about Darwin's Place

A shell-and-cement homesteadDarwin’s Place is a clearing on Opossum Key where Arthur Darwin built a shell-and-cement…

Darwin’s Place is a clearing on Opossum Key where Arthur Darwin built a shell-and-cement homestead. It’s a worthwhile stop if you’re already travelling the Wilderness Waterway and want a tangible piece of the park’s human history; reaching it takes a planned water trip, so it isn’t a quick detour.

Arthur Darwin’s yearsArthur Darwin lived here from 1945 to 1971, making him the last private resident on park lands.

Arthur Darwin lived here from 1945 to 1971, making him the last private resident on park lands. Artifacts from the homestead can still be seen, and they’re protected.

Earlier names for the islandThe island’s name, Opossum Key, refers to the many opossums killed there.

The island’s name, Opossum Key, refers to the many opossums killed there. Before that it was called Chevelier Place, after Jean Chevelier, a plume hunter who lived here.

Wildlife

Wildlife in Everglades

All Everglades wildlife maps

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 map

Sighting maps show where each species has been reported across Everglades. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.