Parking
Use the Eco Pond parking area on the road toward the Flamingo Campground; the loop begins at the pond-side trail access.
Overview
About Eco Pond Trail
Why go
- A half-mile loop with a strong chance of birdlife
- Coastal-prairie views beside a freshwater pond
Heads up
- Not wheelchair accessible
- A light nature walk rather than a substantial hike
Eco Pond began as a human-made wetland intended to help filter treated wastewater from Flamingo’s visitor center and lodge. Wading birds, shorebirds, songbirds and ducks use the pond; alligators and Florida softshell turtles may also be seen, and crocodiles are an occasional sight. Pause along the far side to look across the pond toward the open prairie; the water and shoreline make a stronger frame than a tight shot of the trees alone.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy this pond is hereMap & elevation
The route
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
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
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Everglades Tour Guide
Your drive to Eco Pond Trail, narrated.
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 trailhead
Eco Pond: A Short Birding Loop0:00 / 0:27
“Eco Pond is coming up, a good short stop if you'd like to watch birds around the water. Allow about half an hour for the half-mile loop; it isn't wheelchair accessible.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Everglades Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Flamingo Campground: Choose Your Bay View
- Flamingo Lodge: A Meal Beside the Bay
- Flamingo: Bay Views and Marina Wildlife
- Bear Lake: A Canal Walk Beyond the Access Road
- 62 audio storiesacross Everglades’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Mountain Lion, West Indian Manatee, Alligator, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 19 trails, 33 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Eco Pond Trail
A quick loop with a birding payoffEco Pond Trail circles a freshwater pond near Flamingo in a half-mile loop.
Eco Pond Trail circles a freshwater pond near Flamingo in a half-mile loop. It is a short nature walk, not a destination hike, but an easy fit if you want to stretch your legs and watch the pond. Allow about 30 minutes, or longer if you stop to look for wildlife. On the far side, the view opens across coastal prairie before the circuit brings you back alongside the water.
Getting to itUse the Eco Pond parking area on the road toward the Flamingo Campground.
Use the Eco Pond parking area on the road toward the Flamingo Campground. Benches and interpretive information are available at the pond. The trail is not wheelchair accessible, and pets are not allowed on park trails. Mosquitoes and biting flies can be around year-round and become severe in hot, humid summer weather.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Everglades
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.
