This grand national park is the largest in Florida – but it has only one hotel

As an alternative to RV or Tent Camp, visitors Florida Everglade National Park Now check Flamingo lodgePark’s only hotel house.

Spread over 1.5 million acres, the Everglade National Park in Florida was established in 1947, initially as a jungle park for day visitors, but local tourist advocates advocated the house overnight. In response, in 1966, the Flemingo Lodge was opened. The two-storey lodge had 60 units and an in-depat pool, and over the next 40 years, the property became a popular holiday spot for local and out-of-town visitors.

Disadvantages from Hurricane Katrina and Wilma forced the lodge to shut down in 2005, and the structure was eventually demolished in 2009. In the years of proceedings, those who wanted to spend the night in the visitor’s park, they could rent houseboats, park tents, or their camper van or RV, but the nearest hotel was located an hour away in Florida city.

Flemingo Lodge finally opened again at the end of 2023 About 20 years after its demolition. Lodge Florida-based tour company is a public-private partnership between Flemingo Adventures and National Park Service, and a 24-kamera property is formed from sustainable steel shipping containers.

“The Flemingo region in Everglades National Park has been an important destination for decades of park visitors, looking at the country’s largest subtropical forest to detect,” said in an interview by JJ Kondela, general manager of Flamingo Adventures. Travel + holiday“The original Flemingo Lodge was a popular place for about 40 years, and we are proud to unveil the new lodge – the only hotel within the National Park – along with our National Park Service Partners.”

Eager to investigate the new Digs, I arrived at Florida Everglads National Park in a crisp -afternoon – my first night journey at Spring Park. Although I have been in Florida for more than two decades, I am a self-declared glumper and was still hesitant to camp in the park so far. During my stay, I kissed in the bay, enjoyed a sunset boat ride through the swamp, and enhanced the cool trails – grateful to come back to a warm bath and comfortable bed each evening.

If you are thinking about Florida’s largest national park’s night travel, then here you need to know about the booking of living in Flemingo Lodge.

Room

The suite of a bedroom of my 420-class foot had waterproof laminate wood floor and a cooking house with a stove, fridge and microwave. The main living space had a compact but comfortable sleeper sofa, scope and four Ottomans. Although the lodge is made from a shipping container, the only scars of industrial material inside the rooms were white corrugated metal roof.

The rest of the suite had a tropical decoration of Chaiti accent walls, lime curtains, and gold palm fried art prints, and the bedroom was designed with a queen -shaped bed and standalone closet for storage. Other guest room options include studio and two-bedroom suites that are top out in 640 square feet, and although there are no televisions, you are not here to watch TV when to detect the forest at a distance of miles and miles.

Food and drinks

Food is served at a 4,000 -square -foot restaurant adjacent to the lodge, and the counter service restaurant has casual dishes affected by the local tastes of Florida. Breakfast Burtitos and Smukd Calman Baggles Morning Menu and Lunch and Dinner menu include coconut shrimp, crispy Empanadus and a delicious conch shell chounder soup.

The restaurant also has a cook-yor-catch option, and the cooks will grill, fry or black your freshly caught fish and serve it with fries, salads, or plantain chips. You can take your food out to the courtyard, and the outdoor grills between lodging buildings are available on the first serve basis.

Experiences and facilities

Although the new lodge lacks a pool, the surrounding park is a true playground for water activities. The activities can be booked through the National Park Service or Flamingo Adventures, which provides both water equipment and directed tourism. My first morning, I signed up for a kayaking tour and my guide, Tim Taylor, an experienced Park Ranger, gave me a colorful history of the park during our two -hour leading Kayak ride. We were enthusiastically added as botalenose dolphins and Mainetes glued a few feet away from our kayak and hunted for an inch, fish above a bald eagle water.

I also booked an afternoon boat, which was packed with families, and we brought down the saltwater as the guide indicated Herons, Ibis and a brown-black crocodile, which stood perfectly for our photos. Nearby trails are very good for bike riding or walking, and I spent half a mile loop around my morning lodge.

Located just a few feet from the lodge, the Gai Bradley Visitor Center, named after a bird conservationist, offers interactive displays that tells the story of the first residents of the park. Pastel-Pink Art Deco Building was reopened in July 2023 after renewal to repair widespread damage from Hurricane Irma floods. There is also an outdoor amphitheater about a mile from the lodge where the nature talks are held a few nights a week.

Accessibility and stability

Built to increase the winds of the storm and sea level, the lodge is constructed with storm-affected windows from steel shipping containers, and the entire structure is elevated at 13 feet away from the ground at stilts, completing the fluorida building code for coastal high-cost areas.

“For both new lodges and visitor centers for both new lodges and visitor centers, the head of communication and public affairs, head of communication and public affairs in an interview, provides flexibility for these visitor features.” “We hope that the new lodge, restaurant and visitor center will encourage more passengers to find and re -find this unique public land.”

The visitor center also has new installed low-flow plumbing fixtures, energy-skilled windows and LED lighting. The property has solar panels on the site (although they are used to heat the bathroom and rain in a nearby eco-tent), and the lodge is stocked with durable and environmentally friendly soap and shampoo. Four ADA rooms are accessible by a walkway and lift.

Place

Lodge is located deep inside the Everglades Park, which is about two hours from the city of Miami and 45 minutes from the entrance of the park. You will need a car because there is no public transport or shuttle in the park, but once you are in the lodge, restaurant, visiting center and marina, each other is walking a few minutes.

How to get the most value from your stay

Flemingo Lodge is the best for campers that want a comfortable retreat at the end of the day. Although there are no bells and whistles such as spa, gym, or tennis courts – the lodge actually offers a comfortable, convenient option to stay overnight.

If you are considering a multi-generated camp trip, old family members can appreciate access to air conditioning, hot shower, and clean sheets (available at daily housekeeping request), and the lodge will appeal to the passengers who prefer housing in a tent or RV.

You can enjoy low rates during the high season of Florida; The rates start from June $ 159 from June and start at $ 259 during the November high season through May. The stay has a maximum limit of 14-day, and a park entry fee requires a park entry fee to enter the Everglades National Park to reach the Flamingo Lodge and Restaurant. Reservation can only be made through or through phone (855-708-2207) Lodge official website,

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