Guy Bradley Visitor Center (at Flamingo) — Attraction in Key Largo

The Eco Tents are new, so I did an extensive review to provide info for folks who are considering it. It is definitely worth the visit and a great experience. If you use a navigation system to get here, put in the address for Flamingo. If you put in the Everglades, the system calculates you to the first visitor’s center, 40 minutes from where you are going. Eco Tents – Love the concept and enjoyed it. It was great to be equipped with a bed and electricity. Great for us because we were coming from a road trip that wasn’t centered around camping. • Tents allow for open air on all 4 sides with lots of breeze • Plugs are limited (4) in one location, bring an extension cord • In Nov. the weather was warm during the day (tank top and shorts) with cooler nights • Fan is supplied but not needed after the sun starts to set (frees up a plug) • Take a free-standing mirror, none supplied • Towels, washcloths, and bedding provided • Take a hard side cooler to secure food and plan to keep food locked in your car (eco tent rule) • Boardwalks are lit, but take a small flashlight • A lantern is provided, but is a bit heavy to carry • You can hear your neighbors, especially if the walls are open for air flow • The zippers for the doors and windows are heavy duty and loud • There should be 2 locks, one for the door you come and go in and the other for the deck area doors/windows. Take extras in case any are missing • Fire & cooking are in areas near the parking area

The Bath house Restrooms and showers are clean, except there was some hair in the drain of one stall. Plenty of space for clean clothes and towels. The bath houses are solar so don’t expect really hot water. It was warm enough, due to the ambient temperature. I am from Kentucky and have been told that’s why it felt warmer to me. Another visitor asked about the water temp, and she was wearing a hoodie and sweats while I was fresh out of the shower in a tank top and shorts. That just illustrates the subjectivity of the temperature but gives you an idea what to expect.

The Area/Marina • Would love to see the boardwalk built out to the water so that you can walk the beach over to the closely located amphitheater and back. • Staying off the grass helped immensely with the mosquito issues. • A new lodge and visitor center are being built for the Flamingo area and will be ready in 2021. In the meantime, there is a visitor center with super friendly, knowledgeable rangers and a marina with genuinely nice & knowledgeable staff. Everyone seems happy to be there and extremely helpful. • The marina is a great place to see American Crocodiles & Manatees. We saw crocs floating about in the water and basking in the sun on the concrete docks. The manatees are a bit more elusive because they only come up for air by sticking their noses out of the water. Late afternoon into evening seemed to be our best times. • Until the lodge is complete, the only food available for us was convenience store type food at the marina. This was fine for us; we are good with sandwiches. • There did seem to be quite a bit of traffic coming and going to the amphitheater late at night. I am not sure why. This camping area is several miles (approx. 38 miles) from the main road. I don’t think people are joy riding here. Campsites RV campsite provides a chart of each site and show which has shade. There are plenty of bathhouses that are run by regular electricity (not solar) and several sites offer electricity. The Walk-in primitive site is located near the amphitheater and is just an open field next to Florida Bay.

Trails Sometimes the trails are difficult or impassible because of the wet season. You are allowed to attempt many of them if you don’t mind the wading and mudding. There are several trails that are always passable and have board walks. You will need to drive to some, but there are a couple that are close to the campsites...

There is a cruise here that takes you to a tour in Whitewater Bay. Before stepping into the cruise you will see animals coming to the water surface for breathing. Do not worry, even though they look like alligator, but yhey are not! They are manatees and they are herbivore. The most interesting thing you can see in the tour is dolphins. If you are lucky enough, you will see them and you may catch them while playing around the cruise. Alligators and crocodiles are another interesting item here. If the weather was not too col, in December/January, you will be able to see them too. The tour guide will help you to spot different birds and animals. There is around 300 different bird species living in Keys. You can spot some very beautiful birds here. The cruise price is $40 per adult and if you are visiting in December/January, take some winter cloth, since it could be cold on...

Excellent visitor center w new facilities that complement well the needs of visitor in this most remote of location within the continental everglades lands. The Rangers were courteous and will to explore opportunities for me to see all that was available in their programs that suited my needs. One of the volunteers even shared information on schedule for weeks ahead so I can return and explore waterways w their tours. Loved sitting outside the center on the upper desk and have a full view of the waterways on low tide and w many birds taking advantage of the feeding muddy flats exposed l. Truly beautiful. My only constructive critique is that there is very few benches to sit on by the water but there is plenty of covered area to place more on. The Everglades is about contemplation of its subtle beauty so why not include more viewing opportunities...