White eyed vireo at Eco Pond near Flamingo. Photo by ianqui via Wikipedia.
Flamingo Lodge, the only major lodging facility in Everglades National Park, closed in 2005 after being trashed by two powerful hurricanes in 2005. It’ll be demolished now, and assuming that enough funds can be rounded up, it’ll be replaced with a hurricane-resistant lodging complex featuring a small hotel, cottages, and eco-tents.
For nearly half a century, an eclectic collection of boaters, fishermen, birders, nature photographers, hikers, swamp-trompers, canoeists, campers, and adventuresome people (including a smattering of Europeans) has driven 38 miles southwest into Everglades National Park from the park’s main entrance, ending up at the remote community of Flamingo on Florida Bay (see the map at this site). It’s as far south as you can drive in the park.
There is an amazing variety of fun things to do at Flamingo -- even backcountry boat rides and schooner sailing cruises.
Until a few years ago, lodging was available at the two story hotel, 24 cabins, and a campground. The venerable 103-room lodge (opened in 1959) and cabins were far from luxurious, but they were affordable and served their purpose. The rooms had air conditioning, which was perhaps luxury enough in the prevailingly hot and humid summer months. Most visitors came in the cooler months, of course, to avoid the worst heat and mosquitoes.
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Wilma -- the most intense hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic basin, and the third-costliest storm in U.S. history -- ravaged Flamingo with powerful winds and a nearly ten-foot storm surge. The hotel and cabins were damaged beyond repair. The cabins are already gone, and the lodge is scheduled for demolition.
This is not to say that Flamingo lacks visitor services. Camping is available, and Flamingo’s Mission 66 visitor center, marina/boat ramp, marina store, and gas station are all open for business. Xanterra Parks & Resorts operates the Flamingo Marina and provides associated services, including canoe, kayak, and motorboat rentals.
The National Park Service is eager to restore family-style hospitality services at Flamingo. Park attendance has declined significantly since 2005, and as you can well imagine, area businesses and governments are upset about the losses of income and tax revenues associated with reduced park visitation. Sport fishermen and birders lament the loss of convenient access to some of the best angling and birding in the southern states.
Unfortunately, putting a lodging complex and related amenities in place at Flamingo can’t be done easily or quickly.
Planning for a “new and improved” Flamingo has been going on for three years now. The result is a blueprint for a major makeover designed to make the Flamingo complex smaller, greener, and more hurricane-resistant. The key elements of Plan C (the full makeover) are a 30-room hotel, two dozen cottages, and 40 “eco-tents” for use in the cooler months.
Solar power will supply most of the complex’s electrical needs, and all of the structures will be elevated (stilt-mounted) above the reach of storm surges.
It all sounds pretty good, but there’s a rub. Executing this plan will cost an estimated $20 million, including $9 million for the hotel and cottages alone. Where will all this money come from? It’s been more than 30 years now since a national park lodge was built solely with federal funds.
Park planners and the advocacy NGOs working with them are well aware that they must think creatively, forge public-private partnership, and tap private sector funding if they are to follow through with the ambitious plans for a Flamingo makeover. Some Everglades advocates hope the park will be able to tap the National Park Centennial Fund.
Assuming that a deal can be worked out soon, even the rosiest scenarios don’t have a completed lodging complex in place at Flamingo for at least three to five years.
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Comments
We have stayed at Flamingo Lodge on two occasions in the past. Both times were in the early spring and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Sorry to hear about the lodge's destruction but perhaps a newer, better place will be the result. Best of luck to them.
I went down there from VA in 2004 I believe to work as a house keeper for a season and half almost two.
I enjoyed it alot as I lived in Florida for a while and love the tropical scenery and inviroumant.
We went through two but no really big distraction at the time.
But I still have wonderful memories of greaf friends and becoming the good employee that my supervisor wanted of me .
Even inspire of think mosquito an bad weather to very HOT weather.
I would love to go back if they do rebuild
I hear that the Big boss there Peter Halls I think was his name.has sense passed away. Perhaps soon after Katrina. I don't know and I also remember Judith Smith and Jean . Everyone I meant down there.
I hope they can bring it back d
Why only 30 rooms? We need 103, like before, at least.
People should camp more. Everglades Flamingo has showers so a tent and thermarests is all you need. Stove is nice but optional. Mosquito are the only issue. NPS needs do spray often, a fraction of the cost of building a hurricane proof lodge.
Flamingo is one of the most magical and wonderful places on earth. People should be able to go there and live there for a few days, regardless of age, disability or inclination to camp. The Lodge served that purpose. I agree it should be larger, but I also want it to have a minimal impact on the fragile ecology of Florida Bay. The more people who experience the magic of the Everglades, the more who will want to help save this incomparable and irreplaceable paradise.
I know Flamingo well. I lived there for several years in the 1980s. Hidden behind the resort is the tiny offbeat village where sturdy people have lived for nearly a century at the "end of the road." Today they are all employees of the National Park Service or the hotel / marina company and their families. It is still a close knit and loving community and the Lodge is the engine that keeps it in business. I'd hate to see the NPS close down Flamingo or make it "day use only," as a unique community would then be lost, and the Everglades has lost quite enough already.
To hear a song about Flamingo cut and paste: http://www.parkrangersteve.com/music/10%20My%20Flamingo.mp3
I so miss being able to come and stay in the Lodge. The Everglades is magical. I enjoyed bringing my children there in years past and have taken many good memories home with me: the prairie warblers and other birds, the bobcat sitings, and the moonflowers which opened at dusk.
My wife and I stayed at the lodge in December 2000 and had a great time despite unusually cold weather. The birding was fantastic. It's sad that nothing has been put in place to allow people who cannot camp to experience this special place. Camping wouldn't bother us but it is not feasible to bring the necessary equipment from home (England). Why couldn't the National Park Service provide some fixed tents for rent? They do that in The Gambia, West Africa in remote areas with great success. Hope something is done before too long.
My heart breaks everytime I read an article about the Flamingo Lodge, as the Sales & Marketing Manager for a few years and park resident for 5 years, this was home...mosquitoes and all. I just can't imagine I will never be able to take my children there, heck I always planned to work there again during my retirement years..
Flamingo will always be part of me. I still hope to see it again.
April, I'm sure you're not the only one feeling a deep sense of loss over the demise of Flamingo Lodge. Despite the various and sundry complaints (usually involving mosquitoes and sticky heat), the Flamingo Lodge was part and parcel of a fondly remembered place and time. Like loved ones who've passed, the Flamingo Lodge is kept alive in our minds and in our hearts.
I have some bird watching clients who have asked me to check accommodation at Flamingo Lodge. They and i obviously didnt realise it no longer exists. Can anyone please reccommend a hotel/lodge near the everglades national park ??
thanks so much karen
Bring a tent it's great.
Thanks for posting! I wish I had known of this place before Wilma. Could you maybe do an update as to its condition today?
I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Pauly. The Flamingo Lodge was demolished last March.
I am sad to learn this place is gone. I had a nice solo stay there many years ago, and was planning to go there next month with two little kids and their mom - to show them an interesting place. We will still go to the Everglades, of course, but will miss the chance to stay in this historic, quirky, "all American" place. (I remember the screens around the pool, and the walkways between buildings.)
Is camping realistic with kids in February?
I would be up for trying, given that the lodge is gone. Any suggestions?
For Flamingo camping information and related trip planning, visit this site. February is one of the better months for camping in Everglades. The park usually has mild and pleasant weather from December through April, and that is also when insect pests are least bothersome and low water levels cause wildlife to cluster around ponds. You can phone the park (305-242-7700) for more specific information. Perhaps some helpful Traveler readers will chime in here too. It'd be nice to hear from somebody who's recently camped with kids at Flamingo.
Yeah - but camping is typically free during the wet season. I suppose the only problems are the mosquitoes, biting flies, high humidity, rain, and the threat of hurricanes forcing an evacuation. I drove through the Flamingo Campground in 2006 when Everglades NP reopened after Hurricane Ernesto (at tropical storm strength going through Florida) closed down the park for a few days. I noticed that one of the items sold at the store was that hurricane preparation staple - shelf stable milk, which is particularly useful for camping.
http://www.nps.gov/ever/planyourvisit/frontcamp.htm
My husband and I worked at Flamingo for a little less than a year after we married. Throughout the years I have off an on been struck with little bits of homesickness and memories.
I am happy to run across this article; up til now I had not been able to find out any info about the possibility of lodging replacement.
I hope someday to go back as an overnight tourist, but I think I might stop by sooner and bring my daughter to see the beauty that I remember- I won't wait to take her during mosquito season though- they like her even better than they liked me!
my Mother and her Husband worked at Flamingo Lodge for many years. and as a kid we lived at the employee dorms and went to school in Florida City and Homestead.There where seven kids that lived down in Flamingo at that time. The pool fence was put in with little doors so the coons could come and go and not break up the fence by Bob. Smart man.. My moms husband was head of the Maintance dept. his name was Bob Hoffa and my mom was head of housekeeping dept. her name was Marcie Hoffa. many good memories.. i used to help in the Kitchen when i was a kid and loved every min. of it.. My mom was the first to also drove the Tram when they started that. i would also go with her alot on them Tram Trips.. My mom and manager of Flamingo was in the freezer at the time of the hurricane.. when my mom told me about what she had seen when they came out she said all the birds and wild life was just so so sad... my mom loved her job and loved that place. that was her world... so sad to see the pictures of the pool and hotel area. i have many nice pictures and good memories though.
I worked at Flamingo as the Controller / AGM in the mid 80s. I knew your mom and dad quite well, met them right after I moved to Flamingo and my car broke down in Homestead. They gave me a ride back to Flamingo. I spent some time over at the maintnenace shop wiht Bob, Max Marchant, and Joel Strickland (and others).
Rick
This statement along with the reactions of these readers is something all will have to get used to with the NPS... thanks to those who believe people do not belong in the National parks!
"The National Park Service is eager to restore family-style hospitality services at Flamingo. Park attendance has declined significantly since 2005, and as you can well imagine, area businesses and governments are upset about the losses of income and tax revenues associated with reduced park visitation. Sport fishermen and birders lament the loss of convenient access to some of the best angling and birding in the southern states. "
I am surprised Bob not to see mention of needing to get studies and Environmental intervention before even getting to the planning stages?
The Park Service has indeed announced plans to rebuild lodging at Flamingo, as the Traveler reported last August:
You can read the rest of the story here.
My family has a long history with Flamingo. My uncle's ashes are scattered on Whitewater Bay. Now that I am cruising on a sailboat, I would love to be able to visit the place where my father was a charterboat captain, my uncle lived and was a diesel boat mechanic, and both my brothers worked as night auditors.
It is a beautiful area and the people there are wonderful.
Build the lodge and we will come.
Katie
We visited the old place before the hurricane and had a wonderful stay, but noted that it needed some work at the time. I hope a new lodge within the park will soon become a reality. I would like to suggest an idea. After visiting South Africa some years back, I discovered some amazing lodges there that utilized local materials. It would be wonderful to see something done like that in Everglades, using a Native American theme. With the Missosukee tribe nearby, they could contribute some unique and beautiful ideas. Please do a search for South African Lodges and have a look at some of the photos for ideas. Even the tents are elegant! Trust me, it's worth your time. Best wishes
Many years ago, my family and I decided to take a detour into the Everglades on our way across the state. We stopped at the lodge to eat and asked if there was any way to spend the night. To our astonishment we were told there was in fact a room. Although usually they were booked solid months in advance during the winter, we happened to hit a day (shortly after New Years) when they had a vacancy. We took an evening boat trip through the Everglades and then woke up very early so we could be at a nearby lake when the sun rose and what appeared to be several thousand birds woke up and took flight. It was a magical experience, one I have remembered vividly for decades. I'm sad to think that those of us who are not campers or RV'ers can no longer have that experience.
My wife and I have always enjoyed our previous trips and our stays at the Flamingo lodge. We were very sadden in 2005 when we heard that the Lodge had been damaged to the point of being demolished. Now I am dismayed when I read that the NPD are not rebuilding the lodge because the goverment cannot come up the monies to accomplish this construction. Maybe I can help "our" goverment with some suggested sources of funds to complete this needed reconstruction. Instead of giving all "our" (citizens of USA) money out to all these other countries (some that don't even like us), maybe the goverment could spend the money on worthwhile projects that will be enjoyed by the people who actually earned and supplied the money.
I was the GM at Flamingo Resort back in the mid-70's when we had lodge, restaurant, marina, gas station and housing for 150 employees. I visted South Florida in 2000 and was told there was little at Flamingo and sorry to hear that everything appeared to be lost in 2005. Many great memories of my 6 years living at Flamingo.
We also lived in Flamingo in the 70's and am wondering if we were there at the same time. My mom and her husband (Bob Hoffa) lived there for several seasons but me (Barb), my 2 younger sisters (Patty and Kimmie) and 1 older brother (Warren) lived there in 1973-1974. I believe the GM was Dan Tomlinson
I also lived in Flamingo in 73-74, i would love to hear from anyone that lived there at that time. email address is [email protected] or can be found on facebook barbara hotchkiss lee in Milwaukee, WI
Are there any lodges in the Everglades? Not interested in camping. Thanks!
My mom and I stayed at the Flamingo Lodge in the winter of 2003. She was quite elderly and camping was not an option for her. We had a wonderful week staying there, dining there, and touring the park. These are cherished memories since mom always wanted to do this and finally got the chance! I hope they rebuild the Flamingo Lodge so others, especially the elderly and the disabled, don't miss out on this beautiful national park.
i have sayed at the lodge several time great convienent spot miss the place wy not do a fund me site like alot of other project its a shame our govrernment think of our nat. parks with little regard these parks are for the people and they teach kids so much by being outdoors in nature everglades nat park is one of the largest under 1 border with no lodging at either end of parkeast or west side and no boat access at the west entrance or lodging except off site private
I worked there back in the late 80s in the hotel as a housekeeper when Margie was head of housekeeping. I never knew the hurricanes destroyed it til just now. I'm glad they've rebuilt it. I loved working here and meeting new people and living in such a beautiful. I remember when a few people would be picked for the summer and how we'd have to prepare for hurricane season. Someday I'd love to see this place again.