Canoeing, Kayaking activities in Everglades National Park
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Pelican
The area around Flamingo Visitor Center was damaged by Hurricane Wilma, and its restaurants and lodges were closed when we visited, but you can still rent boats or go on a backcountry boat tour with the Pelican; a 1½-hour sailing schooner tour (adult/child/sunset around US$22/around US$14/around US$33) is also available. Or rent a canoe (hr/day/half-day around US$8/around US$22/$32) or sea kayak (half-day/day $35/$45) and explore the channels and islands of Florida Bay on your own.
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Canoeing & Kayaking
From Flamingo, hit the visitor's center for a map of local canoe trails, such as the Nine Mile Pond Canoe Trail, a 5.5-mile loop that leads you into Florida Bay. You can rent canoes and kayaks at the Flamingo Marina, and be transported to various trailheads for an additional fee. For extensive kayak trips and kayak camping, make a beeline to the Gulf Coast center, which also rents canoes for three-, five- or eight-hour day-trips around the 10,000 Islands.
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Gulf Coast - Picnic Area & Boat Cruise
The northwest park entrance, Gulf Coast, near Everglades City, has a small waterfront complex offering a picnic area with gorgeous vistas, plus daily boat tours which take you into the mangrove estuary of the Gulf of Mexico, motoring around the 10,000 Islands, where you'll see dolphins, roseate spoonbills, alligators, eagles and the occasional manatee. The main activity out of the Gulf Coast center, though, is kayaking.
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