West Lake Boat Ramp at Everglades National Park
See the Boat Launches web page for an interactive location map.
West Lake at Everglades National Park is open to boats with motors no greater than 6 horse power, plus canoes, kayaks, and other hand-paddled vessels. Motor boats of any type are prohibited from entering Alligator Creek at the east end of the lake.
Two docks and one concrete boat ramp are part of a complex that also includes a covered picnic area and a modern restroom. The parking lot can accommodate boat trailers.
West Lake boat docks, Everglades National Park
I had planned to hike a short trail near the ramp, but vultures in the parking lot were already tearing up somebody’s car, and I didn’t want to leave mine unattended. Vultures love to tear rubber off of a vehicle and will rip apart windshield wipers, windshield molding, gaskets, and soft tops. Vulture problems are prevalent in both the Flamingo and Royal Palm areas of the park. If you plan to leave your car, be sure to have a tarp to cover the vehicle and bungee cords to secure it. It’s not a guarantee that your car will be victimized, as mine never was and I didn’t have a tarp, but I witnessed it happen (see photo below) and talked to a few others who had their vehicles damaged. If you try to shoo the birds away, they come back as soon as you turn around. A local fisherman at the ramp told me the birds don’t mess with any cars worth less than $50,000.
Vultures having an SUV feast at the West Lake Boat Ramp in Everglades National Park
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Last updated on September 23, 2024
