Start of the Eco Pond Trail in Everglades National Park
See the Hiking web page for an interactive location map.
Length: .5-mile loop
Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
A half-mile loop trail circles Echo Pond, a prime bird watching spot in Everglades National Park. While you can walk right down to the pond from the parking area, if you want to get the best views of the birds, you need to walk around the pond. There is an island in the middle, and certain places along the shore are much closer to the island than others. It is along these narrow channels where you can get the closest to any birds that are wading in the water. The spot farthest from the island is the one right near the parking lot, and this is as far as most people venture.
View of Everglades National Park’s Eco Pond from near the parking area
The island in Eco Pond gets much closer to the mainland as you walk around the Eco Pond Trail, Everglades National Park
Like all areas of Flamingo, mosquitoes are prevalent even during the winter. However, they are not too bad at Eco Pond since the trail is out in the open and not running through a damp forest.
Typical terrain of the Eco Pond Trail in Everglades National Park
As you walk around the pond, most of the views from the trail are blocked by trees. However, about every hundred yards or so people have cut trails down to the water.
Path down to the water from the Eco Pond Trail in Everglades National Park
If you are into wildlife photography you need at least a 200mm lens, preferably a 400mm lens. I only had a 70mm, for I was there to take landscape photos and not wildlife photos. Those with binoculars will have no trouble viewing the birds from any location.
Birds on the narrower section between the island and shoreline of Eco Pond in Everglades National Park
Egret on Eco Pond in Everglades National Park
The Eco Pond Trail is a mild diversion for those visiting the area and a “must” stop for those who want to see birds. Plan to spend no more than a half hour for a walk around the pond, though bird watchers can spend much more time.
With a few exceptions, use of any photograph on the National Park Planner website requires a paid Royalty Free Editorial Use License or Commercial Use License. See the Photo Usage page for details.
Last updated on September 9, 2024
