West Lake Picnic Pavilion in the Flamingo unit of Everglades National Park
See the Picnic Areas web page for an interactive location map.
West Lake has the only picnic pavilion in Everglades National Park. There are five tables, but no grills. The tables overlook West Lake, where fishing is allowed but no swimming due to the possibility of alligators in the water. A boat ramp and a short boardwalk nature trail are also part of the complex. There is a modern restroom facility attached to the building, but at the time of this writing it no longer works. In its place are a couple of portable toilets.
Picnic tables at West Lake in Everglades National Park
I had planned to hike the boardwalk trail, 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 Everglades National 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 have had their vehicles damaged. If you shoo the birds away, they come right back as soon as you turn around.
Vultures making a feast of an SUV at West Lake in Everglades National Park
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Last updated on July 9, 2026
