Mrazek Pond

The Everglades Welcome You Back!!!

As marinas, parks and green spaces reopen in our city, the Everglades are a fantastic place to come and get some fresh air while practicing safe social distancing guidelines.

Here's what's happening at the park:

All areas of Everglades National Park are now OPEN. Park waters remain open for access from outside the park.
You are encouraged to pre-pay for your Entrance fee online, you can get a digital pass here.
Visitor Centers at Ernest C. Coe and Shark Valley have reopened.
Campsites are open. Self-registration permits are available outside of the Flamingo and Gulf Coast Visitor Centers.
Several tours and concession services have resumed with enhanced health and safety measures:
- Shark Valley's Tram Tours are running on a limited capacity and Bike rentals can be booked online.
- Flamingo's Back Country Tours are running and kayak and canoe rentals and bicycles can be booked online. Check Groupon Discounts here.
- The Gulf Coast 10,000 Island Tours are running and kayak and canoe rentals can be booked online.
- The following outside concessions are conducting Airboat and Eco Tours now:
  - Gator Park: Everglades National Park Airboat Tour and Wildlife Show
  - Everglades Safari Park: $23.60 Discount tickets at Klook.com,
  - Everglades Holiday Park, from Miami incl. transport: Half-Day Everglades Airboat Ride & Wildlife Show
  - Sawgrass Recreation Park: Everglades Airboat Tour with Exhibit Entrance, Private Tour for your group only, Night Tour (Wednesdays and Saturdays only)
  - Everglades Area Tours: Mangrove Tunnel Kayak Eco-Tour meet at Everglades Chamber of Commerce Welcome Center Hwy 41/Hwy 29 Everglades City

For more info check out Everglades National Park: Alerts and Conditions

Mrazek Pond on the road to Flamingo is the Everglades Shorebird "Grand Central Station". This small waterhole attracts an incredible amount of birdlife during the winter months dry season: egrets, herons, ibis, storks, spoonbills, white pelicans...

Birds at Mrazek Pond: pelican, egret, heron, ducks

Anhingas perched on the trees drying their wings, egrets fishing...

Cormorants, coots, ducks...

This is a great little stop where you can spend a few minutes or a few hours, bring a folding chair and enjoy...

Like all things in nature though, it might be our luck that the pond is dry and virtually empty of any action, or that all the birds have gone to Eco Pond, just literally around the corner.

At any rate, if you are headed towards Flamingo, you will pass it, so just pop in to have a look and see if there is anything going on. If you see any cars parked by the side of the road, birdwatchers with binoculars and tripods, then that's your cue!