Marjory Stoneman Douglas Visitor Center

The park's Gulf Coast gateway to the Ten Thousand Islands, opened December 2025 as the long-awaited replacement for the visitor center Hurricane Irma leveled in 2017. Named for the writer who called the Everglades a river of grass, the new building sits elevated on pilings — engineered for 15-foot surges and 175-mph winds, part of a $50M complex with marina, kayak launch, and concession dock. Rangers hand out paddling charts, brief you on tide windows, and point kayakers toward Sandfly Island. The concession runs a 90-minute pontoon through the mangrove maze past dolphin and manatee water, weather permitting.

What to order

Book the 90-minute Ten Thousand Islands pontoon tour at the marina concession — go on a rising tide for calmer water. Kayakers should ask a ranger about the Sandfly Island loop (one-mile boardwalk to a former pioneer outpost) before launching.

Hours

Daily 9a–5p, year-round