Everglades Airboat Tours From Plantation, FL

A City Named for an Everglades Experiment

Plantation's name is a direct link to the Everglades. It comes from the Everglades Plantation Company, which tried and failed to grow rice on drained Everglades land, as the city's history records. The rice never took, but the drainage canals stayed, and the suburbs grew up behind them.

Out west, a large piece of the original marsh survived. The Water Conservation Areas, where we ride, hold water in a broad sheet of sawgrass and wet prairie that still behaves much like the old River of Grass. North of us, the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge protects the northernmost remnant of the same system.

On a ride, your captain can show you what the land under Plantation might have looked like before the rice farmers arrived:

• sawgrass flats that run to the horizon;
• tree islands, raised hammocks where trees and birds crowd together;
• lily-pad pools where young gators hide;
• straight canals and levees that hint at the drainage era.

When choosing airboat tours, Plantation history buffs tend to enjoy a slower nature ride where the captain has time to explain all of this. Pair it with a visit to the Plantation Historical Museum and you have a full day about how this part of Broward came to be.

How Far Is the Airboat Launch From Plantation?

From Plantation, the closest Aces launch is our Sawgrass Expressway launch at Atlantic Boulevard. The usual route: west on Broward Blvd or I-595 to the Sawgrass Expressway, north to Atlantic Blvd.

• Sawgrass Expressway at Atlantic Blvd: about 11 miles, roughly 25-35 minutes by car outside rush hour.
• The Landing, Parkland: about 22 miles, roughly 40-50 minutes by car outside rush hour.

We also run trips from our Stub Canal launch on request; ask Captain Billy which ramp suits your group.

Times are measured from central Plantation and grow at rush hour and on event weekends. Captain Billy confirms the exact meeting spot, parking and what to bring when you text or call 561-660-2419. All three launches open onto the same wild, gator-rich northern Everglades, so pick whichever is easiest for your day. See every launch on our pickup locations page.

Airboat Tours Plantation Birders and Nature Lovers Choose

The ride most Plantation nature fans pick is a slower one built around wildlife. Our bird watching airboat tours spend more time stopped, engine off, near rookeries and feeding spots. Our Everglades nature tours mix gentle cruising with plenty of explaining, and the airboat drifting tours let the boat glide quietly so birds stay put.

What you can expect to see in the marsh:

• Great blue herons and great and snowy egrets hunting the shallows.
• Anhingas perched with wings spread wide to dry.
• White ibis working the mud, and ospreys circling overhead.
• Roseate spoonbills, which never fail to get a gasp when they turn up.
• Turtles on the canal banks and alligators in the lily pads.

Winter is a favorite season for birders. Cooler weather and lower water concentrate wildlife, and migrants join the year-round residents; see our Everglades winter tours. In summer, an early start beats the heat and the afternoon storms.

Bring binoculars and a long lens if you have them. Since the boat is private, nobody will mind if you ask the captain to hold position for one more shot.

Booking Your Ride From Plantation

The best airboat tours Plantation families take begin with a two-minute conversation. Text or call Captain Billy at 561-660-2419. Tell him your date, the size of your group and whether you want birds, gators, speed or a little of everything. He will suggest a tour and a boat, confirm the launch and send directions. Every ride is a private boat, so the rate depends on your group and the length of the tour; he will quote yours directly.

Questions before you call? Our FAQ answers the common ones, and the reviews page shows what guests say about our 4.9-star rating. Friends nearby can check our pages for Davie and Lauderhill.