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Okeechobee · SR-78 by the lake · Guided airboat rides

Eagle Bay Airboat Rides

Skim through the Eagle Bay marsh to the cypress trees up Limpkin Creek on a guided airboat ride, with alligators, wading birds and a captain who knows the lake, 3 minutes from the US-441 RV parks.

4.6 on Google · 462 reviews

Book a ride Directions Call (863) 824-0500

Opens Eagle Bay’s website. Rides are $40 per adult with a $120 minimum per trip; call (863) 824-0500 to book.

Details checked October 2026

Featured video

Video thumbnail from a 2017 YouTube video of an alligator-spotting airboat ride at Eagle Bay in Okeechobee
Play video

Alligator Hunt Airboat Ride, Eagle Bay Okeechobee · Historical Archive of Aviation & Recovery Heritage on YouTube

Overview What you’ll see Why go RV tips Reviews Plan your visit Stay nearby FAQs

Type

Airboat tour

Guided rides through the north-shore marsh

Admission

$40 adults

$25 kids 12 and under; 3 and under free. $120 minimum per trip.

Hours

Call for times

Rides depend on bookings and the weather.

Time needed

1–2 hours

Our estimate with check-in; ask about ride length when you book

Parking

Use the tow vehicle

No published RV parking; camp is 3 minutes away

Private tours

Up to 6 riders

Private boat for your group; $120 minimum

What you’ll see

Marsh, cypress and gators on the north shore

Eagle Bay runs guided airboat trips from its landing on SR-78, just southwest of town, out into the marsh along the north shore of Lake Okeechobee.

An airboat crossing calm water under a golden sunset on a Florida lake

Start here

The Eagle Bay marsh and Limpkin Creek

The ride heads out through the Eagle Bay marshlands to the cypress trees up Limpkin Creek, a corner of the lake most visitors only see from the dike. Alligators are the topic Google reviewers bring up most, followed by how much the guides know about the lake and its wildlife.

RV tip: the landing is about 3 minutes from the Okeechobee KOA and Silver Palms, so leave the rig hooked up at camp and drive over in the tow vehicle.

More to see

  • Alligators and birdsLook for alligators along the banks and wading birds in the shallows: herons, egrets and, fittingly, limpkins. Ospreys hunt over the open water.
  • Private toursBook the boat for your own group of up to 6 people, a good fit for a family or two couples traveling together.
  • A picnic stopEagle Bay has a picnic area at the landing, so pack a lunch and make a morning of it.
  • Captains who know the lakeKnowledgeable guides come up often in Google reviews, and Yelp reviewers single out Captain Troy by name.

Eagle Bay’s website

An American alligator resting at the water’s edge, seen from an airboat in the headwaters of the Everglades
An alligator sightingPhoto: traveljunction on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)
A brown-and-white speckled limpkin wading through shallow water at Lake Okeechobee
A limpkin at the lakePhoto: DickDaniels on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Passengers in hats settling into the bench seats of an airboat before a ride
Boarding an airboatPhoto: Nan Rollison, USFWS, on Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
Open water and marsh islands on Lake Okeechobee, looking east from the pier at Lake Okeechobee Park in Okeechobee
The lake from the park pierPhoto: Dough4872 on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Why go

See the lake from the water, not the dike

Lake Okeechobee covers about 730 square miles, but much of its edge is a shallow maze of marsh, grass and open water that boats with propellers under the hull can’t reach. An airboat skims right over the top, which is how you get into the back marsh where the gators and wading birds are.

For RVers the appeal is convenience. Eagle Bay is a few minutes from the RV parks on US-441, a ride fits easily into a morning, and the captain does the navigating, so you see the marsh without hauling a boat of your own.

Winter is the sweet spot, when cool, sunny days bring alligators out to bask and migrating birds fill the marsh. Summer rides are hot and afternoon storms can cut trips short, so book a morning slot.

Airboat passengers sitting low in the tall marsh grass beside a stand of trees on a Florida airboat tour
Airboat riders deep in Florida marsh grass
Photo: qwesy qwesy on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)

Why it made our list

  • Gators are the top topic in Google reviews
  • 3 minutes from the US-441 RV parks
  • Private boats for up to 6 people
  • Marsh and cypress up Limpkin Creek
  • Picnic area at the landing

For RVers

Planning an airboat ride from camp

The practical stuff we wished someone had told us before we pulled in.

Leave the rig at camp

Eagle Bay sits on SR-78 about a mile from the US-441 junction, a 3-minute drive from the Okeechobee KOA and Silver Palms. It doesn’t publish RV parking details, so take the tow vehicle and keep the lot easy for everyone.

Book ahead and budget for the minimum

Rides carry a $120 minimum per trip, so two adults pay the same as three. Call (863) 824-0500 to book and confirm times, and bring cash for the tip, which isn’t included.

Pets and noise

Eagle Bay doesn’t publish a pet policy, so ask before you bring a dog. Airboats are loud and open and the marsh is full of gators, so most dogs are happier at camp. Bring ear protection for kids and anyone sensitive to noise.

Dress for sun and wind

There’s no roof on an airboat. Wear a hat that won’t blow off, sunglasses and sunscreen, and bring a light jacket on winter mornings, when the wind on the water feels much colder than it does on shore.

What visitors say about Eagle Bay Airboat Rides

The visitor report card

We don’t copy other sites’ reviews, but the published scores are worth reading together. Scores checked October 28, 2026.

Not just an airboat ride.

Eagle Bay Airboat Rides · eaglebayadventure.com

Google

4.6/5

462 reviews

Read

Tripadvisor

4.5/5

92 reviews

Read

Yelp

4.4/5

17 reviews

Read

All three sites

4.6/5

570+ reviews combined

Average weighted by review count. The three sites agree closely, from 4.4 on Yelp to 4.6 on Google.

What visitors often mention

Recurring themes in Google’s review topics

AlligatorsKnowledgeable guidesWildlife

Google’s review topics point to alligators (88 reviews), knowledgeable guides (38), gator sightings (34) and wildlife viewing (29). On Yelp, reviewers mention Captain Troy by name. Checked October 28, 2026.

What your group pays

What a group pays before the tip: 2 adults $120 because of the minimum, 2 adults and 2 kids $130, 4 adults $160, 6 adults $240$1202 adults$1302 adults + 2 kids$1604 adults$2406 adults

Calculated from Eagle Bay’s posted prices, before the tip. Because of the $120 minimum, a couple pays the same as three adults.

Good to know

Adults$40 per person

Kids 12 & under$25 3 and under ride free

Minimum per trip$120 private tours up to 6

BringSunglassesSunscreenCash for the tip

Prices from Eagle Bay’s website, checked October 28, 2026. Gratuity is not included. Call ahead to confirm prices and ride times.

Know before you go

Plan your visit

Eagle Bay Airboat Rides

  • Address900 FL-78, Okeechobee, FL 34974
  • HoursCall for times
    Rides depend on bookings and the weather.
  • Phone(863) 824-0500
  • BookingCall (863) 824-0500 or see eaglebayadventure.com
  • Getting thereFrom US-441 (US-98) on the south side of Okeechobee, turn west onto SR-78. Eagle Bay is about a mile along, at 900 SR-78.
  • ParkingPark at the landing. Eagle Bay doesn’t publish RV parking details, so come in your tow vehicle.
Book a ride Get directions

Ride times depend on bookings and the weather, and trips can be called off for storms or high wind. Call before you go.

Where to stay nearby

RV parks near Eagle Bay Airboat Rides

These are the Lake Okeechobee parks we have visited and written up. All three are within about 5 minutes of the Eagle Bay landing.

Aerial view of the sites, golf course and lake beyond at Okeechobee KOA Resort
About 3 min · 1.1 mi via US-441 S and FL-78 W

Okeechobee KOA Resort

Big resort on US-441 with a 9-hole golf course, pools and big-rig sites, about a mile from the airboat landing.

See Okeechobee KOA

Aerial view of the heated pool and clubhouse at Silver Palms RV Resort
About 3 min · 1.3 mi via US-441 S and FL-78 W

Silver Palms RV Resort

Upscale resort with a heated pool, clubhouse and paved sites, just around the corner from Eagle Bay.

See Silver Palms

Aerial view of the canals, boat docks and RV sites at Taylor Creek RV Resort + Marina
About 5 min · 2.6 mi via US-441

Taylor Creek RV Resort + Marina

Canal-front sites with boat docks on Taylor Creek, for RVers who want their own boat on the lake too.

See Taylor Creek

Helpful answers

Frequently asked questions

The questions RVers ask most before pulling in.

Eagle Bay doesn’t publish RV parking details. The Okeechobee KOA and Silver Palms are about 3 minutes away, so the easy plan is to leave the rig at camp and drive over in your tow vehicle.

$40 per adult and $25 for kids 12 and under, and kids 3 and under ride free. There is a $120 minimum per trip, and gratuity isn’t included.

Very likely. Alligators come up in more Google reviews than any other topic, but wildlife is wild, so sightings aren’t guaranteed. Cool, sunny winter days are when gators bask on the banks.

Yes. Eagle Bay offers private tours for up to 6 people. Call (863) 824-0500 to book and to confirm the price for your group.

Yes. Airboats are driven by a large open propeller, so ask about hearing protection when you book, and bring your own for small kids or anyone sensitive to noise.

Winter mornings are the most comfortable, and cool sunny days are good for spotting gators. In summer, book an early ride to beat the heat and the afternoon storms, and call ahead if the weather looks rough.

Call ahead for ride times

Ready to meet the gators?

Call ahead, bring a hat and some cash for the captain, and take the tow vehicle for the 3-minute drive from camp.

Book a ride

or call (863) 824-0500

Thank you to the people behind these photos and this video. Please support them by giving their work a look. Photos: Michael Seeley (airboat at sunset; CC BY 2.0), qwesy qwesy (riders in the marsh grass; CC BY 3.0), traveljunction (alligator; CC BY-SA 2.0), DickDaniels (limpkin; CC BY-SA 3.0), Nan Rollison of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (boarding an airboat; public domain) and Dough4872 (the lake from the park pier; CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons; the images were resized. The airboat and alligator photos were taken elsewhere in Florida and show what a ride is like, not Eagle Bay itself. Video: Historical Archive of Aviation & Recovery Heritage on YouTube (an Eagle Bay ride in 2017). Review-site logos are trademarks of their owners.

Disclaimer

RV-Roundup is an independent, community-based resource created to help RV travelers and to support and promote the places we feature. RV-Roundup is not owned by, operated by, or officially affiliated with Eagle Bay Airboat Rides unless otherwise stated.

The information on this page was prepared using the most current details available at the time of publication, including Eagle Bay Airboat Rides’ published materials and publicly available sources. Prices, ride times, rules and other details are set by the operator and may change at any time without notice. Before you travel, please confirm all details directly with Eagle Bay Airboat Rides at eaglebayadventure.com or (863) 824-0500. RV-Roundup is not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes made after publication.

We will always do our best to keep this page up to date. Thank you to everyone who contributes; we truly appreciate your help and support.

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