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Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides

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Big Cypress National Preserve

Protecting nearly three quarters of the million-acre Big Cypress Swamp, Big Cypress National Preserve is Florida’s largest and most remote wilderness.

Big Cypress      ( 25.857244, -81.034255 )      

Big Cypress National Preserve protects a landscape of dramatic proportions, more than 1,125 square miles undeniably rich in botanical beauty from the broadest expanses of prairie to the tiniest spout of a whisk fern in the crook of a wizened, ancient bonsai-like cypress.

The Big Cypress Swamp encompasses a series of shallow linear cypress strands stretching north to south, with names like Robert’s Strand and Skillet Strand, as part of a large mosaic of tropical hammocks, marl prairies, pine rocklands, pine flatwoods, and the mangrove fringe.

Protecting the heart of the Big Cypress Swamp, Big Cypress National Preserve was established in 1974 to prevent further incursions of development into this sensitive rain-fed ecosystem.

Exploring its lush subtropical landscapes means wading through crystal-clear swamps or paddling its channelized rivers.

Bisected by the Tamiami Trail (US 41) and Alligator Alley (I-75), the preserve offers numerous opportunities to explore, either on foot or by kayak. The southern terminus of the Florida Trail starts at the Oasis Ranger Station, plunging backpackers into several days of wading through swamps up to hip-deep at times.


Resources

Resources for exploring the area

Florida Trail Hikes book cover The Florida Trail Guide book cover South Florida Explorers Guide book cover 50 Hikes in South Florida book cover

Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.


Interactive Map

Destinations we’ve written about inside Big Cypress National Preserve


About the Preserve

Visitor Centers

Big Cypress Swamp Visitor Center, 33000 Tamiami Trail East, Ochopee. Phone: 239-695-4758
Oasis Visitor Center, 52105 Tamiami Trail East, Ochopee. Phone: 239-695-1201


Fees and Permits

Most access is free. Camping fees charged. OHV permits required. Backcountry camping (free) permits required; sign in at kiosks or check in at a ranger station prior to your trip.


Featured Destinations

Shallow water with mangrove-lined islands beyond

Eastern Continental Trail

Eastern Continental Trail
Young cypresses in dense swamp

Roberts Lake Trail

Roberts Lake Trail
Liguus tree snail

Tree Snail Hammock Trail

Tree Snail Hammock Trail
Nobles Grade, Big Cypress National Preserve

Florida Trail, Big Cypress North

Florida Trail, Big Cypress North
Big Cypress Swamp

Florida Trail, Big Cypress South

Florida Trail, Big Cypress South
Walking through wet areas helps cool you down

Tamiami Trail Triathlon

Tamiami Trail Triathlon

ALL Destinations


Featured Articles

An obvious watery path through wetlands

Big Cypress Backcountry Access

December 4, 2020//  by Sandra Friend

By December 15, all public comments are due on the new Big Cypress Backcountry Access Plan. Here’s our analysis of it and our opinions, along with a discussion of backcountry and wilderness in Florida.

Playalinda Beach

Celebrate National Park Week

April 20, 2019//  by Sandra Friend

April 21 kicks off a week-long nationwide celebration of America’s National Parks, starting with fee-free admission on Saturday April 21. Get outdoors and explore Florida’s National Parks, your public lands!

Florida Trail, Big Cypress

Crossing Big Cypress

February 4, 2019//  by Sandra Friend

It’s Florida’s roughest, wettest, weirdest backpacking trip, best tackled with friends. Along this 30 mile stretch of the Florida Trail in the heart of Big Cypress National Preserve, immersing in the swamp is the point of the hike. Sandra tackled it as the final stretch of her multi-year 1,110-mile section hike of the Florida Trail, end-to-end.

Marshall Swamp

Botanically rich hikes along the Florida Trail

February 6, 2018//  by Sandra Friend

With more than 1,400 miles of hiking statewide, the Florida Trail provides a gateway to grand landscapes for botanical beauty. Here are our top suggestions for fascinating botanical destinations along the Florida Trail.


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Nearby Preserves in the Big Cypress Ecosystem

Collier Memorial at Collier-Seminole State Park

Collier-Seminole State Park

Collier-Seminole State Park
Fakahatchee Strand State Park

Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park

Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park
Florida Panther NWR

Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge

Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge

Our Big Cypress photos on Flickr


Trail Map (PDF) Official Website


NEARBY: Big Cypress Seminole Reservation, Everglades City, Everglades National Park, Immokalee, Fort Lauderdale, Naples, Miami | PART OF: South Florida

Category: Camping, Destinations, National Parks, Parks, South Florida, Southwest FloridaTag: Best Birding, Big Cypress Seminole Reservation, Big Cypress Swamp, Birding, Car Camping, Clewiston, Developed Camping, Everglades City, Locations, Miami, Naples, National Parks, Primitive Camping, Tropical Forests

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SOUTH FLORIDA

SOUTH FLORIDA OVERVIEW.
Big Cypress Swamp. Everglades National Park. Florida Trail

Arcadia. Basinger. Big Cypress National Preserve. Big Cypress Seminole Reservation. Clewiston. Everglades City. Fisheating Creek. Lake Okeechobee. Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail. Lake Placid. LaBelle. Lakeport. Moore Haven. Okeechobee. Pahokee. Port Mayaca. Sebring. South Bay

Our Newest Books

The Florida Trail Guide

The Florida Trail GuideOur definitive guidebook to planning backpacking trips on the Florida National Scenic Trail, now in its fourth edition. Full data charts and maps. B&W, 356 pages. $19.95 + tax & shipping.

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Florida Trail Hikes

Florida Trail Hikes 2nd edition coverFifty of the best day hikes, overnights, and weekend trips on the Florida Trail. Full hike descriptions and maps, full color. 376 pages. $24.95 + tax & shipping.

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Discovering the Florida Trail

Florida Trail mini coffee table book cover of trail into palm hammock
A visual journey the length of the Florida Trail, covering more than 1,500 miles from the Everglades to Pensacola Beach. Hardcover, 196 pages. $24.95 + tax & shipping.

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50 Hikes in Central Florida 3rd edition
Five Star Trails Orlando guidebook
Explorer's Guide North Florida & The Panhandle guidebook

Florida Trail Apps

Farout GuidesFarout Guides Comprehensive logistics and offline maps for the
Florida National Scenic Trail (1,500 miles), the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail (108 miles), and the ECT Florida Connector (92 miles).

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Our recent park & trail updates in this region

Well worn path through a wet pine flatwoods landscape

DuPuis Loop Trail

DuPuis Loop Trail
Bridge edged by alligator flag

Okaloacoochee Slough Tram Loop

Okaloacoochee Slough Tram Loop
Cypress dome in fog

Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest

Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest
Collier Seminole Hiking Trail

Collier-Seminole Hiking Trail

Collier-Seminole Hiking Trail

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