Big Cypress National Preserve
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
4 reviews for Big Cypress National Preserve
4 reviews in English
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Review from Robert C.
8/15/2009 1 photo
its a swamp, no its a park, its a swamp thats called a park!
this will be a two part review, one for outdoorsman and one for folks that consider offroading when you drive over a curb at publix supermarket.
for the NON outdoorsman..
lots of grass, mostly swamp, lots of gators in the canals near the roads, plenty of mosquitoes (our state insect), occasional wild orchids and other flowers but mostly swamp. there are places near the road where you can get some really cool pics of gators or beautiful shots of cypress trees. bring insect repellent as the mosquitoes are ruthless.
for the outdoorsman...
mostly swamp specially when we have heavy rains. you can travel by foot but its advisable to carry a walking stick and a machete in case a water moccasin pops out on you. be careful when walking and make good use of your walking stick. the ground in the wet areas (most of this place) can vary from rocky and wet to soft mud. don't get too confident on the rocky areas as you may step into some boot sucking holes.
pack whatever is in your pack that you don't want top get wet in ziplocks. nothing sucks more than falling in the swamp and getting your gear wet!
its a good idea to bring a buddy just in case. aside from slip/falls theres venomous snakes out here.
the mosquitoes out here are absolutely unforgiving. deep woods off may help but keep in mind the stuff can damage car interiors and other plastics. do NOT eat anything with banana in it prior to or while on trek here. bananas make your skin exude a scent that attracts mosquitoes.
off road vehicles are permitted in some areas but require prior permits. check with ranger station at ochopee.
theres a very cool primitive campground in an area called bear island. primitive means theres a portapotty somewhere on the campgrounds and thats it. getting to bear island requires a 23 mile ride down a dirt road. you can get there by car but its not recommended. once there, theres NO being a miami slob and leaving your crap laying around everywhere and no being loud after nightfall.
big cypress gets rather busy during hunting season. rifle and bow hunting are allowed at different times of the year. check their web page for seasons.
if you into watching wildlife, a 1-2 mile trek on foot will get you in far enough to maybe see some deer and maybe other cool things. many of the creatures here are masters of camouflage and right under your nose.
be careful with snakes both in the water and on dry land. gators are abundant but usually get spooked by humans. there are florida panther in some parts but they are a very rare sight.
you can eat most of the fish caught here but last i heard there was a recommended limit due to mercury. i interpret that as "don't eat the fish". -
Review from Clayton A.
Duluth, MN
4/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
Beautiful county full of alligators.
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Review from Jennifer S.
San Diego, CA
1/23/2008 2 photos
don't you all LOVEEEEEEEE down time at work ...
Miami #3 (i have 4 more reviews after this)...
"Big Cypress National Preserve is located in Southwest Florida between the cities of Miami and Naples. Interstate 75 (Alligator Alley) and U. S. Highway 41 (Tamiami Trail) are the main roads that traverse the site."
on the way to miami from naples, we cut across the infamous "alligator alley" which i HIGHLY suggest all of you to do, even though it takes that extra 30-45 minutes, it's definitely well worth your trip if you've never seen one in your life ...
a must thing to do, at least in MY book.. it's funny, i'm always down to do touristy stuff for the first day, but it's like i'm all for what the locals do afterwards.
experience the wildlife and observe the alligators and the other animals in their natural habitat.
for being the person i am who absolutely LOVE the outdoors and the wildlife, i had a great time having a staring contest with one of the alligators. not only do you actually witness one of the alligators give you the stink eye, but there's also a vistor center that contains an exhibit, books, and films... the VC wasn't all that great, it was weak. better to walk around the bridge...
check out the fotos. one staring at me and one swimming aways. ok, have a client coming in the next 5 seconds... -
Review from sparky p.
Islamorada, FL
2/10/2009 3 photos
Big Cypress is the other half of South Florida: the cypress swamp that is sorta dry in the dry season (go figure) and the rest of the year is a swamp along the lines of what you might find elsewhere on the Eastern seaboard--except that it's semi-tropical. So you will see birds, gators eating birds, gators, gators, snakes, trees, and upland here and there.
The best way to see it is with a canoe, but if you are limited to your feet and an auto, drive the Trail (US 41) the original Miami-Naples road and marvel at the strands here and there along the way. If you have more time, take the Loop Road (unpaved but smooth) through the backwoods of mainland Monroe. A little bit of Central American jungle near Miami, it is. Just be sure someone knows you went there. After all, there are lots of place to um disappear into there. And if you do go, don't go hiking unless you are going with someone and you are wearing hiking boots and long pants. This is not a place for casual walking, as the usually submerged surface is more like a reef than dry land--full of holes, stumps and limestone knobs. And that's just the land, not the snakes, ants, gators and other things that can kill you.
Did I mention the Florida panther lives here? If you are really nice and quiet you may see him or her.
NB: The visitor center (Oasis) is located about midway on the Trail in Collier County (10 miles west of Fifty-Mile Bend).
