Big Cypress National Preserve

Parks Directory of the United States / US National Parks / National Preserves

Address:33100 Tamiami Trail E
Ochopee, FL 34141
Phone:239-695-2000
Fax:239-695-3901
Web: www.nps.gov/bicy/
Size: 648,200 acres of federal land included within 720,056-acre park boundary.
Established: Authorized on October 11, 1974.
Location:In South Florida approximately halfway between Miami and Naples. Extends from Everglades National Park northward to 7 miles north of I-75. Major highways crossing the preserve are I-75 and US 41, with Hwy 29 running north-south along its western boundary.
Facilities:Campgrounds, picnic area, rest rooms (é), groceries, off-road vehicle trail, visitor center (é), museum/exhibit.
Activities:Camping, hiking, fishing, hunting, canoeing, bicycling, bird-watching, wildlife viewing, off-road vehicle use (in designated areas).
Special Features:Adjoining the northwest section of Everglades National Park (see separate entry for description), this large area protects the freshwaters of the Big Cypress Swamp, essential to the health of the neighboring Everglades and supporting the rich marine estuaries along Florida's southwest coast. Subtropical plant and animal life abounds in this ancestral home of the Seminole and Miccosukee Indians. The preserve includes 31 miles of the Florida National Scenic Trail (see separate entry in National Trails section).

See other parks in Florida.

Mentioned in

References in periodicals archive

NPCA's president testified in Congress in favor of the creation of Big Cypress National Preserve (which was established in 1974).

Saving the Panther

The 729,000-acre Big Cypress National Preserve has faced many threats over the years.

Hidden glades bass: the L28 Canal: where hard work meets great fishing

In July, NPCA and a coalition of environmental groups filed a lawsuit against the Park Service for violating the National Environmental Policy Act when it approved a proposal for oil and gas exploration in Florida's Big Cypress National Preserve.

Echoes

According to a 1998 status review, which led to the decision, Apalachicola National Forest and adjacent lands support an estimated 400 bears; Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, Osceola National Forest, and adjacent lands together contain an estimated 1,200 bears; Ocala National Forest and adjacent lands are estimated to have over 200 bears; and Big Cypress National Preserve and adjacent lands have about 400 beam.

Region 4

Everglades Adventure Tours provides "pole boat" tours through Big Cypress National Preserve. These flat bottomed boats are somewhat like wide bodied canoes, and are propelled by the guide, who uses a very long push pole to skim across the shallow waters and marshes other boats can't access.

Mystery and magic of Marco: where inside knowledge pays

But when he and his family arrived in the Sunshine State in pursuit of sailing, he wasn't inspired to point his lens at much of anything--not even in Big Cypress National Preserve, one of the most photogenic landscapes in the larger Everglades ecosystem.

Wading into wilderness: captures the heart and soul of Florida's most pristine wet lands

That vine is Old World climbing fern (Lygodium microphyllum)," a non-native that has become established in South Florida and poses significant threat to native habitats," said biologist Tony Pernas, of Big Cypress National Preserve.

A creeping crisis: slowly but persistently, invasive plants hinder efforts to conserve Florida game and fish

We're fortunate to live about one hour away from Everglades National Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, and Biscayne National Park.

Natural healing: a parent finds that nature is the best medicine for a child struggling with a unique neurological condition