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Big Cypress National Preserve, Ochopee, FL

Photo: Antonio Chaves, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sport & OutdoorOutdoor AdventureFree

Big Cypress National Preserve

Oasis Visitor Center, 52105 Tamiami Trail East · Ochopee, FL

Why you should go…

Big Cypress National Preserve protects more than 720,000 acres of cypress swamp next to the Everglades, and in 1974 it became one of the first national preserves in the park system. Two scenic drives, Loop Road and Turner River Road, take you off the highway to look for alligators and wading birds. You can also paddle, hike, join a ranger program or ride a swamp buggy tour with a permitted operator. It has been an International Dark Sky Park since 2016.

  • #national preserve
  • #cypress swamp
  • #scenic drive
  • #wildlife viewing
  • #stargazing

Good to know

General sport & outdoor guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • Weather calls the shots

    Check the forecast the morning of and keep an indoor backup in your pocket for the day it turns.

  • Shoes, water, sun cover

    The three things that decide whether you last the whole outing or cut it short after an hour.

  • Parking and launches fill early

    On a nice weekend, lots and trailheads are often full by mid-morning.

  • Daylight shrinks in shoulder season

    Spring and fall visits need an earlier start than the same trip in July.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Big Cypress National Preserve, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Tours
    Outdoor Adventure

    Everglades Safari Park

    $25–$50

    Classic Everglades airboat rides and gator shows just 30 minutes west of downtown on the Tamiami Trail.

    28 mi awaySwitch it up: Tours

  • Museums
    History Buff

    Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum

    Under $25

    The Seminole Tribe's own museum deep in the Big Cypress Reservation, with a mile-long boardwalk through the cypress dome.

    32 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Shopping
    Family Favorite

    Dolphin Mall

    Free

    A sprawling outlet and value-retail mall in western Miami-Dade with 240+ stores.

    41 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Outdoor Adventure

    iSkydive Miami

    $50+

    Tandem skydiving drop zone near Miami with jumps from 10,000 feet over the Homestead area and coastline.

    44 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Family Favorite

    Flamingo Gardens

    Under $25

    60-acre botanical garden and wildlife sanctuary with a tram tour and rescued native animals.

    47 mi awayMore like this

  • Sport & Outdoor
    Local Gem

    Venetian Pool

    Under $25

    A 1924 public pool carved from a coral rock quarry, waterfalls, grottoes, and Venetian bridges fed by cool aquifer water in Coral Gables.

    48 mi awayMore like this