The best camping near Big Cypress National Preserve

Florida’s Big Cypress National Preserve spans 729,000 acres and contains the Big Cypress Swamp, the freshwater system that feeds the Everglades just south. This lush ecosystem is home to giant bald cypress trees, ghost orchids, alligators, black bear, the Florida panther, and 190 bird species. Classic Big Cypress adventures include swamp walks, nature photography, and wildlife watching. There are also paddling routes through the preserve’s swamps and estuaries and hiking and biking trails through its pinelands and prairie sections. As a certified International Dark Sky Park, Big Cypress has excellent stargazing, with the Milky Way visible to the naked eye on clear nights. Fishing, hunting, and off-road vehicle use allowed in designated areas.

• Best for RVs: Midway Campground is the only campground in the preserve with full hookups.
• Best for families: Monument Lake Campground is near the preserve’s Oasis Visitors Center.
• Best for an immersive feeling: The primitive Burns Lake Campground is one mile off of the Tamiami Trail (US 41).

Most of the park’s campsites can be reserved 6 months in advance online or by calling 877-444-6777. Unreserved sites are available on a first come, first serve basis. The park’s backcountry campgrounds (hike-in or ORV only) don’t require advance reservation, but you’ll need to fill out a permit online, at the trailhead, or at a visitors center in advance.

In general, the park is most comfortable for camping from October to May, as sweltering heat, humidity, and rainstorms can make summer tent camping a challenge. Ranger-led activities like swamp walks and astronomy programs are mostly offered November-March. Only a few Big Cypress campgrounds are open year-round (Midway, Pinecrest, and part of Bear Island); the rest are open August 15 to April 15. Migratory birds are present in the preserve during winter, making it an excellent birding destination.

• Bear Island and Mitchell Landing Campgrounds are only accessible via secondary gravel roads, while Gator Head and Pink Jeep Campgrounds are only accessible via off road vehicle, bicycle, or on foot. With the exception of Midway and Monument Lake, all Big Cypress campgrounds are primitive and contain no drinking water.
• From November to March, the park offers ranger led tours, including swamp walks. There are also private guides operating in Big Cypress that offer swamp walks, swamp buggy tours, photography tours, and kayak rentals.
• During the winter months, park rangers lead astronomy programs near the Nathaniel P. Reed Visitor Center, including constellation tours and telescope viewings. View the Preserve’s website or contact the visitor center at 239-695-4758 for the astronomy program schedule. 
• The southern terminus of the Florida Trail is in Big Cyprus at the Oasis Visitors Center. From here, the trail spans the length of Florida, traveling 1,500 miles north and west to Fort Pickens on the Gulf Islands National Seashore.