Big Cypress National Preserve
Big Cypress National Preserve: Paddling the Everglades
Head to the south end of Florida towards the west coast. You’re sure to bump right into the Everglades. In a tiny town called Ochopee, you’ll find some great access points to Big Cypress National Preserve and some fabulous Turner River paddling opportunities.
Big Cypress and the Turner River area is hard to miss because it’s over 720,000 acres!! Closest town is Everglades City which is famous for their annual Seafood Festival. There’s plenty of areas to park your vehicle and canoe/kayak trailer if you use one, and head out for a day adventure on the Turner River. There are also put-ins all along Tamiami Trail.
Side note: check out the movie Square Grouper. It’s older, but a fun flick. It’s centered in this area, specifically Everglades City. It’s got a whole lotta cool Florida history you didn’t know you didn’t know!! Don’t have your own kayak or canoe? No problem! There are plenty of guided tours and rentals available in multiple spots found along Tamiami Trail. Some are privately owned, and some are municipal or part of the national parks service.
To start planning out your adventure, start here: https://www.nps.gov/bicy/planyourvisit/canoetrails.htm.
If you want to see the Everglades from the inside but aren’t sure about miles of #paddling… we recommend starting out with a ranger-led guided tour for just an hour or two. Use the National Park Service website to gather names and general descriptions of what you’ll see… find the names of those places that interest you most. The find those names on sites like Tripadvisor where you can read reviews and get more ideas on what you’re comfortable with.
Are you a camper? Check out home of the Skunk Ape for a great place to camp while you’re on your Big Cypress adventure.
They have cabins and tent spots, facilities and a gift shop. There’s also a small zoo and if you ask at the front desk, they’ll tell you about the recent Skunk Ape sightings and tours.
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