A small alligator basking on top of dry vegetation.
Alligators, big and small, call Big Cypress National Preserve home. NPS Photo

Big Cypress National Preserve

National Preserve / Reserve · Florida · National Park Service

The freshwaters of the Big Cypress Swamp, essential to the health of the neighboring Everglades, support the rich marine estuaries along Florida's southwest coast. Conserving over 729,000 acres of this vast swamp, Big Cypress National Preserve contains a mixture of tropical and temperate plant communities that are home to diverse wildlife, including the Endangered Florida panther.

Plan your visit

Know before you go

Phone
2396952000
Official site
www.nps.gov
Managed by
National Park Service

Getting there

Directions on Google Maps →

What's here

Highlights: Archeology · Arts · Photography · Explorers and Expeditions · Industry · Logging and Timber Cutting · Native American Heritage · Animals · Alligators or Crocodiles · Birds · Cats (wild) · Estuaries and Mangroves · Fire · Forests and Woodlands · Coniferous Forests · Deciduous Forests · Groundwater · Grasslands · Night Sky · River and Riparian · Unique Species · Endangered · Watersheds · Wetlands · Swamps

Activities & features: Arts and Culture · Auto and ATV · ATV Off-Roading · Scenic Driving · Astronomy · Stargazing · Biking · Road Biking · Boating · Boat Tour · Camping · Backcountry Camping · Car or Front Country Camping · Group Camping · RV Camping · Food · Picnicking · Guided Tours · Hiking · Backcountry Hiking · Front-Country Hiking · Hunting and Gathering · Hunting · Paddling · Canoeing · Kayaking · Junior Ranger Program · Wildlife Watching · Birdwatching · Park Film · Museum Exhibits · Shopping · Bookstore and Park Store

Photos

  • A water filled swamp filled with lush green ferns and trees.
    NPS Photo
  • The milky way dominating a starry night sky over palm trees and a visitor center
    NPS Photo
  • two visitors in a canoe go through mangrove tunnels on the Turner River
    NPS Photo
  • a Florida Panther sits in a tree
    John Kellam
  • palm trees emerge out of the fog in an orange sunrise
    Richard Eskin
  • A prairie foreground with tall pine trees in the background. A large blue sky with white cloud
    NPS photo
  • Two Alligators rest on a river bank
    Al Sunshine

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Sources: National Park Service, Google Places · updated 2026-08-12