Big Cypress National Preserve

Established in 1974 as the nation's first national preserve, Big Cypress protects 729,000 acres of swamp, prairie, and pineland in southwest Florida. Its role is quietly essential: the fresh water that flows through Big Cypress feeds the Everglades and the Ten Thousand Islands downstream. It is also the core range of the endangered Florida panther, and one of the few places in the National Park System where conservation exists side by side with hunting, oil and gas operations, and the traditional lifeways of the Seminole and Miccosukee people, whose villages remain within the preserve today.

In 1968, construction began on what was planned to be the world's largest jetport, a project that would have devastated the natural flow of fresh water through Big Cypress Swamp. A diverse coalition of conservationists, hunters, private landowners, and the Seminole and Miccosukee peoples came together to stop it, and in 1974 Congress created a new kind of parkland altogether: the national preserve. That designation was designed deliberately to protect the swamp and its water flow while honoring the customary uses that came before it. Today, oil and gas exploration, hunting, off-road vehicle use, private land ownership, and Seminole and Miccosukee traditional life all continue within Big Cypress, alongside conservation of the Florida panther and the wider ecosystem.

Nathaniel P. Reed Visitor Center: 33000 Tamiami Trail East, Ochopee, FL 34141 — (239) 695-1168

Oasis Visitor Center: 52105 Tamiami Trail East, Ochopee, FL — 239-695-1201

Both centers sit along Tamiami Trail (US 41) between Naples and Miami and are open daily year-round except December 25. The gateway community is Everglades City.

• Ranger-led swamp walks, canoe tours, talks, and amphitheater programs, offered December through April
• Bicycling at Bear Island and canoeing the Turner River year-round
• Birding, wildflower viewing, hunting, and off-road vehicle exploration on designated trails
• A 20-minute orientation film and Junior Ranger Program at both visitor centers

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Every sixth grader in Collier County has the opportunity to take a life-changing field trip to Big Cypress National Preserve through S.W.A.M.P. (Swamp Water And Me Program), which has run continuously since 1999. The experience unfolds in three phases: a National Park ranger visits each classroom beforehand to prepare students for everything they'll encounter in the field, including hands-on time with scientific tools; the field trip itself brings students into the swamp, pineland, and prairie habitats of Big Cypress where they conduct experiments and gather data; and a follow-up ranger visit connects discoveries back to the classroom. Through this multi-touchpoint, curriculum-based model, students build a lasting connection to Florida's national parks and the landscapes that shape our shared natural heritage.

Programs The Alliance Supports Here

• Education (S.W.A.M.P.)
• Panther Research
• Trail Patrol Volunteer Program
• Swamp Heritage Festival
• Prescribed Burns

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Why Your Support Matters

Education programs at Everglades National Park receive no federal funding and depend entirely on private philanthropy. The Alliance for Florida's National Parks uses the power of philanthropy to support education, exploration, and conservation in Everglades, Biscayne, and Dry Tortugas National Parks and Big Cypress National Preserve. Your gift keeps these programs, research, and conservation work possible.