• The Florida panther's watchful gaze- Courtesy- Ralph Arwood

    Big Cypress

    National Preserve Florida

  • ORV Related Closures

    Effective 12:01 a.m. Friday, March 23, 2012, Zone 4 airboat access within Big Cypress National Preserve will be closed due to low water conditions. Other areas of the Preserve will be closed to recreational ORV access from June 4 through August 2. More »

Exotic Vegetation Work on Turner River

Subscribe RSS Icon | What is RSS
Date: January 4, 2012
Contact: Bob DeGross, 239-695-1107

The Turner River within Big Cypress National Preserve and its associated access and parking will be closed to all public access and travel beginning 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday, January 5, 2012 through 7:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 7, 2012. The purpose of the closure is to treat the river for Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata), an invasive, exotic plant.

This closure extends from the headwaters of the river within Big Cypress south to the boundary of Everglades National Park in the area that the river is accessible by non-motorized vessels only. During the closure, visitors are advised to utilize the Halfway Creek canoe route, accessible from Seagrape Drive within the Preserve.

For details of areas described refer to canoe route maps found here. for information on other closures within the Preserve go here.

Did You Know?

An anhinga drying its wings.

The anhinga is a commonly seen bird in many areas of Big Cypress National Preserve, and other park areas in Florida. However, within the United States of America, the bird is never really seen beyond Florida. Anhingas cousins are more commonly seen in South America and Africa.