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Annual 60-Day ORV Closure for Wheeled Vehicles
Beginning at 12:01 am Monday, June 3, the annual 60-day recreational ORV closure for all units of the Preserve that allow for wheeled ORV access will begin. The closure will be lifted on Friday, August 2. More »
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Campground Closures
Beginning Monday, May 13 through Friday, August 16 camping will be available at the Midway Campground and the “loop” in the Bear Island Campground within Big Cypress National Preserve. All other established campgrounds will be closed. More »
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Interstate 75 Mile Marker 63 Closure
Beginning summer of 2013 the rest area and backcountry access at mile marker 63 will be closed due to construction. More »
Florida National Scenic Trail Celebrates 30th Anniversary
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The 1,400 mile trail runs from Big Cypress National Preserve to Gulf Islands National Seashore.
Contact: Bob DeGross, 239-695-1107 The Florida National Scenic Trail celebrates its 30th Anniversary during 2013. Designated by Congress as a National Scenic Trail in 1983, the FNST now spans over 1,000 miles from Big Cypress National Preserve to Gulf Islands National Seashore.To mark this momentous occasion, staff from the USDA Forest Service and National Park Service along with Florida Trail Association volunteers,and the first thru-hikers of the 2013 season will dedicate the trail's Southern Terminus with a monument at the Oasis Visitor Center. The monument dedication ceremony will take place on January 4, 2013, at 10:00 am at the Oasis Visitor Center, located at 52105 Tamiami Trail East, Ochopee, Florida 34141. Visitors are welcome to join USFS staff, NPS staff, and FTA members on a day hike in Big Cypress National Preserve after which the Thru-hikers will continue their trek north to Gulf Islands National Seashore. The Preserve is home to nearly 40 miles of scenic trail and portions of which offer some of the most remote trails in Florida. For more information on the FNSTand its management, please visit the USFS website at www.fs.usda.gov/fnst and to learn more about hiking and volunteering opportunities on the Florida National Scenic Trail visit the Florida Trail Association website at www.floridatrail.org/. For more on the the FNST and other hiking opportunities in Big Cypress National Preserve visit www.nps.gov/bicy/planyourvisit/hiking.htm |
Did You Know?
Many do not expect to see bears in Florida. Actually, we have a healthy population within the state. Big Cypress is one of their ideal habitats in southwest Florida. If camping in the area, be sure to keep your camp "bear proof."