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

    Big Cypress

    National Preserve Florida

There are park alerts in effect.
show Alerts »
  • Fire Activity

    Currently there is fire activity within the Preserve. More »

  • 2013 Zone 4 Closure

    Beginning at 12:01 am Monday, April 8, 2013, the Zone 4 airboat access within Big Cypress National Preserve will be closed due to low water conditions. More »

  • 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 »

  • 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 »

Seasonal Recreational Off-Road Vehicle Closure

Subscribe RSS Icon | What is RSS
Date: May 2, 2008
Contact: Bob DeGross, 239-695-1107

Big Cypress National Preserve will close to all recreational off-road vehicle (ORV) use for a sixty-day period beginning Monday, June 2 through Thursday, July 31, with trails re-opening on Friday, August 1.

This closure applies to all types of ORVs including swamp buggies, airboats, ATVs and street legal 4x4s.

The Recreational Off-Road Vehicle Management Plan calls for a sixty-day seasonal closure to allow a period free from resource pressures related to ORV use. The off-road vehicle closure within Big Cypress National Preserve was first instituted in 2002.

Landowners that hold special use permits to access their private properties within the Preserve will retain continued access to their property along approved routes.

Did You Know?

Hunters entering the Preserve on a swamp buggy. Photo courtesy of Jack Moller.

Big Cypress National Preserve was one of the first national preserves within the National Park System. As a preserve, Big Cypress manages for a broader range of recreational activities, including hunting and off-road vehicle access.