Alt Text Map of Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida. The preserve is rectangular with a stepped boundary in the southwest corner. The preserve is outlined with green and the surrounding areas to the sides and above are tan. Extended Description This description will begin by situating the major roadways that cross and border Big Cypress National Preserve. It will then move through the preserve in quadrants before describing the surrounding areas and ending with a full transcription of the legend. Roads and Highways Interstate 75, also labeled Alligator Alley, cuts across Big Cypress National Preserve about a sixth of the way down its height. Text near the western entry point into the preserve is labeled “No access.” Slightly east of this text with leader lines pointing to each side of Alligator Alley reads, "Recreation Access (mile marker 70) (Hike-in only).” Just over halfway across the preserve, a point is labeled “Rest Area/Recreation Access (mile marker 63) (Hike-in only).” Close to the eastern entrance to the preserve, text next to a boat launch and canoe launch reads, “Recreation Access (mile marker 51) (Hike-in only).” State Route 29 encloses the western edge of the entire preserve and continues north, off the top edge of the map. From north to south, towns labeled on the route include Jerome, Copeland, Carnestown, Plantation Island, and, just outside the preserve to the south, Chokoloskee, which has food service and a boat and canoe launch. The unpaved Turner River Road, also marked Local Road 839, creates a straight line up most of the length of the preserve inside the park, near the western border. State Route 41, also labeled Tamiami Trail, cuts across the lower third of the park, angling downward at intervals. Route 41 enters the west edge of the preserve through Carnestown, which has a gas station. Moving eastward, sites and amenities along Route 41 include the Nathaniel P. Reed Visitor Center, which has picnic areas and wildlife viewing; Seagrape Drive with boat and canoe launch; Preserve Headquarters; Donna Drive; Ochopee; a private campground; a canoe launch; H.M. Williams Roadside Park with picnic areas and wildlife viewing; Burns Lake with a National Park Service(NPS) primitive campsite; Kirby Storter Roadside Park with picnic areas and an interpretive trail; Monument Lake with NPS campgrounds; Monroe Station; and Midway Dump Station, which has NPS campgrounds. The Tamiami Trail also spans the Turner River Canoe Trail, which ends near the H.P. Williams Roadside Park and a number of strands, including Skillet Strand, Georges, New River, Monroe, Gannet, and Roberts Lakes Strands. Big Cypress National Preserve In the northwest quadrant of Big Cypress National Preserve are the NPS Pink Jeep, Gator Head, and Bear Island campgrounds alongside dashed brown lines representing ORV trails through Okaloacoochee Slough and East Hinson Marsh. Text alongside the trails to the west reads, “No ORVs west of here” and, to the east, “Off-Road Vehicles (ORVs) authorized on designated trails with appropriate permit only.” An unpaved road connects Turner River Road to Bear Island campgrounds near where Turner River Road ends in the upper left quadrant. South of Alligator Alley are Miles City Prairie, Rock Island Prairie, Fire Prairie Trail off Turner River Road, Deep Lake Strand, East Crossing Strand, Airplane Prairie, and, on the edge of the preserve, Deep Lake Trail with an interpretive trail. In the northeast quadrant, the Kissimmee Billy Strand, Cow Bell Strand, California Slough, and Levee 28 Interceptor Canal angle down and to the right from the northern border of the preserve. North of Alligator Alley, NPS primitive campsites Nobles, Panther, and Carpenter are connected with a network of hiking trails. The trails converge near the Rest Area/Recreation Access on Interstate 75 and continue south as the Florida National Scenic Trail, which ends only when it meets Tamiami Trail. More NPS primitive campsites along the way are named Ivy, Oak Hill, 13-mile, 10-Mile, and 7-Mile. South of Interstate 75 are Mullet Slough, Bamboo Slough, and Doctors Prairie. In the southeast quadrant, the Florida National Scenic Trail cuts through the center of a network of ORV trails that crisscross around Windmill Prairie and Raccoon Point. Text in this area reads, "ORVs authorized on designated trails with appropriate permit only.” The Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport is just north of the Tamiami Trail along the east edge of the preserve. South of the Tamiami Trail are Gator Hook Strand and the Gator Hook Trail; Robert Lakes Strand, Seawater Strand, Sig Walker Strand, Gum Slough, Dayhoff Slough, Lostmans Slough, and Dixons Slough. An unpaved Loop Road travels south from Monroe Station and then east to where it meets the Tree Snail Hammock Trail, which has interpretive material. The trail passes Loop Road Education Center, Mitchell Landing, and Pinecrest before ending at State Route 41 to the east. There are eighteen NPS primitive campsites in this quadrant with one at Mitchell Landing, one at Pinecrest, and the rest clustered in the lower right corner. Text here reads, “Airboat use only on designated trails.” The southwest quadrant is deeply stepped where it meets Everglades National Park to the south. Near the west border of the preserve, the unpaved Birdon Road runs north off the Tamiami Trail, paralleling Turner River Road. Birdon Road passes the SWAMP Education Center and intersects perpendicular Lower Wagonwheel Road, Local Road 837, and then turns right as Upper Wagonwheel Road, which intersects with Turner River Road. The roads and more ORV trails cut across Windmill Prairie and Copeland Prairie north of the Tamiami Trail. Gator Hook Swamp is south of the Tamiami. Surrounding Areas This section will begin in the lower left corner to describe the surrounding areas up and around the preserve. The Tamiami Trail continues westward, echoing the trajectory of the Gulf of Mexico. It passes Big Cypress Bend, which has an interpretive trail; private campgrounds near Dan House Prairie; lodging and food service near the Faka Union Canal; Observation Tower, Marsh Trail with interpretative material; and Royal Palm Hammock, which has a gas station and food service. Starting close to the Big Cypress National Preserve and moving west are the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, Picayune Strand State Forest; Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge; and Collier-Seminole State Park, which has State Park campgrounds, picnic areas, boat and canoe launch, and an interpretive trail. North of Interstate 75 are the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge; the Panther Refuge Trails with interpretative materials; and Stumpy Strand. The Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation is north of the preserve, and “Entry into this area is by permit only.” To the east of Big Cypress National Preserve is the Florida State Miccosukee Indian Reservation, also with “Entry into this area by permit only.” Water Conservation Area 3A is below within Shark River Slough. Everglades National Park begins south of Tamiami Trail along the right edge of this map. Irregularly shaped islands fill in the coast of the Gulf of Mexico like eraser rubbings. Gullivan Bay is to the northwest, and dozens of bays, passes, keys, and points are labeled within Everglades National Park boundaries. An inset map near the lower left corner shows the South Florida Natural Water Flow. This more distant view of the southern tip of Florida has Lake Okeechobee in the north, Gulf of Mexico to the west, Florida Bay to the south, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. The Big Cypress Basin is an area shaded in green near the southwest coast. The outline of the Big Cypress National Preserve overlaps the southeastern half of the basin. Sweeping blue lines lead from Lake Okeechobee in the north down and across the tip of Florida to empty in the Atlantic Ocean. Another line swoops down from the Big Cypress Basin to empty near Florida Bay. Legend The legend in the lower left corner of the map reads as follows: White tent on black square for National Park Service campground, Black tent for National Park Service Primitive campsite, White tent on a rust-red square for State Park campground, White tent on blue square for Private campground. Symbols represent Interpretive trails, Wildlife viewing, Picnic areas, Boat launch and canoe launch, Canoe launches, Lodging, Food Service, and Gas station. The legend continues: Double dashed black line on either side of a white line for Unpaved road, Brown dashed line for ORV trail, Green dashed line for Airboat trail, Blue dashed line for Canoe trail, Black dashed line for Hiking trail, and Small, narrow triangle for Hiking trail distance indicator. Text that follows reads, “Backcountry access with Off-Road Vehicles (ORVs) and airboats is along designated trails with appropriate permit only. Trails may also be used for hiking and biking if conditions allow.” A scale in the top left corner of the map measures 1, 5, and 10 kilometers and 1, 5, and 10 miles.