Big Cypress National Preserve, Ochopee

Big Cypress National Preserve was one of my biggest surprises in all of my Florida adventures. I probably saw more gators here than I did in Everglades National Park! The loop road scenic drive was my favorite area to search for gators and there were a ton! One of my drives through there I counted over 30 of them that I saw! The cypress trees are amazing and I highly recommend searching them out at different times of the day- as the light and shadows change throughout the day it totally morphs the look of them! I wish I lived closer because I would be here all the time but this was probably my most trafficked area I visited and I cannot recommend this area enough! If you are a photography buff and love the Cypress trees make sure you visit Clyde Butcher's gallery in the area as well!

It is a wonderful place to see wildlife. We were on our way from Miami to Tampa and we saw this place along the way, decided to take a look at the alligators. We weren't expecting it to be that good, preserved, and natural. You just park and walk along the way. If you're lucky, you can see alligators, birds, turtles, panthers, and some little animals. It is a great place to visit for an interesting afternoon and you can get great pictures of the animals. I am personally against to zoos so these kinda natural and preserved places to see animals in their natural habitat is a great opportunity. And also, it is completely free! Just be prepared for hot weather, bring hats and sunglasses. There are also so many flies around because of the swamps, so be cautious.

I’ve been coming out to big cypress National preserve for the last 7 months. From the wet season into the dry season, I watched mother gators foster their young and re-visited them usually in the same vicinity I found them in. I watched the high waters recede over the course of several months, this place is teaming with wildlife. From eastern Diamond back rattlesnakes, water moccasins, bears and I even saw a Florida panther one night. I have lots of great memories from this place. I’m going to miss it. Below are some really neat animal encounters I had in big cypress!

I honestly saw more alligators in Big Cypress than I did in the Everglades. Driving the scenic loop to route 41, you can see a dozen gators easily. Some of the houses along the route are trashed though; many look uninhabited. Would love to explore more of the trails in the future.

Here in mid-January 2023, and it was cold enough that we were lucky to see 3 manatees who came inland further than normal for the time of year. Also saw gators, and plenty of birds! This is a great area for birdwatchers.