Last Updated: May 2026
Big Cypress National Preserve covers 729,000 acres of subtropical wilderness between Miami and Naples in southwest Florida — a mosaic of cypress swamps, wet prairies, mangrove estuaries, and hardwood hammocks that forms the northern watershed for Everglades National Park. What makes Big Cypress unusual among federal public lands is how it was established: when Congress created it in 1974, the Miccosukee, Seminole, and Traditional peoples were granted permanent rights to occupy and use the land in their traditional ways, with first rights to develop income-producing businesses including guided tours. Hunters retain off-road vehicle access. Property owners within the preserve boundary have been allowed to keep their holdings. It is managed as a preserve, not a park — a distinction that shapes everything about how it feels.
