Big Cypress

The Florida Trail begins (or ends) at the boundary between Everglades National Park and Big Cypress National Preserve on Loop Road. This is the most rugged portion of the trail, where wading is not an option - it's a must. The payoff is hiking through a tropical wilderness of bromeliad-and-orchid laden cypress sloughs and strands punctuated by pine rocklands islands and vast sawgrass prairies underlain with marl. This section of trail is nearly 45 miles long. North of I-75, the trail follows old forest roads to the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation

Big Cypress
location: Big Cypress National Preserve
PHOTO CREDIT: Peter Nolan / Florida Trail Association
nolan cypress big national preserve swamp florida trail hike hiking
Florida Trail southern terminus, Loop Road
location: Big Cypress National Preserve
PHOTO CREDIT: Bart Smith / Florida Trail Association
big cypress loop road big cypress national preserve terminus plank road kiosk southern south ft florida trail hike hiking national scenic florida trail hike hiking
Backpacking Big Cypress
location: Big Cypress National Preserve
PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Coveney / Florida Trail Association
big cypress backpack backpacking wet swamp tropical bromeliads cypress trees ft florida trail florida trail hike hiking
Backpacking Big Cypress
location: Big Cypress National Preserve
PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Coveney / Florida Trail Association
backpacking big cypress pines palmetto florida florida trail sawgrass hike hiking hiker florida trail hike hiking
Backpacking Big Cypress
location: Big Cypress National Preserve
PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Coveney / Florida Trail Association
backpacking big cypress ft florida trail hike hiker backpacker wade wet swamp bromeliad ferns cypress florida trail hike hiking
Participants of the Big Cypress hike relax at 7-mile camp.
L to R, Deborah Dalrymple, Juliet Schwarz, Robert Kirby, and Mara Snyder. Backpacking Big Cypress
location: Big Cypress National Preserve
PHOTO CREDIT: Donn Brown / Florida Trail Association
big cypress hike backpack rest stop backpacking sawgrass cypress hiking florida ft florida trail florida trail hike hiking
A wet and muddy blazed trail is what hikers can expect in much of the Big Cypress Preserve.
Backpacking Big Cypress
location: Big Cypress National Preserve
PHOTO CREDIT: Donn Brown / Florida Trail Association
big cypress cypress hike hikers wet wade swamp ft florida trail florida bromeliad sawgrass florida trail hike hiking
LWOP wading in Big Cypress
PHOTO CREDIT: Phyllis Malinski / Florida Trail Association
wading big cypress florida trail
PHOTO CREDIT: Bart Smith / Florida Trail Association
tricolored heron
Backpacking Big Cypress
PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Coveney / Florida Trail Association
florida trail. big cypress
Sendoff at Loop Rd
PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Coveney / Florida Trail Association
florida trail. big cypress
Shortcut takes a hike
PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Coveney / Florida Trail Association
florida trail. big cypress
Mile Marker
PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Coveney / Florida Trail Association
florida trail. big cypress
Foggy morning
PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Coveney / Florida Trail Association
florida trail. big cypress
On the right track
PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Coveney / Florida Trail Association
florida trail. big cypress
Trail crossing at Oasis
PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Coveney / Florida Trail Association
florida trail. big cypress
Backpacking Big Cypress
PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Coveney / Florida Trail Association
florida trail. big cypress
Wading a cypress dome
PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Coveney / Florida Trail Association
florida trail. big cypress
Narrow-leafed sabatia
PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Coveney / Florida Trail Association
florida trail. big cypress
Whisk fern
PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Coveney / Florida Trail Association
florida trail. big cypress
Wading a cypress dome
PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Coveney / Florida Trail Association
florida trail. big cypress
Wading a cypress dome
PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Coveney / Florida Trail Association
florida trail. big cypress
Sunrise
PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Coveney / Florida Trail Association
florida trail. big cypress
Backpacking through Dade County pine
PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Coveney / Florida Trail Association
florida trail. big cypress
Backpacking Big Cypress
Wading a cypress dome
PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Coveney / Florida Trail Association
florida trail. big cypress
Thirteen Mile Camp
PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Coveney / Florida Trail Association
florida trail. big cypress
Into a cypress dome
PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Coveney / Florida Trail Association
florida trail. big cypress
Mile marker
Wading a cypress dome
PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Coveney / Florida Trail Association
florida trail. big cypress
Corn snake
Wading a cypress dome
PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Coveney / Florida Trail Association
florida trail. big cypress
Trail junction
Wading a cypress dome
PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Coveney / Florida Trail Association
florida trail. big cypress
In the flatwoods
PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Coveney / Florida Trail Association
florida trail. big cypress
Setting up camp
PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Coveney / Florida Trail Association
florida trail. big cypress
Big Cypress
PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Coveney / Florida Trail Association
florida trail. big cypress
Big Cypress
PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Coveney / Florida Trail Association
florida trail. big cypress
Big Cypress
PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Coveney / Florida Trail Association
florida trail. big cypress
Big Cypress
PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Coveney / Florida Trail Association
florida trail. big cypress
Big Cypress
PHOTO CREDIT: Deb Blick / Florida Trail Association
bcn 040 05946
Big Cypress
PHOTO CREDIT: Deb Blick / Florida Trail Association
bcn 610 09124
Big Cypress
PHOTO CREDIT: Deb Blick / Florida Trail Association
bromeliad cypress
Big Cypress
PHOTO CREDIT: Deb Blick / Florida Trail Association
002
Naples freelance photographer Donn Brown, traveled with the group to doument the hike. Big Cypress
PHOTO CREDIT: Robert Kirby / Florida Trail Association
donnbrown cypresshike
PHOTO CREDIT: Donn Brown / Florida Trail Association
donnbrowncypresshike
Participants of the Big Cypress hike relax at 7-mile camp.
L to R, Deborah Dalrymple, Juliet Schwarz, Robert Kirby, and Mara Snyder.
PHOTO CREDIT: Donn Brown / Florida Trail Association
donnbrown cypresshike
Hikers Juliet Schwarz and Robert Kirby stop to check out an orchid.
PHOTO CREDIT: Donn Brown / Florida Trail Association
donnbrown cypresshike
The first nignt of the hike was spent at 10-mile camp. In the background, Robert Kirby and Bruce Davidson treat water from a nearby Cypress Dome.
PHOTO CREDIT: Donn Brown / Florida Trail Association
donnbrown cypresshike
Annette Coughlin dips water from a Cypress Dome near the group's campsite at 10-mile camp.
PHOTO CREDIT: Donn Brown / Florida Trail Association
donnbrown cypresshike
Robert Kirby checks on stragglers as the group heads into the third day of the Big Cypress hike.
PHOTO CREDIT: Donn Brown / Florida Trail Association
donnbrown cypresshike
An island of palm trees rests in a prarie of dwarf cypress trees on the final morning of the Big Cypress hike.
PHOTO CREDIT: Donn Brown / Florida Trail Association
donnbrown cypresshike

Florida Trail Association

Big Cypress