Dona Drive Canoe and Kayak Launch, Big Cypress National Preserve

See the Boat Launches web page for an interactive location map.

A canoe and kayak launch is located at the end of Dona Drive, which is just east of the Nathaniel P. Reed Visitor Center on Highway 41. Posts in front of the ramp block motorized boats from being launched, plus the water is way too shallow. This ramp is not on the official park map, and there are no designated water trails in the area.

Per the National Park web site:

VERY SHALLOW, NOT SUITABLE FOR OUTBOARDS, OPERATORS OF BOATS SHOULD HAVE LOCAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE AREA AND HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS. PRIMARILY A PADDLING TRAIL.

There is not much water in this area during the dry season (November-April), and satellite maps show that you can’t go but a few hundred yards before running aground. However, during the wet season (May-October) there is enough water for canoeists and kayakers to explore the area.

You must fill out a backcountry permit before leaving. You can get these from a kiosk at the Wildlife and Hunting Check Station, a building you will pass on the way to the ramp. All you need is a pen or pencil to fill out the multi-copy form on which you provide your entry date and time, your estimated return time, and the purpose of your adventure (i.e. hike, camp, hunt). Keep one copy with you, stick one in the permit collection box at the kiosk, and place one on the dashboard of your vehicle (all backcountry access areas have parking lots or allow roadside parking). Permits help the National Park Service track which areas are used the most, plus if your car is left overnight, the park Rangers will know when you were supposed to have returned, and if this time has long since passed, they know to come looking for you.

There is a large, dirt parking area for cars, but if that is full you can park anywhere along the shoulder of Dona Drive.