Turner River Canoe and Kayak Launch, Big Cypress National Preserve
See the Boat Launches web page for an interactive location map.
The Turner River Canoe Launch is located on Highway 41 a few miles east of the Nathaniel P. Reed Visitor Center. Paddlers launch into a short canal that leads to the Turner River. The river is popular with paddlers and is used for guided trips run by the National Park Service and various outdoor recreation companies, so the small, four-car parking lot can fill up quickly. You can park along the road shoulder if necessary.
The paddling season on the Turner River usually runs from November through February. Around mid-February the water levels get too low and the National Park Service actually closes the river to paddlers. It would seem logical that once the rains return in May and replenish the river that paddling would resume, but the mosquitoes, gnats, and biting flies are so bad that only a fool would attempt paddling at this time. Also, the water levels may get so high that the entire area becomes one, big lake, and the levels must actually recede before a distinguishable waterway emerges. Enjoyable paddling begins again in November.
In addition to the boat launch is a restroom area, a few information panels about alligators and panthers, and even two covered picnic tables. The restroom is what I call a fancy outhouse—a pit toilet housed in a building as compared to the portable, plastic toilets.
Turner River Canoe and Kayak Launch parking area, Big Cypress National Preserve
Restroom at the Turner River Kayak Launch, Big Cypress National Preserve
Entry by any means into the backcountry requires a permit. These are free and can be obtained at kiosks at trailheads, boat ramps, backcountry access roads, hunter check-in stations, and the visitor centers. 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 car (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.
You can also download the Backcountry-Permit (PDF) and either fill it out by hand or by using Adobe Acrobat (or an Acrobat browser plug-in). The PDF has two permits, and if you use Acrobat, the second permit fills out automatically as you type information into the first permit. You need three permits, so be sure to print two copies of the PDF and then use scissors to separate the copies.
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Last updated on June 8, 2023
