Big Cypress National Preserve | BEAR ISLAND CAMPGROUND

Tent site on the loop section of Bear Island Campground at Big Cypress National Preserve

Tent site on the loop section of Bear Island Campground at Big Cypress National Preserve


See the Campgrounds web page for an interactive location map.


GENERAL INFORMATION

Bear Island Campground is one of three campgrounds in the Bear Island Backcountry Unit of Big Cypress National Preserve. However, it is the only one accessible by passenger vehicle. To get to the other campgrounds, Pink Jeep and Gator Head, you must hike, bike, or drive an off-road vehicle after obtaining an Off-Road Driving permit.

Bear Island Campground is reached by traveling 20 miles on the Turner River Road from near the Nathaniel P. Reed Visitor Center on Highway 41. It passes under I-75, but there is no access to the Interstate. Like all dirt roads in the park, Turner River Road is extremely dusty if it hasn’t rained recently. The surface is made of crushed limestone, which is essentially chalk. Dust can work its way into every poorly sealed seam on a soft-top vehicle or camper, so make sure all seams are sealed tightly before attempting to drive this road.

CAMPING SEASON

Campsites 1 through 12 at Bear Island Campground are open year-round. The rest of the campsites are only available from August 15th through April 15th. During the winter you couldn’t ask for more pleasurable camping weather, but I couldn’t imagine a more miserable experience than camping in a south Florida swamp in the summer—or anywhere in south Florida in the summer for that matter. Be aware that opening and closing dates can always change, so check the Big Cypress National Preserve Campgrounds web page for the latest schedule.

TYPE OF CAMPING

Bear Island Campground can accommodate tent campers and RVs and other self-contained sleeping vehicles up to 50 feet long. Each campsite has a limit of six people and two vehicles, one of which can be an RV. For a complete list of camping regulations, see Big Cypress National Preserve’s Campground Rules and Regulations web page.

NUMBER OF SITES

Forty campsites open to tent campers and RVs are situated along a small loop road and on either side of a long, out-and-back road. The 12 campsites that are open year-round are located in the loop section.

RV camping at Bear Island Campground in Big Cypress National Preserve

RV camping at Bear Island Campground in Big Cypress National Preserve

TERRAIN

Bear Island Campground is one of the most peaceful and beautiful that I have ever come across. The grounds are level and well manicured. A few small palm trees provide some shade, but for the most part the sites are exposed to the sun.

Privacy between sites varies. Most sites located on the loop road are in plain view of each other and have minimal privacy, which allows for a more comradely camping experience. Campsites on the long road have much more privacy. They are either situated in their own cubbyholes and shielded from each other by dense stands of trees, or are located on small, side loops and isolated from the rest of the campground.

Campsites on the loop at Bear Island Campground in Big Cypress National Preserve

Campsites on the loop at Bear Island Campground in Big Cypress National Preserve

AMENITIES

While listed as a “primitive” campground, this is not the same as backcountry camping where you pitch a tent somewhere in the wilderness and poop in a hole you dig yourself. There are established and numbered campsites at Bear Island, it’s just that you don’t have running water or electricity. Fancy outhouses are provided, which are what I call pit toilets housed in permanent buildings versus the plastic portable toilets common at construction sites.

Each campsite comes with a picnic table, grill / fire ring, and lantern post.

RESERVATIONS

Reservations are required for all campsites at Bear Island. You can make a reservation online at Recreation.gov from one day to six months in advance. You can also make reservation by phone by calling (877) 444-6777.

According to a park Ranger I spoke with, Bear Island Campground only fills up during hunting season. Despite this, from January through the end of April there is a 10-day maximum stay. That’s 10 days for campground camping at Big Cypress in general, not per campground. During the rest of the year the maximum stay is 14 days. If you want to camp beyond the maximum number of days allowed, you must do so in the backcountry, where you can camp up to 180 days a year.

FEES

The current camping fee at Bear Island is $10 / night. Those with a Senior or Access pass get half off. Keep in mind that prices can always change, so be sure to get the latest fee at the National Park Service’s official Campgrounds web page for Big Cypress National Preserve.

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Last updated on February 24, 2023
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