See the Campgrounds web page for an interactive location map.
GETTING THERE
Gator Head Campground is located in the Bear Island Backcountry Unit of Big Cypress National Preserve. It is one of three established campgrounds in the area, the other two being Bear Island Campground and Pink Jeep Campground. It can only be reached on foot, on a bike, or in an off-road vehicle (Off-Road Driving permit required). Bear Island allows street legal 4-Wheel Drives, swamp buggies, and ATVs to access the backcountry roads.
The Bear Island Backcountry Unit is a few feet higher in elevation than much of the rest of Big Cypress National Preserve. This doesn’t sound like much, but it can mean the difference between flooded and dry roads during the winter dry season. For off-road vehicles, a little mud never hurt, but for those traveling on foot or bike, be sure to ask a park Ranger about the road conditions. The road to Gator Head is usually passable in the winter, though there may be a few mud holes here and there.
For those driving to the campground, the only way to get to the Bear Island Backcountry Unit is 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 has not recently rained. 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, so make sure all seams are sealed tightly before attempting to drive this road.
To get to the actual campsite you must drive on the backcountry roads. Just before the end of Turner River Road is a right turn that leads to the Bear Island Campground. A backcountry road access point is located a tenth of a mile from the turn. There is another access point at the very end of the campground road, but that backcountry road tends to be very muddy even when the first road is dry, so use the first access point.
If you are hiking or biking, there are two options. One is to take Turner River Road and park at the end of the road in the designated parking area. From there, head over to the Bear Island Campground and walk or bike around the gate to get on the backcountry road. The gate is to prohibit unauthorized vehicles, not pedestrians and bikers.
Once on the road, proceed approximately 3.5 miles until coming to a T-intersection (the park map makes it look like a fork, but the road dead ends). Take a right to get to Gator Head Campground and travel another four miles. There is no sign identifying the campground, but you’ll see a restroom building and a lake—that’s the campground.
The second option is to avoid Turner River Road altogether and instead take the paved Highway 29. Not long after passing I-75 is a backcountry access area for those on foot or bike (no vehicles). There is a fence gate that you must open, and a small parking area is just inside. About 3.25 miles from Hwy 29 is Pink Jeep Campground, and about a half mile farther is a fork in the road—take a left (this is the same intersection that you make a right at when coming from Bear Island Campground). Gator Head Campground is another four miles down the road. The distance is about the same as from Bear Island Campground (7.5 miles).
For anyone entering the backcountry—by vehicle, foot, or bike—a free backcountry permit is required. Obtain one at any of the Visitor Centers, the Hunter Check-In Station at the first Bear Island Campground backcountry road access point, or at the trailhead of any backcountry trail. I’m not sure if permits are available at the Highway 29 entrance, but you can download a fillable PDF prior to leaving. See the Backcountry web page here on National Park Planner for a link to the form and instructions.
NOTE: If biking or hiking, return back to your car the same way you came. Do not try another route because you never know what condition the road ahead is in. If you got to the campground, at least you know that route is clear. Don’t learn the hard way like I did.
CAMPING SEASON
Gator Head Campground is open from mid-August through mid-April. Operating dates can always change, so before making travel plans be sure to visit Big Cypress National Preserve’s Campgrounds web page for the latest schedule.
The Gator Head area of Bear Island tends to be much drier than the Pink Jeep Area, but just because the dry season is from November through April doesn’t mean the park dries up November 1st. Ask a park Ranger about conditions before making camping plans. When I visited in January, Pink Jeep was a little muddy, but Gator Head was perfectly dry.
TYPE OF CAMPING
Gator Head Campground is for tent camping only. If you drive any type of small, self-contained sleeping vehicle such as a pick-up truck with a camper top, you cannot sleep in the camper. You must sleep in a tent.
Each campsite has a limit of six people and two vehicles. Since Gator Head is in the backcountry, no pets other than hunting dogs during hunting season are allowed.
For a complete list of camping regulations, see Big Cypress National Preserve’s Campground Rules and Regulations web page.
NUMBER SITES
There are nine campsites at Gator Head.
TERRAIN
Gator Head campground is situated around a lake. The campground road circles the lake, and campsites are located right along the road. Sites are backed up to vegetation, and shade can be fleeting, for all depends on the angle of the sun as it hits the palm trees at the back of the campsites. Campsites 1 through 6 are on the south side of the lake (second entrance, just past the restroom building). Except for campsites 4 and 5, which are right next to each other, the sites have a decent amount of space between them. However, there isn’t much vegetation separating them and thus very little privacy.
Campsites 7, 8, and 9 are on the north side of the lake, and with less sites there is much more space between them. Sites 7 and 9 are very private. In fact 9 is so far back in the brush that you can’t even see it from the road. Site 8 is for disabled visitors, and it is located next to the restroom and thus out in the open for all to see.
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 Gator Head, it’s just that you don’t have running water or electricity. There is one fancy outhouse at the entrance. This is what I call a pit toilet housed in a permanent building versus the plastic portable toilets common at construction sites.
Each campsite has a picnic table and a grill / fire ring.
RESERVATIONS
Reservations are required for all campsites at Gator Head Campground. 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.
FEES
The current camping fee at Gator Head 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 June 8, 2023