Big Cypress National Preserve | PINECREST GROUP CAMPGROUND


See the Campgrounds web page for an interactive location map.


The Pinecrest Group Campground is located in the southeastern corner of Big Cypress National Preserve in the Loop Backcountry Unit. It can accommodate four different groups at a time, each with up to eight tents and fifteen people. There are no facilities here, not even outhouses, so other than having a cleared field to pitch a tent, it’s no different than backcountry camping. If you need a restroom you can travel a few miles west to Mitchell Landing Campground, which has a pit toilet. A picnic table and fire ring/grill is located at each site.

Reservations are required to camp at Pinecrest, and these can be made on-line at Recreation.gov from one day to six months in advance. The campground is not that popular, so you should be able to get a site at just about any time of the year. If all four sites are booked, it will most likely be on a weekend during the winter months. The road to the campground is gated and only those with a paid reservation will have the lock code to enter.

Pinecrest Campground is usually open year round, but it can be closed due to high water levels. Be sure to check the National Park Service’s official Campgrounds web page for Big Cypress National Preserve for the latest schedule (fees are listed here as well). During the peak season, January through the end of April, there is a 10-day maximum stay. 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.

Pets must be kept on a leash and cannot be left unattended. Also, no pets are allowed in the backcounty, on any trails, or on boardwalks, which really limits what you can do in the park if you bring a pet—can’t leave ’em and in most cases, can’t take ’em with you.

For a complete listing of camping regulations, see Big Cypress National Preserve’s Campground Rules and Regulations web page.

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Last updated on June 8, 2023
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