Ranger-led canoe trip on the Turner River, Big Cypress National Preserve
The National Park Service offers a number of guided tours, walks, and talks at Big Cypress National Preserve during the tourist season from November through April. All programs are free, though you must make reservations for some of them. Reservations can be made up to 14 days in advance and the more popular tours fill up within hours. For the latest schedule visit the park’s Ranger-Led Activities web page. This also lists the tours that require reservations and the phone number to call. I suggest getting on the phone when the reservation desk opens at 9 AM as soon as you know the day that you want to attend a tour.
In addition to the Ranger programs, the Big Cypress Institute and other authorized concessionaires offer tours that specialize in outdoor recreation such as canoe and kayak tours and/or rentals, swamp buggy tours, swamp walks, and hunting and fishing trips. Most operate in both Big Cypress and the Everglades, and they tend to operate year-round. For a list of authorized concessionaires, see the National Park Service’s Permitted Commercial Services Operators web page.
I participated in a few tours, and while I can’t guarantee that these will always be offered, you can read about my experiences in the following reviews. All of these were tours that required reservations.
Swamp Buggy Tour (park concessionaire)
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Last updated on June 9, 2023
