A Ranger-led discovery hike, Big Cypress National Preserve
See the Big Cypress National Preserve’s Ranger-Led Activities web page for a tour schedule and the reservation phone number.
The Ranger-led Big Cypress Discovery Hikes are likely to be the most memorable part of your trip to Big Cypress National Preserve. These are free and depart on various days each week during the winter tourist season. Reservations are required, and the hikes do fill up quickly in January and February. Tour sites and dates are listed on the National Park Service’s Ranger-Led Activities web page. You can make reservations for any hike currently listed. If the trip is booked full and you will still be in the park on the departure date, it doesn’t hurt to check back the day before to see if anyone cancelled, or simply show up at the meeting place just before the departure time to see if there are any no-shows.
What is great about these hikes is that they—usually—pass through actual swampy areas where you must wade through the water. I say “usually” because as the dry season progresses some of these areas may dry up. Of all the locations, a Ranger told me the Bass Lake hike has the most water and is most likely to still be underwater late in the dry season, February through April. In fact, in December he told me the water was waist deep.
Before attending a Big Cypress Discovery Hike, I wouldn’t have ventured into a swamp for a million dollars. Snakes, alligators, leeches—definitely not for me. But with a group of people it’s not scary at all, and you soon realize there is nothing to worry about. If you look at the dry ground at the start of the trail, the swamp is nothing more than the same ground with water on it. There’s nothing lurking down below that is going to get you.
Walking through a swamp on a Ranger-led discovery hike at Big Cypress National Preserve
You may encounter mud that can suck the shoes right off your feet. I suggest wearing hiking boots if you have them, but certainly don’t shy away from the tour if you don’t. Those in tennis shoes had the most problems. Oddly enough, the people in sandals that could be strapped tightly to their feet fared better than the tennis shoe wearers, but I still wouldn’t recommend open-toe shoes for the trip. The National Park Service recommends wearing long pants due to having to walk through sharp saw-grass, but I also discovered that by covering my boots the long pants helped keep the muck out of them. As for a shirt, wear whatever suits you. There are very few mosquitoes in the dry season, so there’s no reason to wear long sleeves. It is also a good idea to bring a change of clothing and shoes. I did not do this and had to walk around in wet pants after the tour was over.
A Ranger-led discovery hike at Big Cypress National Preserve
Walking sticks are provided for those who do not have their own hiking poles. Poles or sticks are essential. Once you get into the water you may find that you are walking on a limestone surface. Big Cypress and the Everglades sit on a large sheet of limestone covered by a very thin layer of soil. Over millions of years water has eroded the soft rock and pitted it with deep holes. Below is a photo taken on the Gator Hook Trail, another muddy trail in the area, that shows this limestone surface without mud on it. Now imagine this very same pitted surface below the water where you cannot see it. You have no idea what you are going to step into every time you put your foot down.
Pitted, limestone terrain on Gator Hook Trail, Big Cypress National Preserve
As you walk through the swamp you will notice that the water is extremely muddy. However, this is just because of everyone stomping around and stirring up the sediments. If you were on your own you could see that the undisturbed water is crystal clear.
The undisturbed water of the swamp is quite clear, Big Cypress National Preserve
The hikes take about two hours, but they do not cover a great distance. The Ranger stops at various points on the trail to talk about the plants and animals that live in the swamp, as well as the geology of the area.
Ranger talks about the swamp at Big Cypress National Preserve
The wet areas are home to many animals during the dry season, including alligators. However, you don’t need to worry about getting attacked; it’s the alligators that are worried about you. As soon as they hear a group of people coming they get the hell out of town. Snakes are as likely to take off as are the alligators, but you do need to check yourself for leeches after the tour. However, the Ranger said she has only picked up one leech out of all the swamp walks she has been on, so chances are slim that anyone on the tour will be bothered by them (none on my tour).
Alligator hole, Big Cypress National Preserve
The Big Cypress Discovery Hike was hands down my favorite activity at Big Cypress, and I can’t recommend it enough. I loved kayaking on Halfway Creek and Turner River, but this was better. The hikes are a great family activity, and any kids tall enough to rise above the water and not freak out about being in a swamp will have a good time. The water came up to mid-chest on one young girl, but she still had fun. All the kids loved the mud! The hike is educational and it gives you the opportunity to face your swamp phobia. You come away with a completely different understanding of the swamp. It’s no longer a dark and mysterious place.
Cypress Swamp, Big Cypress National Preserve
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Last updated on June 9, 2023
