Big Cypress National Preserve | OASIS VISITOR CENTER

Oasis Visitor Center at Big Cypress National Preserve

Oasis Visitor Center at Big Cypress National Preserve

LOCATION

52105 Tamiami Trail East
Ochopee, Florida 34141

Telephone: (239) 695-4111

The Oasis Visitor Center is located on the eastern side of Big Cypress National Preserve on the Tamiami Trail (Hwy 41), and it is the first place that you will come to when entering the park from the Miami area. The building is huge, not to mention quite ugly. It is actually a former service station that was once part of a private airport, and it even had an airplane mounted on the roof at one time. Its size will initially lead you to believe that there is a lot to do inside, but the entire upper portion is office space and part of the bottom level houses a fire station, so only a small section of the building functions as the visitor center.

OPERATING HOURS

The Oasis Visitor Center is open Fridays through Sundays from 9 AM to 4:30 PM, except when closed on Christmas day. Times can always change, so be sure to get the latest schedule on the National Park Service’s official Operating Hours and Seasons web page for Big Cypress National Preserve.

AMENITIES

  • Ranger-staffed information desk where you can pick up information on Big Cypress Swamp and Everglades National Park, and a paddling brochure for Turner River and Halfway Creek
  • Sign up for various Ranger-led tours
  • Wildlife observation deck
  • Book and souvenir store
  • Auditorium where the park’s film is shown
  • Indoor and outdoor exhibits
  • Restrooms
Souvenir and book store at Big Cypress National Preserve's Oasis Visitor Center

Souvenir and book store at Big Cypress National Preserve’s Oasis Visitor Center

PARK FILM

An excellent film about Big Cypress National Preserve shows in the auditorium. It runs 22 minutes and is suitable for all ages. The film is also shown at the Nathaniel P. Reed Visitor Center.

INDOOR EXHIBIT AREA

The indoor exhibit area at the Oasis Visitor Center is spread out and not too jam-packed, so you can see everything in about fifteen minutes. There are exhibits on the nature and geology of the park as well as a rotating art exhibit showcased in a display cabinet.

Inside the Oasis Visitor Center at Big Cypress National Preserve

Inside the Oasis Visitor Center at Big Cypress National Preserve

OUTSIDE EXHIBITS

Outside the building are a few information panels, a native flower garden, a three-table picnic area (no grills), and the Southern Terminus of the Florida Trail, which runs north for 1,300 miles. There is also a hiking trail south of the Oasis Visitor Center that was formerly part of the Florida Trail. During the dry season (November-April), heading south takes you into wet areas, while the terrain north of the Visitor Center is much drier. Of course it’s all swamp during the wet season (May-October).

Picnic area and start of the Florida Trail outside the Oasis Visitor Center, Big Cypress National Preserve

Picnic area and start of the Florida Trail outside the Oasis Visitor Center, Big Cypress National Preserve

WILDLIFE OBSERVATION DECK

The Oasis Visitor Center building sits right along one of the ditches that runs next to the Tamiami Trail. The highway was created by digging ditches on either side of the proposed road and piling the dirt in the middle to raise the road bed above the swamp waters. Those ditches remain filled with water even during the dry season, making them favorite haunts of alligators, birds, and fish. A boardwalk serves as an observation deck, and alligators are right below your feet, much closer than the animals you can see at the Reed Visitor Center. It’s almost like being at the zoo or at one of the tourist trap “alligator farms” that populate south Florida. You can also see gars (large fish) swimming in the water. Keep in mind that once the wet season comes and the water is everywhere, the animals can fan out into the backcountry and away from the cars and tourists.

Boardwalk outside of Big Cypress National Preserve's Oasis Visitor Center overlooks alligators and other animals in the roadside canal

Boardwalk outside of Big Cypress National Preserve’s Oasis Visitor Center overlooks alligators and other animals in the roadside canal

Alligator in the roadside canal at the Oasis Visitor Center, Big Cypress National Preserve

Alligator in the roadside canal at the Oasis Visitor Center, Big Cypress National Preserve

Alligator near Oasis Visitor Center at Big Cypress National Preserve

Alligator near Oasis Visitor Center at Big Cypress National Preserve

Gars and other fish swim alongside the road near Oasis Visitor Center at Big Cypress National Preserve

Gars and other fish swim alongside the road near Oasis Visitor Center at Big Cypress National Preserve

SCHEDULING YOUR TIME

Assuming you watch the park film, plan to spend about an hour for your visit, which includes looking at the alligators from the boardwalk. If you saw the film at the Nathaniel P. Reed Visitor Center, then plan to spend a half hour at the Oasis Visitor Center.

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Last updated on June 14, 2023
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