big cypress

“im fitten to head out to the big cypress national preserve on my spring break with some people, i know some about the park but i am open to any new knowledge or first hand accounts...”

“Where dat place be at?”

“Don't get eaten by a white panther.”

“Planning on doing this hike sometime next year. Here is a little info on a previous thread.

Although you are going at the tail end of dry season I would still be ready for a little swamp water.”

“Panthers like to eat backpackers.......:)”

“but caymans are establishing a substantial presence. Aggressive little buggers, they are!”

“they have the extremely endangered florida panther but the last number i read was 30 in the park...i read that there is no water in the big cypress, how could that be? and how should i handle water for the trip? what time next year big coop? and what are caymans? thankx for the warning gojo, have you been there? o- its in the southern eastern tip, though not the extreme tip, it borders the everglades walkndude. anyone interested in going?”

“how is the trail? is it hard to follow? i read its mostly flat on the south florida trail, how long is it? thanks for the tread it was helpful, how was the trip? there is no park entrance fee right?”

“I am glad you are back, jcfreak for life. I had given you up for dead.”

“im die hard
;P”

“heh.. good to see you!”

“That's a relative term. They prolly meant that the trail is dry.

Spring is the "dry" season...

Contact the Big Cypress Preserve rangers (Visitor's Center). They have a page that can be reached from the NPS website. They can give you current trail/water conditions...”

“so i shouldnt have to carry all my water in? thats good news. thankx gojo. i think the nps is down, specially to the big cypress, with all the controversy over oil drilling and mineral rights, i think my proff said they closed the site down to keep it alittle more out of the publics hands.”

“all NPS sites are down due to a court order with respect to security of the funds in the indian accounts”

“opps I meant to say all DOI sites - which includes NPS sites are down ...”

“You should be able to get a phone # from their website, and talk to a real live person at BCP.”

“indian accounts huh? is that who the government bought it from? who ever it was still owns the mineral rights. will they open soon? ill try the phone number. im stoked for this trip, a little intimidated though! ill take my crock beater out with me and hope for the best...”

“as anyone seen mike on here? or was he iluvbackpacking? did you run him off?”

“Try 941-695-4111 or 941-695-2000, those are the numbers I have listed on a park brochure for Big Cypress. Ask them what the trail conditions are. With Big Cypress, you don't really want to do the hike untill it's all dried up, otherwise your hiking in mud and swampwater. Seeing as we haven't had much rain here in Miami lately that may be close to already happening. There are no rivers or lakes to filter water from. There is a water pump at one of the back country sites that is sometimes working but when it breaks it stays broken till a volunteer fixes it. The NPS wants nothing to do with the water access for fear of someone getting sick, so they'd assume it not be there at all. You will most likely need to pack in all your water.

You can try to get a hold of the Florida Trail Association and some of their members may be able to give you an update on the water pump and trail conditions. I did the hike last year, a one nighter loop. It was alright, differnt for sure. But I don't think I'd do more than a one nighter, two tops.”

“thankx fasttimes. so there wasnt much to lure you out there for longer huh? was it a good differnt or no? shorter actually works out becuase we want to do some sea kyaking in the everglades, plus i have friends around the state somewere i would like to see...they are supposed to teach me how to surf! is the loop you did the same as the southern florida trail? i think they are diffrent?”

“jc, I found it to be a good different type of hike. I was just used to doing my hiking in the mountians so it is a little strange. It is a unique landscape, yet at times kind of looked like an African plain. If your into photography, it's awesome for B&W. Now that I think about it I didn't do a loop. What I did was hike from the Oasis ranger station to the first backcountry site and then back out the next day. The Florida trail runs straight through, and inorder to do the whole Florida trail thing you have to have 2 cars or be shuttled. But the hike that I did was part of that trail.

What disappointed me on my hike was that I really didn't see any wildlife. Except for some eagles that was it. I guess I was expecting like bobcats, gators and bears to come roaming by, but nothing. But that could of just been that day, because they are out there.

I'll tell you what's kewl though. When you get a map of Big Cypress, you will see that their is a dirt road that runs east-west just south of Tamiami Trail(the highway that you take to Cypress). Take the time and drive that dirt road. The trip early in the morning will net you deer and bobcats as well as there are some sections of the canal that runs along it that has tons of wildlife like birds and gators, great for photography.”

“JC, I plan on doing this hike next February or March.”

“im planning on the first week of march.”