There is no brick-and-mortar lodging within Big Cypress National Preserve in Florida, but if you feel like pitching a tent or parking your RV for a night or two beneath the stars, there are eight frontcountry campgrounds from which to choose, including one group campground. If you really want to get away from it all, there is plenty of acreage to do so backcountry camping. For this, some planning and preparation are necessary, as well as a backcountry camping permit.

If you are not averse to traveling an hour each way, the Florida cities of Miami and Fort Lauderdale on the east, and the area around Naples, Florida on the west all offer a wide range of overnight choices. The much smaller Everglades City (population 384 as if 2023) is the closest town to the national preserve where there are some lodging choices, as well.

If you feel like really getting away from it all, there's plenty of landscape for backcountry camping within Big Cypress National Preserve, as long as you have a backcountry camping permit / NPS file

If camping is more your style, you can choose from eight frontcountry campgrounds at Big Cypress, including a group campground. Below is a quick rundown of the frontcountry campgrounds. All of them require reservations through recreation.gov. For more detailed information, click on the campground names and also read the campground pages on recreation.gov, as some information listed there is not listed on the NPS site pages.

Campsite #9 at Bear Island Campground, Big Cypress National Preserve / NPS file

Bear Island Campground is the largest of the campgrounds, offering 40 sites at $10 per night. Senior/Access passholders receive a 50 percent discount. Part of this primitive campground is open year-round (sites 1-12) and the rest of the campground is open August 15 – April 15 (sites 13-40). There are no designated ADA-accessible sites. Reservations are required through recreation.gov.

Access to the Bear Island Campground is at the end of a 20-mile (32.2 km) secondary gravel road. Located nearby are Gator Head (9 sites) and Pink Jeep (9 sites) Campgrounds.  While there is no information regarding RV/trailer maximum lengths on either NPS or recreation.gov sites, other sites indicate the maximum RV length allowable is between 30 – 50 feet (9 – 15 meters). Amenities include vault toilets, fire rings, shared food storage, and picnic tables.

Midway Campground is a popular spot for RVers visiting Big Cypress National Monument / NPS file

Midway Campground offers 36 sites (10 tent-only; 26 RV-only). All sites meet minimum ADA requirements for access. Maximum RV length is 45 feet (13.7 m). Trailers are not permitted. Open year-round, tent sites are $24 per night and RV sites are $30 per night. Senior/Access passholders receive a 50 percent discount. Reservations are required through recreation.gov. Amenities include flush toilets, drinking water, trash collection, and a dump station. Electric hookups for RV sites.

Site #8 at Monument Lake Campground in Big Cypress National Preserve / NPS file

Monument Lake Campground offers 36 sites (10 tent-only; 26 RV-only) and meets minimum ADA requirements for access. Open August 15 – April 15, tent sites are $24 per night, RV sites are $28 per night. Senior/Access passholders receive a 50 percent discount. Reservations are required through recreation.gov. RVs are allowed, trailers are not permitted. Recreation.gov indicates the a maximum RV length of 45 feet (13.7 m). Drinking water, flush toilets, and trash collection are available seasonally. No hookups.

A site at Burns Lake Campground in Big Cypress National Preserve / NPS - Lehman

Burns Lake Campground offers 14 sites (6 tent-only; 8 RV-only) and meets minimum ADA requirements for access (although the NPS site for this campground considers this a primitive campground. Open August 15 – April 15, all sites are $24 per night and must be reserved through recreation.gov. Senior/Access passholders receive a 50 percent discount. Maximum RV length is 50 feet (15.2 m). No information on whether trailers are allowed, but the recreation.gov site indicates this campground is primarily used by hunters and off-road vehicle users. Vault toilets are available seasonally. No drinking water, dump station, or hookups.

A site at Mitchell Landing Campground in Big Cypress National Preserve / NPS file

Mitchell Landing Campground (aka Mitchell’s Landing Campground), open August 15 – April 15, offers 12 sites, each $24 per night and reservations are required through recreation.gov. Senior/Access passholders receive a 50 percent discount. All sites meet minimum ADA requirements for access. RV maximum length is 35 feet (10.7 m), trailers are not allowed. This campground is considered primitive, with no drinking water, dump station, or hookups. Vault toilets and trash collection are available seasonally. Access to the Mitchell Landing Campground is along a secondary gravel road.

Gator Head Campground, open August 15 – April 15, offers nine tent sites at $10 per night, each. Senior/Access passholders receive a 50 percent discount, and reservations are required through recreation.gov. This is a primitive campground located within the Bear Island Unit of the national preserve. This campground can only be accessed by hiking, biking, or off-road vehicle (ORV). All ORVs must have a valid ORV permit from the permitting office (239-631-9988) to receive the gate combination. All campers must also carry a Backcountry permit. Vault toilets are available seasonally. Each site has picnic tables, shared food storage, and fire rings. There is no water available.

Site #1 at Pink Jeep Campground in Big Cypress National Preserve / NPS file

Pink Jeep Campground, open August 15 – April 15, offers nine tent sites at $10 per night, each. Senior/Access passholders receive a 50 percent discount, and reservations are required through recreation.gov. This is a primitive campground located within the Bear Island Unit of the national preserve. This campground can only be accessed by hiking, biking, or off-road vehicle (ORV). All ORVs must have a valid ORV permit from the permitting office (239-631-9988) to receive the gate combination. All campers must also carry a Backcountry permit. This campground offers pickup camper and tent camping only. No trailers or RV's are allowed in the backcountry. Amenities include vault toilets (available seasonally), picnic tables, and fire rings.

Pinecrest Group Campground is open year-round and offers four campsites, allowing a maximum of eight tents and 15 people per site. Each site is $30 per night and reservations are required through recreation.gov. Senior/Access passholders receive a 50 percent discount. Located along a secondary gravel road, amenities include picnic tables, fire rings, and vault toilets.

For your safety and enjoyment, and the protection of national preserve resources, please abide by campground regulations.