The beauty of the Everglades has drawn the interest of campers and developers ever since the early boom time of the early 1900's when Coral Gables in Miami was first a dream in some developers mind, and then a reality. During the late 1960's, and early 1970's, groups of Everglades' loving campers and residents in and around the western Everglades fought off the proposed commercial Jetport. Today, that former commercial airport is the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport used for aviation training purposes. Groups of environmentalists, campers and residents fought off development encroachment into what was known as the Big Cypress area which today, thankfully, is this nation's first National Preserve, the Big Cypress National Preserve, which was signed into being by former President Gerald Ford, October 11, 1974.
A vast area of waterways, woodlands, tree hammocks, and grasslands are now perpetually protected by the U.S. Government, the Big Cypress Preserve is a delight for campers, including tenters, RV'ers and especially for wilderness campers. The area still faces encroachment efforts for its beauty and climate, despite the high heat of summertime. In the fight for preserve status, folks who owned cabins within this wilderness wanted assurance their homesteads would be protected. Environmentalists and conservationists were more interested in preserving the natural surroundings and the myriad wildlife, especially wintering waterbirds, and other wildlife, including alligators, crocodiles, Everglades deer and, especially, the Florida panther. Today, the Big Cypress Preserve attracts more than a million visitors each year who enjoy this area of protected wilderness. And while the Everglades Parkway and Tamiami Trail, both running across the Everglades between the Naples area on Florida's west coast, across to Florida's East Coast and the megalopolis of Dade County, vast remnants of the Everglades' River of Grass are under federal protection, conserved for future generations of wildlife and Americans.
For years, developers have turned their eyes towards the beauty and abundant resources of Southwest Florida, hoping to control the wilderness, its water resources, and develop lands at the western edge of the Big Cypress Preserve – even before there was a preserve – promising to retain parts of America's Everglades “wild forever.” That effort, begun in the 1960's, continues today where resort-type living offers both high-end recreational vehicle resorts and master-planned residential developments. Once, it was the community of Golden Gate, which now has only a few thousand homes.
Today, at Rural Lands West a new, master-planned home development is “planned for positioning near Naples,” near the Big Cypress area, in Florida's Collier County. Domain Realty Group invites buyers to Rural Lands West, where a development of 10,000 homesites in Eastern Collier County, along with two million square feet of commercial space is being planned, for for an age-55 and up adult community. According to a Domain Realty Group spokesperson, “As Rural Lands West is being developed in accordance with environmental requirements established for Rural Lands Stewardship Areas, the project will see preservation of more than 12,000 acres of agriculturally sensitive land, as well as wildlife habitats and waterways. Residents among Rural Lands West will have many new home options, as well as unfettered access to some of the most scenic nature enclaves in Southwest Florida.”
The Big Cypress Preserve offers wilderness camping at its very best during the early spring and late fall seasons. Bear Island Campground at Big Cypress National Preserve is one of three campsites in the Bear Island Backcountry Unit of the preserve. It is the only one accessible via passenger vehicle, but even it requires an Off-Road Driving Permit. Bear Island Campground is reached off Turner River Road, near the Big Cypress Swamp Welcome Center on Highway U.S.41. Turner River Road passes under I-75 without access to the interstate. It is a dusty road made of marl, a crushed limestone surface.
Reservations for Bear Island Campground are no longer available. It's all on a first come, first served basis. Payment is by cash or check. Be sure to bring change, it's a long way to go to find cash. Drive through the campground and find an empty site, then return to the entrance where there is a pay station. Fill out the registration envelope, place your payment inside, then deposit in the collection box after having first torn off the receipt. Attach this receipt to the ID post at your selected campsite. A campground host is on duty to answer questions. Each campsite is limited to no more than eight persons and two vehicles, one of which can be an RV. In peak season, January through April's end, there is a 10-day maximum stay. That is 10-days for camping in general, not per campground. During the rest of the year, the maximum stay is 14 days. If you want to camp beyond that, you must do so in the back-country. You can camp up to 30-days per year. Pets must be on a leash and are not allowed on any of the trails or boardwalks. If you bring a pet, do not leave them at the campsite which, if you bring one, pretty well limits you to what you can do. Someone must remain with the pet(s). Check the Big Cypress National Preserve's Campground Rule and Regulations on the National Park Planner website.
The other two Big Cypress campgrounds, Pink Jeep and Gator Head, can be reached only on foot, bike, or with an off-road vehicle after obtaining an Off-Road Permit. There you must rely on wilderness camping without any amenities. A total of 40 campsites, open to tent campers and RV's, are situated along a small loop road and on either side of a long, out and back road. 13 of the sites are located in the loop section and are open year 'round, while the other sites are only open from mid-August to mid-April. During the winter, you couldn't ask for more pleasurable camping weather, but a summer in a South Florida swamp can be a miserable experience. Be aware that campground opening and closing dates change. Check the Big Cypress National Preserve Campgrounds' web page for the latest schedule and conditions, which can change drastically.
“Recent wildfires in the area have also affected camping,” according to Ardrianna McLane. While listed as a “primitive” camping, this is not the same as backcountry camping where you pitch a tent in the wilderness. At Bear Island Campground, there are established, numbered campsites. There is no water or electricity. Pit toilets are at hand housed in a permanent building. The grounds are level and well manicured and there are a picnic table and grill at each site. Mostly sites are sunny. There are a few, small palm trees. There is privacy between sites, but this varies. Most located on the loop road are in plain view of each other and offer minimal privacy. Sites along the long road either have their own cubbyholes and are shielded by dense tree stands, or are located on small, side loops and sealed off from the rest of the campground. Additional camping can be found within Everglades National Park not far from the Big Cypress National Preserve.
Located in Homestead, is Flamingo Campgrounds within Everglades National Park, with entry at the park's main access at Homestead. There is a park entry fee, not included in the camping fees. Flamingo has 41 RV sites in a T-loop with electricity at $30 per night, or $15 per night for seniors over 62-years of age, or handicapped with an Access Pass. Flamingo Campgrounds are located 38-miles south, after passing through the main entry. Campgrounds feature solar-heated showers. There are two dump stations, along with picnic tables and grills where, in winter, you can bird watch to your heart's content with 300 species of birds spending the winters here, raising their young. You will also spot crocodiles, alligators, manatees, Everglades deer and other wildlife who are seen year 'round. Boat rentals and tours are available. Kayaks and canoes are invited, along with folks who bring in their own small boats. Only 5 horse-power motors and below are allowed.
Joey Waves of Island Media Group, Naples, says, “I love working with Big Cypress. It is an honor to donate my time to the Preserve and being able to photograph its beautiful landscapes that exist inside it for the world to see. Wildlife is plentiful. On a short drive, you can see hundreds of birds, maybe a few deer; while alligators are almost everywhere off the Tamiami Trail. I love to find and explore the many cypress domes that are accessible with a little hiking. The cypress domes give you a feeling of an ancient time and look prehistoric.” Joey, who donates photographs to the Big Cypress adds, “The land is vast, and I have only begun to explore the depths of the park's 729,000 acres. I love my job and I love the Western Everglades.”
Other camping can be found a Big Cypress RV Resort & Campground, a full service resort easily reached from Miami, Fort Lauderdale or Naples, and located at 30290 Josie Billie Highway in Clewiston. Here you'll find full hook-up RV sites, at $50-$45,$40; tent sites at $35, and cabins, starting from $85 up. Nestled in the beautiful western prairie of the Florida Everglades, the resort offers RV sites, tent sites, cabins, a clubhouse, heated swimming pool, miniature golf, basketball court, shuffle board courts, and exercise room. Big Cypress RV Resort and Campground is “pet friendly.”