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Exploring Big Cypress Preserve

Take a day trip to Big Cypress National Preserve, a protected mass of wetlands that boasts a slew of wildlife, including panthers, alligators and wild hogs

Given how liberally Florida sports teams invoke big cats as a team name, you’d think the Sunshine State would be crawling with fierce felines. Truth is, there are about 100 panthers remaining in the wild, with a third roaming the grassy plains and wetlands of Florida’s Big Cypress National Preserve.

Florida panthers once roamed through eight southeastern states. But development forced the cats further south, into places without roads and power lines.

Today, panthers call the Florida peninsula home, hemmed in by bodies of water on three sides and occupying less than 10 per cent of their original habitat.

Big Cypress National Preserve, the largest panther refuge in Florida, is also one of the least-developed areas in the state, mostly because it’s under water for half the year.

March and April—two of the state’s driest months—are the perfect time to visit the park and spy on wildlife big and small concentrating around a handful of water sources in man-made canals. Over the next two months, the roads that trace these canals are transformed into viewing trails, often yielding alligators, otters, wild hogs and countless birds.

So don’t forget the zoom lens, because this is one photo safari that’s tipped in your favour.

Start Your Day

Starting from Ft. Myers, head south on I-75 for 100 km. Continue south on State Road 29, then east on Tamiami Trail, stopping at the Oasis Visitor Center for up-to-date info on ranger-guided walks and the animals to look for.

Check out the nearby Big Cypress Gallery to study mural-sized photos from Clyde Butcher, a large-format photographer who has done for the Florida wilderness what Ansel Adams did for the American West.

Quirky Diversion

Continue east on Tamiami Trail and follow it southeast until you reach Loop Road, then head west on US 94 to Lucky Cole’s in the village of Pinecrest. Look for the red fire hydrant and a tombstone marked “R.I.P.”

Lucky is the local historian and boudoir photographer, and is glad to sell you a bevvy or tell you a story about who’s buried in the grave. Sometimes it’s his daughter's former boyfriend or a reporter who misquoted him, but usually it’s a tourist from whatever city you tell Lucky you’re from.

If you’ve got an hour and US$150, he’ll provide an impromptu photo session and souvenir photo CD.

Strapped for Time

If you don’t have much time, but still want a taste of the wild, stop at Kirby Storter Boardwalk Park. This wheelchair-accessible, 800-metre-long boardwalk introduces the varied habitats in Big Cypress, including sawgrass prairie and a dwarf cypress forest. Watch for southern birds like the blue-gray gnatcatcher, a dead ringer for a chickadee.

The Turner River Road Loop is best seen on your way out of the park. Watch for white-tailed deer or hogs crossing the road and gators on either side. Panther sightings, though very rare, do occur. Try cruising slowly at dusk, when they begin to hunt.

Post-Safari Supper

Halfway through the drive back to Ft. Myers, stop by the Naples Tomato Restaurant. This Zagat-rated Italian eatery offers a 48-bottle self-serve wine bar and homemade pasta. Try “The Bomb,” made with black truffle raviolinnis and Urbani white truffle sauce.

Where to Stay

For an overnight stay that's closer to the preserve, check out Naples’ Inn on Fifth (from US$320), a boutique hotel inspired by Mizner's 1920s Florida designs.