A Big Cypress Swamp Walk: Everglades Fun in Ochopee Florida

If you want to explore the natural beauty of the Florida Everglades in a totally unique way, a Big Cypress swamp walk in the Everglades is for you!

Walking in the Everglades? Wait… what?

Isn’t the Everglades swamp teeming with pythons, alligators, Skunk Apes, and all sorts of weird things just waiting to pounce and drag you under the water?

Like a friend of mine said when I mentioned we’d be mucking about in the swamp, “not in a million years”!

But hear me out! They might refer to swamp walking in the Everglades as mucking about, but it’s far from a muddy slog, and it’s not just for hardcore naturalists, hikers, or extreme sport lovers either.

On the contrary, a swamp walk is downright refreshing and anyone can do it — if you can walk, you can swamp walk!

A swamp walk in Big Cypress National Preserve or nearby Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park is one of the most unique ways to experience the pristine natural beauty of southwest Florida and the Everglades, and the raw, watery wilderness that comprises it.

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The Everglades Ecosystem

One of the world’s most unique and fragile environments, the Florida Everglades cover most of southern Florida.

Nowhere else on earth is there such a complex subtropical wetland ecosystem.

Many visitors to Florida make envision the Everglades as one big swamp and cross it off of their things to do list — don’t be that tourist and make the same mistake.

From Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay and the mangrove estuaries of the Ten Thousand Islands, the Everglades is actually a slow-moving river which stretches over 40 miles wide and 100 miles long, and spans over 2 million acres of grassy marshland, cypress domes, strands of slash pines, hardwood hammocks, and mangrove forests. 2 million acres!

This balanced ecosystem of ponds, marshes, and forests took thousands of years to create and sadly is now less than half of what it originally was.

The diverse ecosystems of the Glades are home to exotic, rare, and endangered wildlife including plant species and migratory birds and lots of bird species native to southwest Florida.

Unfortunately, it’s also now home to an incredible number of invasive species of plants, insects, and wildlife, most notably the Burmese Python.

There are many ways to experience the Everglades including guided airboat tours, pole boat tours, kayaking, hiking, and even camping.

But without a doubt, taking a guided Everglades swamp walk is one of the most unique.

The experience will stimulate your senses and fill you with a new appreciation of the Glades.

Where is Big Cypress National Preserve?

Big Cypress National Preserve, the United States National Preserve is located between southwest Florida and the Atlantic coastal plain.

It’s roughly equidistant from both Naples and Marco Island in southwest Florida and Miami in southeast Florida (about 45 miles from each).

The freshwaters of Big Cypress Swamp are essential to the health of the neighboring Everglades, and support the rich marine estuaries along Florida's southwest coast.

Conserving over 729,000 acres of this vast swamp, Big Cypress National Preserve contains a mixture of tropical and temperate plant communities that are home to diverse wildlife, including the endangered Florida panther.

What Exactly is a Swamp Walk?

A swamp walk is pretty self-explanatory, although swamp walking in Big Cypress and the Everglades isn’t as messy as it sounds.

The water is cool and clear, and the layer of debris on the bottom is just decaying leaves and other swamp debris.

Organized swamp walks can be private or with a small group of people.

Our group was just seven people, and we set off into the swamp behind the Clyde Butcher Gallery in Ochopee with long walking sticks in hand led by experienced guides.

Your first step is into mid-calf deep water and the water feels surprisingly refreshing if not a bit chilly at first.

After a few steps you don’t even notice the water.

You’re now on the watery trail through the pristine cypress forest and the water can range from knee deep to nearly waist deep in places.

Walking in the swamp goes at a slow pace over the uneven bottom, and your walking stick comes in handy to feel for submerged cypress knees, tree roots, and rocks, and helps you keep your balance.

Other than the gentle sound of water from your fellow hikers as they walk along, the only sounds you’ll hear are the occasional bird, insect, or airboat tour nearby.

Your guide(s) will point out plants and critters along the trail, and answer questions as you go.

Other than that, it’s a quiet and peaceful walk through nature.

Plan on spending around 2 hours exploring with your guide.

How to Do a Big Cypress Swamp Walk

A swamp walk is one of the best things to do in the Everglades and there are several ways you can access Big Cypress swamp tours.

First, unlike in Everglades National Park, you can actually walk around in the swamp in Big Cypress Preserve anywhere and anytime you want to other than on private property.

If you’re experienced and know what you’re doing, you can pull off the side of the road and take a good slog.

Most of us aren’t experienced with this wilderness, which is why we recommend taking a guided swamp walk with guides who know the lay of the land.

You’ll never forget it.

Sure you’ll get wet, sometimes up to your waist, but you won’t have to trudge through the mud and muck.

Swamp walks led by an experienced guide are slow paced, informative, and downright fun.

Here’s how and where to take a Big Cypress Swamp Walk:

1. Big Cypress Gallery's Everglades Swamp Tours

52388 Tamiami Trail E, Ochopee, FL

Renowned conservationist and wildlife photographer Clyde Butcher captures the stunning beauty of the Everglades and Big Cypress (and other natural places around the country) in his large-format black and white photographs.

He built his gallery in Big Cypress and lived there with his wife for many years before they retired.

Today you can visit their gallery, buy some of their work for your home (both Clyde and Nikki’s), or schedule a swamp walk.

You can even rent his former bungalow and spend a night there or a long weekend.

A Clyde Butcher swamp walk is one of the best things to do in the Everglades!

2. Annual Swamp Celebration

Clyde Butcher’s Big Cypress Gallery, 52388 Tamiami Trail E, Ochopee, FL

Once a year in October, The Alliance for Florida’s National Parks in partnership with Big Cypress National Preserve and the Clyde Butcher Gallery hosts a Swamp Celebration at Clyde Butcher’s Big Cypress Gallery.

The walk is a fundraising event that benefits the Swamp Water and Me Program (SWAMP) program.

This program provides first-hand experiences to over 3,000 local 6th grade students on the ecological importance of Big Cypress and the Florida Everglades ecosystem.

Doing a guided swamp walk during the annual Swamp Celebration not only benefits local students, but also offers you a way to save money on the cost of a swamp walk.

Early October is a great time to take a Big Cypress swamp walk!

Cost:

Admission to the annual Swamp Celebration is free, swamp walk prices vary depending on which swamp walk adventure you choose.

About the Swamp Water and Me Program (SWAMP)

Under Florida’s Next Generation Sunshine State Standards and Collier County School District’s environmental education goals, students spend their field trip day exploring, observing, and learning.

The program is led by National Park Service rangers from October to March during southwest Florida’s dry season.

Students are broken into small groups to explore cypress swamp, pine land, and prairie habitats.

They also get to use actual radio-telemetry equipment that shows them how scientists keep track of the Florida panther population.

Don’t worry. What they locate isn’t a real panther, just a small stuffed kitty cat, but the experience is educational and lots of fun for the kids.

During their field trip, students conduct water quality tests, take soil samples, record weather, and identify local plants and animals.

And they really get into it.

As you can imagine, this experience creates a lasting impression on 6th graders.

Students describe SWAMP as the best school field trip ever, and it instills in them respect for the environment and the local wildlife.

Among the donors that support SWAMP are photographer Clyde Butcher and his family.

Thanks to all of the donors, 6th grade students in Collier County have an experience they’ll likely never forget.

But Aren’t There Alligators?

If there’s one animal that’s ever present in the Everglades, it’s the alligator.

But will there be alligators on your swamp walk?

You might see a tiny gator or snake here or there, but it’s not likely you’ll encounter any large or venomous species.

Generally speaking, alligators and snakes tend to avoid humans.

Alligators are ambush hunters, and the last thing they want to mess with is a group of large humans traipsing through the swamp.

Besides, we’re not their usual food and offer nothing for them.

The only possibly dangerous exceptions to encountering alligators are when a female is guarding her nest or during the breeding season when males become extremely territorial.

Your guide will be aware of this and will keep you safe.

Like most animals in their natural habitat, the wildlife will hear and smell you coming a long way off when you enter their territory, and will tend to keep their distance from you and your group.

Photographing Your Swamp Walk

Taking photos on your swamp walk is a great idea but there are a few things to consider.

First and foremost is, you will be walking in up to waist-deep water so there is always the risk of dropping your expensive camera or phone into the water or having it bounce off of a rock.

Unless you’re planning to take a private photo tour and need to take extra time to set up shots and camera angles, we would recommend leaving the expensive equipment at home and instead, bring your iPhone, Android, or lightweight mirrorless along.

There are several advantages with using a phone camera.

First, it’s lightweight and stowable in a waterproof dry case around your neck — here’s one we love and recommend — it has saved our phones on more than one occasion.

Second, using a phone camera lets you set quick modes and easily switch between macro (for shooting flowers and bugs) and portrait (for nice bokeh).

Notice the difference between the two shots of the cypress knees below?

The left one was shot in Portrait mode and the right on standard.

With so much water reflection on a swamp walk, less detail is sometimes better to isolate the natural features with a bit of background blur (bokeh) behind them.

What to Know Before You Go

What to Expect

Be prepared to get wet on the swamp walk and have fun! The walks are approximately two hours long and water levels can be waist-high in some spots along the trail.

There are submerged obstacles and uneven terrain that you will need to navigate.

Many people are a bit anxious before that first step onto the watery trail. Understandably so.

It’s a unique wilderness experience into an unfamilar environment.

Once everyone steps in and gets wet, the tranquility and quiet of the swamp grabs at your spirit, and it all seems to go by too quickly.

When it’s over we guarantee you’ll have enjoyed it enough to want to do it again and again.

Swamp Walking with Children

Given the depth of the water, children should be over 48 inches tall to participate in a swamp walk.

If your child does not meet the height requirement or if a two-hour walk would not be ideal for them, it’s probably best to forego swamp walking and opt for a dry hike or boat ride instead.

Parking At Big Cypress Gallery

The Big Cypress Gallery maintains onsite parking, but if you’re going with a group of people on an organized swamp walk (or during the annual Swamp Celebration), you may have to park alongside US 41.

Lightweight camera with waterproof case
Change of clothes
Comfortable, breathable shoes

What to Wear on Your Swamp Walk

Clothing

You’re going to get wet and your shoes will get mucky with leaves and debris.

There are fresh water hoses to wash yourself off, along with your clothes and shoes after the walk.

• Closed-Toed Shoes

  Wear closed-toe shoes with laces that tie securely – no rubber boots or waders.

  Boots tend to fill up with water making walking very difficult.

  If you fall, waders can fill with water making it difficult to get back up.

  An old pair of sneakers, or breathable shoes like Keens work best.

• Long Pants

  Wear long pants to protect your legs. Shorts are never a good idea in this watery environment.

• Long sleeves

  We recommend wearing a lightweight long sleeved sun shirt (UV rated) to keep from getting scratched or bitten.

  If you’re concerned that long sleeves might be too warm, don’t be.

  Once you step into the cypresses the temperature is less than in the open sun.

  The canopy of the trees blocks and filters direct sunlight, and the coolness of the water helps to make the experience comfortable and enjoyable.

What to Bring on Your Swamp Walk

• Change of clothes

  Bring dry clothes including underwear and shoes to change into after your walk.

  There are men’s and women’s changing rooms and you can safely store your dry clothes there while on your walk.

  To save time and limit crowding in the changing rooms, you should arrive in the clothes you are going to wear for your swamp walk.

• Water bottle

• Bring a water bottle to stay hydrated. There is a refill station at the trailhead that you can use to top off your bottle before you start your walk.

• Walking stick

  Stout walking sticks with a wrist lanyard are provided.

  But if you want to bring your own, here is one we love using.

• Sun hat

  A hat is recommended. This one is a favorite.

• Insect repellant

  This is the Everglades, so yes there are mosquitos.

  Bug spray is provided or you are certainly welcome to bring your own favorite.

  Covering up (hats, pants, long sleeves) and a quick spray will help to keep the mosquitos at bay.

  
  

Resources

The Alliance for Florida's National Parks — Since 2002, The Alliance for Florida’s National Parks (formerly the South Florida National Parks Trust) has been the official philanthropic partner for Florida’s four national parks: Everglades, Biscayne and Dry Tortugas National Parks, as well as Big Cypress National Preserve. | website

Florida Trail Association — 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization responsible for developing, maintaining, protecting, & promoting a network of hiking trails throughout Florida, including the unique Florida National Scenic Trail, commonly known as the “Florida Trail,” along with our primary agency partner, the U.S. Forest Service. The Florida National Scenic Trail is a 1,500 mile federally designated trail beginning at Big Cypress National Preserve and ending at Gulf Islands National Seashore. | website

Clyde Butcher Big Cypress Gallery — The original home and gallery of renowned large-format photographer Clyde Butcher, located 47 miles east of Naples. 52388 Tamiami Trail, Ochopee, Florida | website

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