After our visit to Shark Valley Visitor Center in the Everglades we continued our exploration of…read morethe Everglades. Local knowledge directed us to take Loop Road through the Miccosukee tribal lands to reach Big Cypress NP-Oasis Visitor Center. Note: Loop Road is only paved to about the Miccosukee Cultural & Visitor Center. Very interesting one hour route through virtually untouched Everglades with sporadic homesteads. We then arrived at Big Cypress in the afternoon. Staff was very helpful. To my surprise there are still Miccosukee/Seminole men that put on alligator handling shows for tourists. The canal that parallels the visitor (Rt 41 Tamiami Trail) is filled with alligators, fish, turtles, ahingas, egrets & herons. A worthwhile stop when travelling through the Everglades. Nick & Liz, Albany, NY, USA

Would love to come spend more time here. It was relatively spread out, but there's a quaint visitor…read morecenter to help guide you on your way. We visited in November and it was still pretty hot for the season, so definitely recommend water / hats / sunscreen as nothing was super shady.

I went to Donna Fiala water park. Minimal areas to swim. There is a section of fountains that are 3…read morefeet. A lane of a pool where you can be at 5 feet. A space of 12 feet for the diving boards, a lower and higher one. Obviously the higher diving board will create a harder impact going into the water. I got water in ears of mine twice off the diving boards. First time fizzled out, second time needed hydrogen peroxide when I got home. The ladder out of pool isn't so easy to climb. I did try both Water slides. The yellow tubed one was super fast. The blue one was open air and slower. You could feel the grooves where sections of slide were put together on your back when going down the slides. Also, you did not dispense into a pool at bottom of slide but stayed in your lane which made for an abrupt landing and not so easy to get up and out! :) kids under the height requirement could handle the blue slide! :)

This water park at Eagle Lakes is a great find! At only $1.50 - $2 for entry, it was an affordable…read moreday of family fun! You can (and in fact, you're encouraged to) bring your own snacks/drinks, but they also have a small concessions area. We packed a cooler of drinks (la croix and some harder bevvies for the adults in our group), sandwiches, and snacks, and headed to this park for the afternoon. There was a large kids pool that was at most 3 1/2 feet deep, with a bunch of squirting machines and a giant wheel that dumps water. My nephews and niece really enjoyed this one, and it was large enough that there was still room to swim around and have fun. There was also a nice ledge along the back side of the pool (away from the attractions) so you can comfortably sit! There was also a large pool (that was much colder!) with lap lanes, an area to hang/swim, and a high and low diving board. There was always a small line for the diving boards, the kids were having so much fun! On top of all that, there are 2 water slides and an infant pool. The pool areas are well-staffed with lifeguards who were on top of keeping an eye on everything, blowing the whistle to get the attention of people, making sure kids were walking not running, and keeping the area safe. There's also a good blend of chairs in the sun and picnic type tables in the shade. We had a blast here and it's a great place for a family fun day!

A nice place to walk. Saw no wildlife while we were there, but it was nice to let the kids run…read morearound in a relatively safe environment. No real shade.

This is one of Florida's greatest attractions…read more I don't want to say much because I don't want to spoil your adventure. There is more nature in this location than one can handle. In order to see the largest state park in Florida, it will require at least 2-3 days. There is hiking, biking, and kayaking available. The admission is only $3.00 (self-pay). The visitor center was not open while we were visiting, not sure why. Jane's scenic route is a dirt road and has a 10 mile an hour speed limit. Easy to find, well-marked signs. Beware of gators, keep your eyes open and stay alert. We will have to come back to check out the boardwalk (different location) and the West trail next time.

Always a good place to see Gators. Today was a little cloudy, so the gators were few (but some).read more

Bathrooms were absolutely disgusting. They may put toilet paper in them but they definitely do not…read morewipe toilets or floors down. There was dried poop and pee all over toilets and floor. Smelled horrible. They are handicapped accessible but you will not want to take it in there! Besides that there were picnic tables to eat at & boardwalk against water where you seen lots of wildlife, gators, birds, fish & turtles.

Lovely beach. Ramp access from parking with easy access to beach…read more Limited parking, but easy parking payment with QR code. Handicapped parking near entrances. Trash receptacles at entrances. Very busy on weekends.

Barefoot beach is quite nice. The sand is clean, fine and there is a decent number shells. It…read morewasn't over crowded on a Monday afternoon in March, which was nice. We had an issue with low signals, so it took a ridiculous amount of time to pay for parking. Otherwise, it is always a nice time at Barefoot Beach!

Kirby Storter Roadside Park gets you up close and personal to the grandeur of Big Cypress Preserve…read more The park is named for Kirby Storter, a member of one of the areas pioneering families. He worked as an electrician and carpenter for Barron Collier and he also worked for the Florida Roads Department where he oversaw the construction of the Tamiami Trail which the park sits on. The parks was created through the efforts of Friends of Big Cypress Preserve. This park is located halfway through Big Cypress Preserve. There are picnic tables and a primitive restroom next to the parking area. From the parking lot you can take a stroll on a half mile boardwalk that takes you from a sawgrass prairie to a cypress swamp before ending at a gator hole. This area provides food and shelter for alligators, birds, reptiles, and mammals. The park is open dawn to dusk and it is a great place to get out and stretch your legs. I didn't see any alligators but I did spot some turtles and birds. Interpretive signs along the way let you know what you are looking at. My favorite boardwalk along Tamiami Trail is the Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk but this one is definitely worth a stop if you are in the area.

Nice spot to take a break and have some lunch. I was surprise at how active this place is. They…read morehave 4 little pavilions with picnic tables. It was very peaceful as we were sitting there. After we had our lunch, we decided to take a walk on the bridge to see where it took us. A lot of walking and we finally hit a dead end. I was disappointed that the end of the bridge didn't have better scenery. If it wasn't so hot, I would have enjoyed it a lot more. I DO NOT recommend the restrooms. My husband tried to go in one but turned around and walked right back out. There are more decent restrooms at the Oasis Visitors Center about 2 miles east of here.

Small center with good video shown regularly and plenty of infographics. Engaging staff. Junior…read moreRanger badge opportunity. Small gift shop. Good place to start your nature adventure if the area.

A large facility with friendly staff to provide information about Big Cypress to guests. There's…read morelots of parking here and it looks well kept; the grounds and buildings. Unfortunately it's closed during the pandemic, although I did see them making building improvements.

Mackle Park was named in honor of Frank E. Mackle Jr. (1916-1993). Mackle was a developer who had…read morepreviously developed Key Biscayne with his brothers. Frank arrived in what was then a primitive Marco Island in 1962 and saw potential in the undeveloped town. He was soon joined in the venture by his brothers, Elliott and Robert. All of the brothers were engineers and were employed by the Deltona Corporation founded by their father. Frank became the President of the Deltona Corporation and led the modernization of Marco Island. Mackle Park is impressive as it has everything that residents and visitors to Marco Island could want in outdoor recreation. The park has a community center with teen center, basketball court, bocce courts, open field area for play, picnic area, shuffleboard courts, a soccer/football field, volleyball court, and splash pad. One of the standout feature of the park is the creative playground that is a hit with kids. It has a pirate ship, castle turrets, and lots of places to climb and engage in imaginative play. My favorite part of the park is the beautifully landscaped walking path that winds around the lake. A sign at the entrance to the trail shows how you can increase the half mile walk around the lake to .9 miles by incorporating walking the perimeter of the fields in the back of the park. It is perfect for a leisurely stroll or a more vigorous jog. The lake is also a great place to bird watch and fish. Mackle Park has something for everyone. It offers a blend of recreational facilities and natural beauty that makes it a must-visit for anyone in the area. Whether you're looking to let the kids play, enjoy a peaceful walk, or partake in community events or a class, Mackle Park offers it all and more.

It is a beautiful park. Has many wonderful things to do for all ages. Canine Park has two separate…read moreareas for small dogs and large dogs. Maintenance could be better in Canine but it is still a great area. Many different species of wildlife. Great childrens area. Beautiful Community Center with many activities

We had 2 great days of fishing with Capt. Rodney. 11 species…read more I am looking forward to my next trip to Chokoloskee and fishing with Capt. Rodney again. A+ person.... along with being a great fishing guide.

Went on the Sunset tour with Capt. Rodney. Could not have had a better time, Dolphins surfing in…read morethe boat's wake, beautiful views of the bird rookeries, and gorgeous sunset views. Capt. Rodney is a sixth generation local, and a true gentleman, very knowledgeable about the local area. We'd do this again in a heartbeat. I plan on going fishing with him next time we are in the Everglades.