Bear Island Road

The Bear Island Road starts at Turner River Road at the north end of the Scenic Drive and takes you to the primitive Campground in the north part of the Big Cypress National Preserve. The Campground has more than 30 sites and a few composting toilets. The only three trails that require a $100 permit and are accessible with street-legal vehicles start at the Campground. You may buy the permit at the Nathaniel P. Reed Visitor Center only on weekends. The permits are valid for the year of purchase. The road conditions are a mixture of packed sand, loose sand, and some deep holes that can turn into 2 feet deep mud holes after rainy days. The road is always wide enough for two vehicles to pass. 4WD and high clearance are recommended. All vehicles must be street-legal. The freshwaters of the Big Cypress Swamp, essential to the health of the neighboring Everglades, 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.