As the campground gained popularity, the National Park Service implemented improvements to manage increasing visitor numbers without compromising the environment. In the 1980s, the park introduced waste disposal systems, water hookups, and RV facilities. Rangers stationed nearby began offering interpretive talks about the ecology of Big Cypress,

With the establishment of the preserve, the National Park Service (NPS) faced a new challenge: how to welcome visitors without damaging the fragile landscape. As tourism grew along the Tamiami Trail, the need for designated camping areas became clear. The answer was Big Cypress Midway Campground, strategically placed “midway” between Miami a

By the late 19th century, pioneers and hunters began venturing into Big Cypress. These “Gladesmen,” as they were later called, were rugged individuals who lived off the land. They hunted alligators, trapped otters, and fished in remote canals. The early 20th century brought small logging and oil exploration efforts. The cypress trees of Big

Introduction: A Campground in the Heart of the Wild In the heart of southern Florida’s wilderness, where the horizon blends sawgrass prairies with ancient cypress domes, lies a quiet refuge known as Big Cypress Midway Campground. To the untrained eye, it might appear as just another place to pitch a tent or park an RV. But beneath its stillness