The Florida Trail at Big Cypress, Florida Trail in Big Cypress at the Mile Marker 63 Rest Area in Alligator Alley (I-75). Start at the east end of parking lot by the tower.
Directions: If traveling directly to the trail-head. Make your way to I-75 towards Naples. (Alligator Alley, this is a toll road). Travel west on I-75 to the rest area at Mile Marker 63. Exit I-75 at mile marker 63 and park in the parking lot outside the visitors center.
The hike will be 7 miles. A walking stick is highly recommended, the terrain on this hike is not smooth asphalt so wear sturdy footwear.
Please exit at the service area mile marker #63. It may say closed but you can park at the east end of service area parking area at the trail-head. The new, attractive Ah-Tha-Thi-Ki Museum The trail north of Big Cypress National Preserve lies within the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation. Much of the landscape is similar to the Preserve, except it gets somewhat higher and drier with more pinelands. There are also canals, roads, orange groves, farm and cattle lands, and Indian homes including their picturesque chickees. The trail follows roads in the Indian Reservation, permitting access to three unique attractions — Billie Swamp Safari, the Ah-Tha-Thi-Ki Museum, and the Big Cypress Campground. Other places of interest include a Visitor Center, village, rodeo, and churches. Billie Swamp Safari is a wilderness preserve of prairie, swamp, and hammock with excellent facilities and interesting tours.