Hi, just starting to make plans - very late I know. I'm a tent camper and wondering should I even think about going to the Everglades, Big Cypress, and Fakahatchee area in 2nd-3rd weeks of February? I would need sites with car access - not hike-in.What if any availability should I expect? I am completely flexible as to developed or primitive campgrounds. Would reservations be absolutely required? Recommended? Don't worry there will be plenty of room? Forget about it and start planning for next year? Any thoughts?

There are boondocking spots in the Great Cypress Swamp and there is one State park: Collier-Seminole. I'm sure there are commericial cg too, probably in Everglades City. But I just read a message from someone else who said he never needed reservations but this year everything is booked up. So I'd call or check the web for availablity. After April it won't be as much of a problem when the snowbirds head north.

In the southern portion of the Everglades, I don't think you would have any problem getting a site in the Long Pine Key National Park campground. There are no hooks up and a few water posts here and there. there are rest rooms, but no showers. It is a wonderful place You could also try the Flamingo National Park campground which does take reservations and has some spots with electrical hookups. Also in Flamingo there are some new "ECO tent type structures" and when we past by them last week, they looked empty. You can probably get info on line or from the ranger station about their availability If you are a paddler, let me know and I'll give you some good places to paddle thereGuy

Whatever you do, bring plenty of insect repellent. The mosquitoes are very hungry! You may need to bathe in it.

Well yeah, but not so bad in the winter. But still bring the DEET. My wife's family is from there, that tiny post office in Ochopee was run by her grandmother. We were there in the summer one year inside their house. I held my hand up to the window screen and when I took it down a few seconds later there was a solid black hand on the other side of the screen: mosquitoes.

They never leave Flamingo. One of the things mosquitoes key in on is CO2 from our breath. Clean burning cars of today also emit CO2. Park Rangers say after making their rounds in the evening and getting out of their car, the whole back end is black after being covered with mosquitoes! I tried to sit through a Ranger talk the last time I was there over the winter. It was mid-day but I only lasted a couple of minutes. I was being eaten alive! I'm not going back empty handed!

Everglades and Big Cypress camping in Feb. - availability?

Central_Lake_RV
Explorer
Jan 24, 2020
Check the Reserve America site for Collier Seminole State Park, which is in the Big Cypress but not far from Marco Island/Naples. I'm sure they have availability for tents. I know there's a washer and dryer there, I think showers, too. Good luck.
solismaris
Explorer
Jan 23, 2020
agesilaus wrote:
Flamingo is anything but a swamp, more like a very large grass parking lot.

But it is surrounded by 10s of 1000s of acres of mostly wet - if not technically swamp then still not the beaches and sun and sand that most people seek. Only reason these sites were still available on 10 days notice.
agesilaus
Explorer III
Jan 23, 2020
Flamingo is anything but a swamp, more like a very large grass parking lot.
solismaris
Explorer
Jan 23, 2020
Now that I made my reservations (got one of the last 2 tent sites at Burns Lake in Big Cypress for those dates, and also got a site at Flamingo in Everglades (the website didn't tell me how many were left) I'm set. Not everybody loves swamps I guess!

Now I get to obsess about the foolishness of sleeping in a thin tent just a few feet from gator-infested Burns Lake! Wish me luck!
GDS-3950BH
Explorer
Jan 22, 2020
Guy Roan wrote:
GDS-3950BH wrote:
JoeH wrote:
I just looked at Midway ( Big Cypress) in recreation.gov and see that pretty much all the tent sites are available for all of Feb.

And for good reason. Just think about staying in a tent next to 26 Octogenarians in RV's, who move to a different site every 10 days skirting around the max stay policy.

Sounds to me like your jealous!

Guy

Jealous? Not hardly.
Guy_Roan
Explorer
Jan 22, 2020
GDS-3950BH wrote:
JoeH wrote:
I just looked at Midway ( Big Cypress) in recreation.gov and see that pretty much all the tent sites are available for all of Feb.

And for good reason. Just think about staying in a tent next to 26 Octogenarians in RV's, who move to a different site every 10 days skirting around the max stay policy.

Sounds to me like your jealous!

Guy
solismaris
Explorer
Jan 22, 2020
I can handle the Octogenarians lol it is the mosquitoes you've got me worried about now! I'm a big DEET fan and that will help. At least it's the dry season - could be worse!

Availability looks good for the tenters in the interior. I think I'll make it work!
GDS-3950BH
Explorer
Jan 22, 2020
agesilaus wrote:

Is that a joke? Because it didn't seem to be funny.

Joke? Not really, closer to reality.
agesilaus
Explorer III
Jan 22, 2020
GDS-3950BH wrote:
JoeH wrote:
I just looked at Midway ( Big Cypress) in recreation.gov and see that pretty much all the tent sites are available for all of Feb.

And for good reason. Just think about staying in a tent next to 26 Octogenarians in RV's, who move to a different site every 10 days skirting around the max stay policy.

Is that a joke? Because it didn't seem to be funny.
GDS-3950BH
Explorer
Jan 22, 2020
JoeH wrote:
I just looked at Midway ( Big Cypress) in recreation.gov and see that pretty much all the tent sites are available for all of Feb.

And for good reason. Just think about staying in a tent next to 26 Octogenarians in RV's, who move to a different site every 10 days skirting around the max stay policy.

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Everglades and Big Cypress camping in Feb. - availability?

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