Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park

The largest strand swamp forest in the world — 85,000 acres of subtropical old-growth cypress, royal palms, and 44 native orchid species that earned it the nickname "the Amazon of North America." Protected as a state park in 1974 to save what loggers hadn't already taken. This is ghost orchid country: the swamp Susan Orlean wrote about in "The Orchid Thief," the book that became Adaptation. Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk — closed since Hurricane Ian in 2022 — reopened in late 2025 and was formally rededicated February 21, 2026. Two miles of new decking through cypress, over Green Heron Lake, alligators and wading birds close in.

What to order

Ride the Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk off US-41 first thing in the morning — free, no gate, best light and birds. For deeper access, book a Friends of Fakahatchee ranger-led swamp walk ($80, mid-November through March only) or the tram tour down Janes Scenic Drive.

Hours

Daily 8a–sunset, year-round · boardwalk pavilion restrooms temporarily closed as of June 2026