Big Cypress National Preserve, National wildlife refuge in Collier County, Florida, United States

Big Cypress National Preserve is a protected area of about 2,900 km² north of Everglades National Park, managed by the National Park Service. It lies in a slightly elevated area and holds the highest biodiversity of the Everglades, with mangrove forests, orchids, alligators, herons and the Florida black bear. It is considered the most important habitat of the endangered Florida panther.

The preserve was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1974, one of the first National Preserves alongside Big Thicket. In the 1960s, Native Americans, hunters and conservationists protested a plan to relocate Miami's airport here; construction was halted and the site became the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport. In 1996 the preserve was enlarged by nearly 600 km², on condition that the new lands remain open to hunting and off-road swamp buggies.

The name comes from the large cypress trees that grow throughout this area. Visitors encounter these distinctive trees while exploring and notice how the landscape changes with water levels and seasons, revealing different plant and animal communities.

The best time to visit is during cooler months when weather is comfortable and wildlife is more active. The Oasis Visitor Center on the Tamiami Trail provides maps, information, and suggestions for exploring the preserve.

The preserve holds the highest biodiversity of the Everglades. In its mangrove forests grow orchids alongside alligators and snakes such as the water moccasin and the diamondback rattlesnake; herons, anhingas and the Florida black bear also occur, while otters, bobcats, the Caribbean manatee, the eastern indigo snake and the sandhill crane are rarer.