Big Cypress: A Look Inside

Big Cypress National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

Big Cypress 

National Preserve

Turner River, Upper Wagonwheel and Birdon 

Road Loop Drive

Shining waters, flurries of wings, and 

sunning alligators are all things you 

may experience along the Turner River 

Road in Big Cypress National Preserve. 

The 1950s brought the addition of 

this road to the Big Cypress Swamp. 

Building in South Florida presents a 

challenge for you must rise above the 

water by borrowing land. This creates 

a system of canals mirroring the road 

ways. During the wet season, May to 

October, water is plentiful throughout 

the Preserve, and wildlife disperses. 

During the remainder of the year when 

water may be scarce, canals provide 

habitat for a myriad of wildlife. As you 

travel, this guide will introduce you to 

some of the residents you may meet 

along the road.

Mile 0

H.P. Williams Roadside Park marks 

the entrance to the Turner River Road. 

Homer P. Williams was an engineer 

for the Collier Company during the 

construction of the Tamiami Trail, 

a feat completed in 1928 that now 

offers access to the area for many. The 

roadside park offers restrooms, picnic 

tables and a safe platform for viewing 

wildlife. Alligators, fish, turtles, and 

birds abound along this boardwalk 

during the dry season, which hints at 

the experiences to come.

Mile 0.8

The Turner River Road acts as a dam 

through the swamp, cutting off the 

Turner River, located to the west, from 

its water source. Culverts, like the 

ones you are driving over, and earthen 

plugs in the canal, installed in 1988, 

force some water flow into the river. 

Open water on your rear left plays 

host to a variety of trees but one in 

particular stands out — the cypress 

tree (Taxodium distichum.)

Big Cypress National Preserve, 

established in 1974, hosts an 

abundance of cypress trees. These 

water-loving trees live hundreds of 

years and lose their leaves during 

the dry season. The buttressed bases 

provide, like storm proofing your 

home, protection from strong winds. 

The cypress trees were harvested while 

Turner River Road was being built. 

Today, many cypress trees are survivors 

or the descendents of those harvested. 

At the height of logging in the late 

1950s, one million board feet per week 

was removed from the swamp and used 

for docks, boats and other purposes. 

The rot-resistant nature of cypress 

made it a prime commodity. 

Mile 0.8-2.4 Turner River Road

Amidst the cypress trees you might 

notice coastal plain willows (Salix 

caroliniana) framing windows into 

the canal. These willows prefer the 

moist soils along the canal and provide 

homes and protection for bird life. Peer 

in through a window and look into the 

canal. Fish abound as they follow the 

draw-down of water during the dry 

season. Many varieties of fish call the 

canal home. Have you seen a fish with 

a long body and pointed snout? This 

Map of the Turner River Road Loop Drive starting from the intersection of HWY 41 and the Turner 

River Road. Mileages are indicated in a counter clockwise pattern at all major intersections.

(Continued on page 2)

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0 mi

10.1 mi 7.1 mi

16.4 mi

41

Upper Wagonwheel Road

Turner River Road

North

Big Cypress Swamp

Welcome Center

Dump

Station
pointed fish is a Florida gar (Lepisosteus 

platyrhincus.) When oxygen levels 

are low in the water, gar surface to 

fill an air bladder. They also prey on 

fish with the same behavior. Another 

canal fish, with an almost “bug-eyed” 

appearance, a red-ringed eye on the tail 

and black stripes is known as the oscar 

(Astronotus ocellatus.) The oscar, one 

of the first exotic fishes reported in the 

1950s, is a popular sport fish today. 

Mile 2.4 - 7.1 Turner River Road

They aren’t just wading around.

The sharp beak of the anhinga, lower left, 

contrasts with the hooked beak of the 

double-crested cormorant.

Wading birds of Big Cypress National Preserve. Top (left to right) great blue heron, great egret 

and cattle egret. Bottom (left to right) snowy egret, little blue heron and tricolored heron.

Fish are common prey in the canal. 

Notice the water surface is often 

punctuated with fish predators like 

the anhinga (Anhinga anhinga) 

and the double-crested cormorant 

(Phalacrocorax auritus.) Both species 

fish by swimming, but catch prey using 

different adaptations. The anhinga uses 

its sharp pointed beak to spear fish, 

and may use tree limbs or rocks to free 

a fish reluctant to fall from the beak. 

With a toss into the air, the entire fish 

is swallowed head first. The anhinga 

regularly swims with only the head and 

neck visible, like a water snake, earning 

itself the nickname of “snakebird.” 

Both species take on water as they 

swim, allowing them to dive deeper. 

Cormorants catch fish in their beaks 

as they swim. When they take flight 

from the water, their appearance is that 

of a laden bomber struggling to gain 

altitude. Both anhingas and doublecrested cormorants often perch in the 

trees or along telephone lines with 

wings spread. This posture allows a 

combination of sun and wind to dry 

their wings and assists in removing 

water parasites.

Cormorants and anhingas are not 

alone in their search for prey. Wading 

birds also use the canals to hunt. As 

the name implies these birds are often 

found walking in water looking for 

food. One family, herons and egrets 

(pictured below), dominate the species 

seen along the canal.

The largest of these waders, the great 

blue heron (Ardea herodias), has a 

grayish-blue body with a distinctive 

black stripe over its eye. It stands at 

52” tall and uses this height to peer 

into the water to find fish, reptiles and 

amphibians. The great egret (Ardea 

alba) stands at 40” and has a white 

body, yellow beak, and dark legs. Like 

many in this family, they both rely on 

keen vision to spot prey. These two use 

their ability to stand immobile coupled 

with lightening fast reflexes to first 

spot, then catch prey. 

Cattle egrets (Bubulcus ibis) and snowy 

egrets (Egretta thula) are nearly half 

the height of the great egret, but share 

the same white plumage. The white 

may appear as lack of camouflage, but 

to prey they resemble a cloud in the 

sky. Cattle egrets have a yellow-orange 

bill and, unlike the larger members of 

the family they glean insects from the 

ground in open drier environments. 

The snowy egret seeks prey close to 

water and uses markedly yellow feet as 

“lures” to attract fish. 

Little blue herons (Egretta caerules)

exhibit the stand-and-wait foraging 

technique that the “greats” use. The 

image below displays the indicative 

blue legs, body, neck, head, and beak of 

this small heron. The tricolored heron 

(Egretta tricolor) is similar in size, but 

the contrasting plumage of a dark 

breast with a light belly and reddish 

neck divulges this heron’s identity. The 

tricolored heron is one of the most 

active foragers in this family. They 

prance and pirouette with one wing 

extended as they forage, performing a 

beautiful yet purposeful dance. Prey 

flushed from hiding are easy to catch.

(Continued on page 3)

Big Cypress: A Look Inside Page 2
Warming Up to Activity.

Wood stork (foreground) and immature 

white ibis resting in a slash pine tree.

American alligator having a snack (doublecrested cormorant) along the canal.

Red-bellied turtle basking in the sun’s rays.

Yellow tickseed (Coreopsis leavenworthiiI) 

highlights several prairies along the route.

Page 3 Big Cypress: A Look Inside

Getting the most from your bill doesn’t 

just apply to the dollar. As adults, the 

white ibis (Eudocimus albus) display a 

white body and brilliantly orange beak 

with a noticeable downward curve. 

The immatures have brown wings. 

These birds forage in the ground and 

water, using their beak like a needle of 

a sewing machine. Each stitch probes 

the ground, providing an opportunity 

to capture aquatic insects, crustaceans, 

small fish or amphibians.

The ibis need to touch their food 

before they eat it. This strategy also 

applies to the wood stork (Mycteria 

americana), a long-legged wading bird 

with a heavier body than most waders 

and a featherless head. It takes a wood 

stork 0.025 seconds to snap their bill 

shut once they have touched prey. 

Their active foraging creates a need to 

rest as the day wanes. 

Sun drenched days provide alligators, 

snakes, and turtles a time to rest and to 

warm after an active night. We fuel our 

internal furnace with food, but reptiles 

need to bask, using the sun for warmth. 

The American alligator (Alligator 

mississippiensis) is the most famous 

resident and adept predator along 

Turner River Road. They bask on 

the canal rims using a combination 

of sun and water to control their 

body temperature. As they warm, 

their activity may increase. Fish, 

small mammals, birds, reptiles, and 

even other alligators are food for this 

remarkable predator. During the dry 

season, eating occurs on average, once 

a week. As water and air temperatures 

shift, so may their eating habits. Allow 

alligators plenty of space. Please help 

keep wildlife wild by not feeding or 

harassing them. 

Another reptile, which often maintains 

its own safe distance, is the red-bellied 

turtle (Chrysemys nelsoni.) Contrary to 

what the name implies, the bellies are 

not always red; the back of the shell 

has red blotches. These turtles may be 

seen basking on rocks or resting at the 

surface of the water and will frequently 

jump into the water or dive if you 

approach. Red-bellied turtles eat some 

insects, but are largely herbivorous, 

feeding on aquatic plants.

Aquatic plant populations vary along 

the canal. As you approach the Upper 

Wagonwheel Road junction, you will 

discover these plants fill the canal. 

They concentrate along access roads 

into the Preserve. 

Windmill Tram Trail and Concho 

Billie are two of 15 locations where 

Off Road Vehicles (ORVs) may access 

the backcountry. Each access point 

is gated and a permit is required for 

travel. These restrictions help to ensure 

protection of the Preserve. 

Mile 7.1-10.1

Upper Wagonwheel Road, north of 

Concho Billie, marks the north side of 

the loop. As you turn west you follow 

a different canal with an abundance of 

aquatic plants as well as the presence 

of tall grasses like the common reed 

(Phragmites australis.) This grass is 

native to Florida and provides cover 

to wildlife. Stop a moment and listen. 

What do you hear? Bird calls are often 

heard before the birds are seen.

Common moorhens (Gallinula 

chloropus) forage in the grasses and at 

the surface of the water, feeding mostly 

on plants and some invertebrates. 

Look for a black body with a 

distinctive white stripe on the flank 

and red coloring above and circling 

the beak. The red is not indicative, for 

it may be found on another member 

of this family—the purple gallinule 

(Porphyrula martinica). A light blue 

spot above the red beak coupled with 

a purple-blue head, neck, breast, and 

belly identifies this bird. The gallinule 

eats seeds and plants, showing its 

bright yellow legs as it walks on top of 

aquatic vegetation.
Slash pines tower over a Cabbage Palm.

Australian pines are so dense they shade out 

any plants beneath them.

Beyond the Water

Cabbage palms rising out of the sawgrass.

The canal is only part of the beauty of 

this area. The sawgrass prairie borders 

the north side of the canal and the 

south side of the road. The prairie 

stretches for miles and offers habitat 

for a diversity of wildlife. Sawgrass 

(Cladium jamaicense), the dominate 

vegetation, has a spiny toothed leaf 

with edges like a saw blade. 

(Continued from page 3)

The sea of sawgrass gives rise to 

islands of palm trees. The cabbage 

palm (Sabal palmetto) towers over the 

grass reaching heights of eighty feet 

(27 meters.) This palm is the Florida 

state tree, an award well deserved. 

There are a number of uses for this 

tree. Humans eat hearts of palm, and 

American Indians harvest fronds for 

roof construction. The palm is not 

valued solely for its uses, as its beauty is 

appreciated by many. 

The beauty of the palms to the north 

is equaled by the splendor of the 

pinelands to the south. Slash pines 

(Pinus elliottii var. densa) reign as the 

native pine in Big Cypress National 

Preserve. The name slash is derived 

from the method of extracting resin 

from the trees by scoring or slashing to 

start the flow. This historic process was 

employed to extract resin for use in the 

production of turpentine. The resin 

continues to be extracted today but 

not by human hands. The beak of the 

red-cockaded woodpecker (picoides 

borealis), an endangered species, 

penetrates the bark to start resin flow. 

To protect young, they nest in live pine 

trees where resin flow creates a sticky 

situation for would-be predators of 

chicks. Pines provide homes for some 

and resting places for others.

Watch the skies for red-shouldered 

hawks (Buteo lineatus) soaring 

overhead. They use keen vision to 

locate small mammals, reptiles, and 

amphibians to eat. They perch in pines 

to feed and to rest.

Mile 10.1-16.4 Birdon Road

Upper Wagonwheel gives way to 

Birdon Road as you turn left and head 

south.

Mile 11

Take a moment and look to the 

west, and you may notice a small 

group of dense trees near the road. 

The Australian pine (Casuarina 

equisetifolia) is not a true pine nor a 

native to Florida. Historically planted 

as a windbreak, this non-native 

(exotic) is currently under control in 

the Preserve, but other species thrive 

in this sub-tropical environment, 

though they do not have a natural 

place. Some are invasive, competing 

aggressively with native species. These 

introductions, whether accidental or 

intentional, may damage the natural 

habitat of natives. By learning more 

about exotics you can help Preserve 

managers protect and promote a 

natural ecosystem. 

Mile 14.3 SWAMP Class Room

Big Cypress offers a variety of 

educational experiences including 

the Swamp Water and Me Program 

(SWAMP.) This program provides an 

opportunity for sixth grade students 

to discover and explore Big Cypress. 

The program uses a combination 

of classroom and outdoor activities 

to provide an understanding of the 

diversity of the swamp. 

Mile 16.4 Finish to Route 41

The end of Birdon Road brings you 

back to the Tamiami Trail (US 41) 

completing the scenic drive loop. If 

inspired to learn more or embark 

on another adventure, inquire at 

the Big Cypress Swamp Welcome 

Center located west of the Birdon 

Road/Tamiami Trail Junction about 

opportunities to see more. From 

December to April a series of programs 

are available to the public. Programs 

include swamp walks, canoe trips, 

hikes and talks. Please contact the 

Oasis Visitor Venter at (239) 695-1201 

or Welcome Center (239) 695-4758 for 

more information. 

Big Cypress is home to a diversity of 

residents. Today, as you traveled you 

looked through windows of willows 

and grasses into that home. Your 

experience is a special gift, for this 

place is unique. Respecting this home 

and its residents will provide Big 

Cypress and all who call it home the 

greatest gift of all — survival.

EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICATM BICY Turner River Loop Scenic Road FINAL.indd on HQs shareall, interp publications: 4,000 printed 5/2010, stored at Oasis and WC