If you are driving US 41 then give yourself an extra 2 hours and cruise loop road with your camera handy. It is a 24 mile dirt road and the only rest rooms are close to the Collier County end. There were bird species aplenty and even a few gators. The view goes from prairie to wetlands to swamp and back again.You can pull your car to the side in some areas to get a better photograph.There can be quite a few cars on the weekend.
We took a slow cruise down loop road and had a chance to see all kinds of wildlife, and almost no people. On the road about 90 minutes and saw only 3 other cars! Great photo ops as there are so few cars and you can stay on the asphalt safe and shoot the canals on both sides. Just a great drive to take, go slow and take your time.
Long gravel road, just glimpses into glades now and then to see anything. Otherwise foliage on both sides. We went to Everglades National Park first, that was great. One word on loop road boring!
A must if you want to see land in the raw: completely untouched and unspoilt by mankind. The quietness of life was just a joy. All you hear is the wildlife, and so much of it. The road is part dirt-track and part Tarmac and both are fine for car or cycle. Don't rush. Stop at every opening and you will find something. Plenty of gators, birds galore, turtles and snakes and magnificent air plants the size of a soccer ball, festooned with brilliant red and orange flowers. In 2.5 hrs, on a very warm sunny day In February, we saw 5 or 6 cars along the 24 mile loop so you just stop where you want. The trip left us wondering. Wondering why gators sit so still with egrets and storks feeding 12 inches away...why Eagles and vultures circe overhead, maybe waiting for an animal to expire, why turtles have extraordinary orange circle patterns on their home grown house. Take the children. They will learn more in half a day than a week in school and have memories to last a lifetime. Just the best and it is as God intended. Free for us all.
A great route to take if on your way to the West side of the national park. If you plan on visiting the South and don't have time, then you can skip it.
Excellent way to see birds in the Everglades without a tour guide. Majority of road is gravel but not a bad ride. Be prepared to stop often to view/photograph the birds near areas of water. My brother and me went early in the morning and finished up a couple hours later. We saw lots of beautiful birds and came away with great pictures. On the paved road portion you'll see lots of alligators on the north side of the road.
The loop is not a road for anyone in a hurry. It will take at least a couple of hours to travel the 24 miles of mostly gravel road. Freaquent stops are a must to catch the wildlife. Lots of birds, gators, fish, turtles, and snakes. Winter is the best time with low temps, no bugs, and docile reptiles. This is not the zoo so you have to be on he lookout and be careful not to get too close to the gators that often sit on the side of the road. We found most of the gators near the east end of the road. Be sure to catch the Big Cypress visitor center on the way back for a mini taste of what you just saw on the loop.
Interesting. We saw a couple of alligators and got a good close up view of the everglades (swamp and trees). Not as much to see in October. Was worthwhile.
Finally, after about three years of camping here, I am writing a review. This will be my 4th year camping at Mitchell's Landing on Loop Road/Big Cypress. This campsite is basically a piece of land, with a picnic table, and if you are lucky you will have a restroom near by. We usually call into the Oasis Center to reserve per night which is about $14 - $20 a night. We typically go in a group of 6 + and you are only allowed 2 vehicles per lot. Some lots are a little bigger than other and if you call ahead of time you can look at a map and reserve whichever lot you'd like. Every year we pick a different one, but I think we've finally found the one we like best. We always tend to meet some very nice people that are also camping. Many are road trippers or people like us, who like to get away for a weekend. We bring our tents, set them up, and just relax under the stars. BEWARE: the mosquitoes are HUGE! Lately, even during the winter they are still around. I would not recommend going camping here during the summer. If you plan a trip, try to plan it for late January - February. Those are probably the best months for some good weather and little mosquitoes. We try to plan it for the coldest weekend, but with this unpredictable weather, you just never know. The camp site is always very quiet since you are basically in the middle of no where. I know for a fact that we are always the last ones to go to bed, but other campers don't seem to mind since we try our best to keep it low. Aside from the camp site, Loop Road is a great spot to go biking or driving around. There are trails where you can hike or swamp walk tours. You can also go onto Tamiami Trail and visit Shark Valley or go on an air boat ride. It's a great place to bird watch, get some pics, videos and see the alligators.
Started on US 41 in Miami and went West. We got on the Loop road past the Shark Valley Visitor Center. The Loop road is not marked from 41. The ranger told us to turn when we saw the white cross and bear right. It took us to the Loop road.The road was paved and then turned to gravel but was in good shape. By far the majority of the alligators that we saw were in the east end of the road. The vegetation was not quite as thick, and it was sunnier. At the other end, the vegetation was so thick and dark that it was hard to see much off the road. There were also birds and turtles.There were few cars when we were there, and it was easy to stop and get out to look. Other people were doing the same thing. This was a great way to see nature and appreciate it. We had thought it would be a good thing to do if it rained, and it did rain near the end of the road. The only problem then was that we couldn't get out to take photos.Drive slow, stop along the way, and really look. You never know what you might see.