Riverbanks Adventure Forum

ATV Riding Family Fun in Big Cypress National Preserve, Fl

// May 30th, 2009 // ATV, Adventure Vacations, Big Cypress Swamp Florida, Camping

It was New Year’s Eve 2002 we decided to camp Big Cypress Swamp and take our kids out on their ATV’s.  This time of year is the dry season in Florida and the mosquitoes at their seasonal low which is considered normal activity in other parts of the United States.  The water in the swamps are also at their seasonal low and we were bound to get into less trouble.  We set up Camp on Lost Dog Prairie and immediately got busy looking for firewood. 

 A fire is a must out here. It is still the home of many wild animals including black bear, wild hogs, deer, rattlesnakes, and the endangered wild panther.  We sat around the fire sharing stories and anticipating tomorrows adventure of riding through the swamps.  

 Two of the younger kids had 90′s cc engines.  We let them ride around the Prairie but unfortunately they would not have enough power to take on the muddy areas.  After a hearty breakfast we packed our lunches and headed out. We had a Honda Foreman 450 4×4, 2 Honda 250′s, and one Polaris 500.

We had a great time riding!  We rode through water, we rode through mud, we got stuck, we got out…we got stuck again and could not get out.   

Luckily a local past time of riding through the swamp  with a   home -made   Swamp Buggy is still pretty popular. 

 

 

 

We watched a few swamp buggies pass by..too proud to ask for help..until we finally broke down and decided we weren’t getting the Polaris 500 out without some extra horse power.  We flagged down the next buggy and begged them to pull us out.  After hooking up the tow rope we were out in under a minute.  Nothing like a John Deere tractor engine on a homemade frame for heavy duty pulling!

After that we went back to camp to rest and get some dinner.  Hot Cajun sausage with homemade Seafood Gumbo hit the spot after a fun day of riding.  We rode back out on the prairie looking for firewood again to get us through the night.  After the sun went down we went out for a little night ride.  All the ATV’s had headlights.  At 12:00 AM we celebrated the New Year. ….by watching other camper’s fireworks and by sending off some of our own. 

The next morning  a storm was heading our way.  We had to get up and pack up camp quickly.  The rains came down just as we were pulling away.  A memorable time with some old friends and some new.  And family adventure we can talk about for a lifetime.

Big Cypress National Preserve Rules and Regulations for OHV use

About the Author: Barbara is the owner of  an on-line store Riverbanks  Outdoor Store for several years and has frequently engaged in outdoor sports for years including camping, mountain biking, whitewater rating, kayaking, snorkeling, and hiking.    Barbara also hosts a blog Riverbanks Adventure Forum that focuses on product reviews and adventure vacations.