- Big Cypress National Preserve Located in Ochopee, FL TRAVEL BASICS - CAMPING - LODGING ACTIVITIES - FACILITIES - FEES/PERMITS Wood Stork (NPS Photo) IN BRIEF The 729, 000 acre Big Cypress National Preserve was set aside in 1974 to ensure the preservation, conservation, and protection of the natural scenic, floral and faunal, and recreational values of the Big Cypress Watershed. The importance of ...www.nps.gov/bicy