April 7^th, 2026

This video is the short video of my  23.6 ride of Loop Road Scenic Drive in the Big Cypress National Preserve just off US Highway 41 with the eastern part of the road roughly 43 miles west of Miami, Florida. 

Loop Road Scenic Drive – Big Cypress National Preserve

The Loop Road Scenic Drive offers a raw, unfiltered journey into the heart of the Big Cypress National Preserve, stretching across a 24-mile transition from rugged gravel to paved road.

 As you navigate this detour off the Tamiami Trail, the landscape transforms into a prehistoric corridor of towering bald cypress trees draped in ghostly Spanish moss and vibrant air plants. The slow pace is mandatory, not just for the sake of your vehicle, but to spot the abundant wildlife that claims the roadside; it is common to see American Alligators basking on the banks, wood storks wading through the dark “blackwater” strands, and even the occasional elusive otter.

It is an immersive experience where the silence of the swamp is broken only by the chorus of cicadas and the splash of a rising gar, providing a stark, beautiful contrast to the manicured environments of nearby South Florida.

This road, scenery and observing the alligators was the highlight of this trip for me personally.

Continue reading →