USFWS · National wildlife refuge · Florida

Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge

The Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System, located in southwestern Florida, twenty miles east of Naples, in the upper segment of the Fakahatchee Strand of the Big Cypress Swamp. It is north of I-75 and west of SR 29.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

National Wildlife Refuge26,423 acresUSFWSFL1 campground within 10 mi
Official page at U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ↗
4fires
active
Set Cpi-5 Rx 0910 (prescribed burn) · 23 mi from the center · 200 acres
3 more within 50 miles
Incident details ↓

Facts

Where each comes from ↓
DesignationNational Wildlife Refuge
Managed byU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
StateFlorida
Size26,423 acres (computed from the boundary polygon)
FWS regionRegion 4
Center point26.1915, -81.4050
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 11)

Boundary map

2 outlines

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 1 is within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

NPS · 4.7 mi
Gator Head Campground
Reservable9 sites

Most refuges do not allow overnight camping. The campgrounds listed are outside the refuge.

Fire nearby

Within 50 miles · as of 2026-09-17
  • Prescribed
    Set Cpi-5 Rx 0910

    23 mi from the center point · 200 acres

  • Prescribed
    Set Cpi-6 Rx 0904

    24 mi from the center point · 307 acres

  • Prescribed
    Set Cpi-5 Rx 0909

    24 mi from the center point · 81 acres

  • Wildfire
    H2

    41 mi from the center point · 631 acres · 90% contained

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Park System units within 30 miles · Park Atlas
National Preserve · 21 mi
Big Cypress National Preserve
National Register listings within 15 miles · 2 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge?

26,423 acres, measured from the published boundary polygon. The agency’s own figure can differ where the boundary includes water or inholdings.

Source: How acreage is computed

Who manages Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

What state is Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge in?

Florida.

Source: How states are assigned

Can I camp at Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Gator Head Campground, 4.7 miles out. 1 in all are within ten miles. Most refuges do not allow camping inside the refuge, so the campgrounds listed are outside it.

Source: Where to camp

How do I get to Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge?

A point inside the boundary is at 26.192, -81.405. Big Cypress National Preserve is 21 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Is there a fire near Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge right now?

4 active incidents within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Set Cpi-5 Rx 0910 at 23 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.

Source: Fire nearby

How dark is the night sky at Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 11 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge?

Big Cypress National Preserve (21 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge?

2 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Roberts Family Home/Main House and Bay City Walking Dredge.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name: the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service refuge boundary layer.
  • States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
  • Acreage: geodesic area of the published polygon. The agency’s official acreage can differ where the boundary includes water, easements or inholdings.
  • Description: Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.