5 Stars for Captain's Steve's Swamp Buggy! My family arranged a private afternoon tour with Captain Steve's. Captain Steve's cousin, Tim was our driver and he was great. We saw gators, snakes, birds, and enough flora and fauna to last a lifetime. We enjoyed learning about the Everglades and its diverse eco system. Tim was as friendly as could be and we enjoyed hearing his tales of growing up in the area. Don't miss this adventure on your next visit to the area as it does not disappoint! Thanks Steve and Tim! read more

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Captain Steve is the king of the swamp! As a swamp person his love for nature and spreading education is contagious and awesome. This dude is the real deal and my new bud! read more

Im only giving 5 stars because I can't leave a 6 star. It was great. We are on spring break in the everglades for a week. Honestly it has been the highlight of the trip. Big cypress is beautiful and Steve's is the best way to see it. All the low reviews I've read are based on conditions beyond his control. Don't spend your time or money anywhere else. Book the 4 hour tour. We can't wait to go back and that's an honest review read more

What an incredible half day spent with Captian Adam in Big Cypress National Preserve. This was a birthday present from my husband and it was one of his best yet. We learned so many interesting things about the history and vegetation of the area. My husband, who also grew up in the area, and Adam had the best stories of running around as kids here. I would recommend this to everyone who wants a taste of the real Florida. Thanks Captian Adam for a extra fancy day! read more

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We were a party of six taking the tour with Ralph and it was great. He is very nice and knowledgeable. We learned a great variety of information and fun facts about everything in Big Cypress National Preserve. Captain Steve was phenomenal over the phone. Check out his website, you may find a good deal. Highly recommended! Tip: There are no bathrooms, but plenty of bushes where you can hide; so be prepared. read more

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if I could leave a ZERO, I would. The buggy broke down and he stated he would refund our money then he refused!! He asked if we all wanted to crowd with another group on to another buggy that was made for 5 or 6 people plus the 4 with my group, there was NO way for 4 hours we would do that. Then he responded to me by email and was rude ... do NOT take this tour , go to WOOTENs you will not be disappointed! I called him a few times also and he never called back. read more

My wife and I are retired Seniors who have often vacationed in the Sunshine State. We had driven through the Everglades, via County Road 94, better known as Loop Road Scenic Drive, a quiet dirt byway off of the Tamiami Trail. Intrigued by the vast dwarf cypress forest, pine forests and hardwood hammocks, we planned to come back for an extensive guided tour of the area, seeking a little more than the typical Florida road side attraction. We left Pine Ridge Road in Naples for an Everglades adventure traveling 48 miles inland, before finding Captain Steve and his swamp buggies on Turner River Road deep in the Big Cypress National Preserve. Steve is a sixth generation Glades-man (family has been living in the Everglades since the 1870s) who loves the Big Cypress National Preserve, the largest subtropical swamp in the United States. Steve's great grandfather (Captain Charlie Boggess) was the first to operate a tour in the Everglades National Park. Captain Steve's Swamp Buggy Adventure is motored by a six-person, all-terrain vehicle outfitted with tractor tires and an elevated viewing platform. We visited in late January, just after a frost advisory. Big Cypress was calm, peaceful, and untroubled; a little glimpse of what Heaven on earth might look like. Captain Steve is a physically big man, cheerful, charismatic and a natural story-teller. He is definitely someone to have lunch with and socialize for an afternoon. Steve explained to us that he would stop anytime for photo opportunities or quickly jumping off the buggy to amble around and more closely observe any unusual aspect of a particular habitat. Captain Steve not only shared wonderful experiences, but made sure that we had bug spray, sun block and binoculars. Steve began the tour by explaining that although Florida is experiencing tremendous population growth and urban development, Big Cypress remains a wilderness, inhospitable and mysterious, the domain of countless creatures of both tooth and claw. The exotic waterscape features a delicate landscape with open grassy vistas, pinelands and dense islands of hardwoods. The swamp is a rich and varied biological preserve. Early in the tour our guide pointed out some cut timber remaining from the days of logging cypress. When the timber industry began to operate in the area, it built railroads and cut and hauled out most of the cypress ecosystem's old growth trees. The Lee Cypress Railroad, built in the 1920s, transported cypress trees for more than 40 years, ending sometime in the 1950s. We came across a large tree that exhibited deformed growth and a distinctive bend in a vertical plane. Steve identified it as a directional tree or marker tree. Historically, these unique trees were commonly known as Indian Trail Trees. Proponents of trail tree lore claim these unique forms were modified by Native Americans and used to mark trails, river crossings or important locations. Steve briefed us on the fascinating wading birds of the Big Cypress. The Great Blue Heron, Green Heron, the Great Egret, Snowy Egret and White Ibis are the most commonly spotted birds in the swamp. One other bird that captured our attention was the prehistoric looking Anhinga, present here in large numbers. Of all the reptiles living in the preserve the American alligator is the most popular. This large reptile is commonly seen during the winter dry seasons when water is scarce. However, this has been a wet winter and we did observe an eleven-footer basking in the canal and some baby gators near a gator cave. Steve informed us that Big Cypress is home to 35 species of mammals, the most popular being the Florida panther which is on the endangered species list, black bear and manatee. Male panthers can weigh up to 160 pounds and are strictly carnivores, with white-tailed deer and feral hogs making up most of their diet. The panther was listed as endangered in 1967 and is protected under federal and state laws. Black bear males can weigh up to 450 pounds and are omnivores. Their diet consists of plants, insects, and scavenged meat. Manatees are aquatic mammals with elongated bodies. They have a rounded nose, two front flippers for steering and a large, paddle-like tail to propel itself through the water. Adult manatees are around 9-10 feet in length and females can weigh an average of 1,000 lbs. The swamp buggy adventure is not, generally speaking, an animal safari. It is more an in-depth look at the Big Cypress habitats spectacular scenery. The tour would be an introduction into this fascinating habitation. Steve addressed each habitat (cypress swamps, pinelands, prairies, hardwood hammocks and estuaries) as we motored through them. The swamp is an everchanging environment that experiences dramatically fluctuating water levels. The casual drive through this pristine otherworld enriched our bond with nature and assisted us to better understand the unique and sometimes misunderstood ecosystem. read more

Captain Steve's Swamp Buggy Adventures - Mark and Captain Steve somewhere in the Big Cypress hinterlands. - Tours Near Me

First let me say that Captain Adam who ended up driving the buggy was great no problems there. But I want people to be aware that Captain Steve is THE rudest person, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say maybe he was having a bad day idk. But when I called to say that my son and his 6 friends were on their way (which I booked a week prior with him on the phone) he was caught off guard said I should have received a text the night before to call him...no text was sent but tried to make it my fault that he didn't remember. When my son needed help finding his place my son called him and Captain Steve yelled at him and said if you are late too bad for you then hung up on him. He was very personable on the phone a week before when I was booking a reservation but obviously doesn't handle stress well. I hope he will read this and hopefully react differently to his paying customers if a problem should arise. read more

I booked an 8 hour private swamp buggy tour last February and to date have only experienced 4 of the hours I paid for. Our guide was unable to take us on the 8 hour tour due to prior commitments and when I brought it to Captain Steve's attention, he assured me that I could complete my trip at a later time. During our last conversation, I told Captain Steve that I'd be in the Everglades over Thanksgiving and he assured me that I'd receive the remainder of my trip then. I called him as he'd requested and received no response. Needless to say an otherwise 5 star rating has been reduced to 1 half shining star. read more

Adam was our Guide and frankly who saved the day. One person in our party couldn't find the venue & because there was no cell or gps signal drove away far enough to call Capt Steve who seemed very annoyed with her. The Good Ol' Captain was committed to be our Guide & was a no show. He sent Adam in his place. Upon arrival the Buggy engine died & it took quite a while, Adam's crafty mechanics & help from our Group to get it started. Not how you want to start a tour.... The Everglades are beautiful, a Swamp Buggy Tour provides access to otherwise unreachable areas & our Group would do it again. I left feeling that the Hype for this Outfitter was outdated for lack of attention like his vehicles. We enjoyed ourselves, Adam was knowledgeable about the area, it's a specific cut out trail up & back shared by all of them. We took the afternoon tour, the Sunset was beyond majestic & heading back in the dark added to our experience. We got a late start so Adam was considerate & extended our experience. The 1 working headlight gave out too by the way so part of the return was in the pitch of night by moonlight... Adam 5 Stars, but we're not Reviewing Adam, albeit he's the only justification to give the Outfitter even 3 Stars.... We'll try a different Co if there's a next time. read more

Captain Steve's swamp buggy adventure is very fun and entertaining. You get to see wildlife and it's natural habitat and Captain Steve gives a great tour. Had a great time in the four hours we spent there. Would definitely recommend to other people for a great South Florida adventure. read more

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It was a beautiful tour because well nature is a beautiful thing and so is Capt. Steve buttttt I felt like it was a waste of money and time for us since we have been on MANY buggy rides. I could have gone up the road and rode one for much cheaper. I paid for a NIGHT python hunt that he advertised on his Facebook. I called the day before and he forgot about us so thankfully I called. He then told me to call at 6pm the day we go out at 9pm. I called and he told me that we should go in the morning at 9am to have better luck of seeing pythons or any wildlife. I told him we had a day planned in Naples (that we didn't get to do at all because of this) so we didn't really want to do that but he insisted there would be more wildlife. We saw ONE bird and a bunny. I also thought I was getting a private tour and pulled up with two people I didn't know in the buggy and had to sit separately from my man. I had another couple planning on coming so good thing they canceled last minute or else they would not have had a seat. The worse part of the tour was him talking about how much more we would have seen at night that we paid for but did not get to do. If we would have known this was going to happen we would not have booked with him. Don't do a tour in the middle of the heat if you want to see wildlife. I wish I could have left a better review but we literally planned our trip around this and didn't see or do anything we were promised. read more

Look it was ok but waaaaay too long. 100 bucks per adult was too expensive. It would've been better in a 2 hour format. Really boring after that. read more

AMAZING trip with Shane!!!!! He was very knowledgeable and made the entire trip entertaining. It was a great way to explore Big Cypress and the Everglades. Thank you Shane and Captain Steve!!!! read more

Captain Steve and his family have been in the swamps since the 1800s, so they know the area better than anyone else in town. Steve's second cousin Keith was our expert tour guide and showed us classic southern hospitality in the swamps. He taught us all about the flora and fauna of the everglades and the ins and outs of swamp life. Our 4 hour journey into the Big Cyprus National Preserve was full of fun and adventure. Keith offered us the flexibility to spend time where we wanted and really enjoy the out of doors. The tour progressed at our own pace, and we even got to get behind the wheel of the swamp buggy ourselves! We saw white tailed deer, wood storks, a variety of hawks and herons, and heard tell of black bears and florida panthers in the area, but didn't get to see any on our outing. Even so, it was a grand adventure. Keith was a pleasure and even showed us around historic Everglades City after the tour was over. I highly recommend touring with Captain Steve if you love the outdoors, good company, and non-traditional transportation. Warning: You will get wet. And don't feed the gators. read more

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Horrible. Saw two deer on a three hour trip. Should have told us was slow i.e. Dead season for viewing wildlife. Instead took out money and wasted an entire day with an uncomfortable three hour drive through scrub. Don't go without asking what you will be seeing that day. read more

Captain Steve provides the adventure of a lifetime. Ride in a handcrafted swamp buggy deep into the heart of the Everglades. See sights that most people only see in photographs and enjoy nature in it's purest splendor. Captain Steve will tailor your trip to your wishes. Morning ride, afternoon or even a cookout if you desire. Captain Steve and his other guides are well versed in the flora, fauna and history of the Everglades and can field any questions you may have with ease. read more