"Maps of the BURNS LAKE and MONROE STATION, NE quadrangle are not just regular topographic maps, but orthophoto maps, color-enhanced photographic images of the terrain. Those accustomed to regular topo maps with lots of contour lines may be unnerved the first time they see an orthophoto map of Big Cypress.

But once you learn how to read an orthophoto map, it can be mighty useful. It can help you distinguish areas of cypress trees (depicted in light blue), prairies (depicted in light brown), and pinelands (depicted in green). This distinction is important because cypress trees mean water and flooded ground, prairies are soggy, grassy open areas usually easy to traverse, and pinelands are places of relatively high ground, but often cluttered with thick clumps of saw palmettos, which are hard to walk through. (Rattlesnakes like to take refuge in palmettos, so it's not a good idea to tromp through them with reckless abandon.) Big Cypress National Preserve, like a lot of Florida, is flat with no prominent terrain contours such as hills or valleys. But plant life can help you locate your position on the terrain. Use the great, grassy prairies, the cypress domes and strands, and the pinelands (all depicted on the orthophoto maps) to figure out where you are. “

http://www.floridaadventuring.com/big-cypress-national-preserve.html


Local knowledge, local maps: maybe pricey. Being prepared and equipped: priceless?