It’s a short, easy walk at Pelican Island to celebrate the reason that Teddy Roosevelt created the National Wildlife Refuge system back in 1903.

Pelican Island isn’t just a National Wildlife Refuge, it’s the National Wildlife Refuge that started the whole concept going, back in 1903. Even further back, in 1858, the small island in the Indian River Lagoon – offshore from where the refuge access is today – was documented as a brown pelican breeding ground.

On March 14, 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt signed an order to designate Pelican Island as the first Federal bird reservation, the first time ever the government set aside land for wildlife. The National Wildlife Refuge system evolved out of this act, as did our National Parks and National Forests. On March 14, 2003, the Centennial Trail was the centerpiece of a nationwide celebration of the National Wildlife Refuge system. The ¾ mile Centennial Trail is the shortest and easiest of the three trails at the refuge, and it’s also wheelchair accessible – paved or boardwalk its entire length.

Two other trails within the refuge are available for walking around the mangrove-lined impoundments – Bird’s Impoundment Trail and Pete’s Impoundment Trail. Each is a 2.5 mile loop with little shade but plenty of birding opportunities.

Guidebooks
Hiker's Guide to the Sunshine State
South Florida: An Explorer's Guide