Fort Myers and its surrounding coastal communities have a lot to offer to hikers, thanks to an aggressive natural lands program in Lee County that has protected large drainages into the estuaries along the coast as well as lands along the Caloosahatchee River and near the headwaters of the Big Cypress Swamp.
Babcock Ranch – Ecotour Trail
For a taste of the palmetto prairie that attracted ranchers to South Florida, head off the beaten path to explore Babcock Ranch on foot. At Babcock Wilderness Adventures – a popular ecotourism attraction east of Punta Gorda – the Ecotour Trail is a no-cost option to getting your feet wet on an exploration of wet [...]
Babcock Ranch – Footprints Trail
Mind the “Beware of Cows” sign as you enter this trail system in the heart of Babcock Ranch, where cattle roam free across thousands of acres of open prairie and cypress swamps east of Punta Gorda. These wet flatwoods drain into the Telegraph Swamp, a vast system of cypress sloughs and strands northeast of Fort [...]
Caloosahatchee Regional Park
To the northeast of Fort Myers, the 768-acre Caloosahatchee Regional Park – which was intended to become a state park – provides an outdoor escape along the Caloosahatchee River. The trail system, while a little tricky to follow in places, includes four short interconnecting trails that make up 3.4 miles of hiking. Bicycles are permitted [...]
Cayo Costa State Park
To spend a day or a weekend on your own deserted island…heaven. Cayo Costa State Park is one of the tougher and costlier state parks to get to, but well worth it. Solitude is guaranteed. The trail system meanders through the location of an old village and takes side trips out to the shoreline; you [...]
Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park – Alligator Creek
Showcasing the interface of freshwater and saltwater habitats along Charlotte Harbor, Alligator Creek Preserve in Punta Gorda is an outreach center and living laboratory of the Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center at Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park. Here, the stir of a salt breeze riffles across cypress domes close to the sea. Resources Overview Location: Punta [...]
Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park – Old Datsun Trail
Providing a different take on the uplands around Charlotte Harbor, the Old Datsun Trail at Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park meanders through an area once covered in vegetable farms – the historic Miles School of Practical Agriculture and Free School for Truckers, circa 1905. You’ll hardly believe it today, with the size of some of [...]
Ding Darling NWR – Bailey Tract
One of the lesser-known trails of Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge is at the Bailey Tract, separate from the other nature trails that are found along Wildlife Drive. This separate tract of the refuge is closer to the Gulf of Mexico and includes a series of impoundments that make for excellent early morning birding. Since [...]
Ding Darling NWR – Cross Dike Trail
Connecting Wildlife Drive and the Indigo Trail, the Cross Dike Trail at Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge is an easy paved walk along a dike between two impoundments. An observation deck provides a spot for birding along the mangrove-lined waters. Resources Overview Location: Sanibel Island Length: 0.3 mile Lat-Long: 26.461382,-82.1332 Type: round-trip Fees: National Wildlife [...]
Ding Darling NWR – Indigo Trail
One of the most popular birding sites in the entire National Wildlife Refuge System, Ding Darling NWR was established in 1945 thanks largely to efforts spearheaded by Sanibel Island resident and famed editorial cartoonist J.N. “Ding” Darling. Covering more than half of Sanibel Island, the refuge sees nearly a million visitors a year. Most drive [...]
Ding Darling NWR – Red Mangrove Overlook
The shortest walk in Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge is one you shouldn’t miss on your drive along Wildlife Drive. Pull off a mile into the refuge to head down to the Red Mangrove Overlook, where the boardwalk tunnels though the roots of the mangroves to emerge at a sweeping view of a shallow salt [...]
Ding Darling NWR – Shell Mound Trail
The last of the nature trails you’ll find while following Wildlife Drive through Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, the Shell Mound Trail provides a peek into the ancient history of Sanibel Island, with a boardwalk circling around mounds left behind by the Calusa who once populated these barrier islands. This 0.4-mile loop is entirely wheelchair [...]
Ding Darling NWR – Wulfert Keys Trail
Located along Wildlife Drive in Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, the Wulfert Keys Trail is a short walk along a canal to the edge of Hardworking Bay, named for the difficult work of the fisherman there who set their traps by hand in this bay off San Carlos Bay for crabbing. One of the northernmost [...]
Estero Scrub Preserve State Park
One of the tougher places to hike in Southwest Florida, Estero Scrub Preserve State Park, established in 1966 as Florida’s first aquatic preserve, has several loops through wet flatwoods and tidal marshes along the rim of Estero Bay. Much of the hike is in full sun, and portions can be very deep in water, no [...]
Four Mile Cove Eco Preserve
A forest of mangroves along the Caloosahatchee River, Four Mile Cove Eco Preserve is a rare find in Cape Coral, where most of the landscape has been developed (to the detriment of those little burrowing owls) over the past fifty years. Tucked right up against the Midpoint Memorial Bridge, this park provides a gateway for [...]
LaBelle Nature Park
Explore a lush hammock along the Caloosahatchee River at the LaBelle Nature Park, a quiet passive park in the city of LaBelle. Interpretive signs present information about the trees and plants that grow beneath the shade of the bromeliad-draped live oaks and tall cabbage palms, and there are benches to perch on to watch the [...]
Lovers Key State Park – Black Island Trail
Lovers Key State Park is a favorite place for beachcombers thanks to the broad, sunny strand on the Gulf of Mexico and its excellent shelling. But for a bit of adventure, head to the north end of the island to explore the Black Island Trail. Shared with mountain bikers, the The trail system at Black [...]
Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve
Humidity crept into the still morning air, coloring the swamp with a mild haze. Standing behind his medium-format camera, the photographer watched and waited, waited and watched. A green heron appeared, fluttering down to the edge of the flag pond. Quick! The photographer takes several frames, and moves on. There are plenty of subjects to [...]
