With pitcher plant bogs and a bayhead boardwalk, this short loop is ideal for kids

At Cary State Forest, you have the opportunity for a highly accessible, close-up look at carnivorous pitcher plants in the wild. While the 3,413-acre forest has dozens of miles of multi-use trails and is popular with local equestrians, the 1.4-mile Cary Nature Trail is hiking only, a great short walk for kids and persons of limited mobility. It’s also part of the Florida State Forests Trailwalker program, allowing you to accrue credit towards your Trailwalker levels.

The trail starts just across Pavilion Road at the “Teaching Pavilion and Nature Trail” sign, following the powder blue blazes into the pine flatwoods. You quickly come up to a clearing with the S. Bryan Jennings Environmental Education Center, picnic tables, and restrooms. Cross the jeep track and walk under the power lines to reach the “Nature Trail” sign. Follow the path into the forest. The trail is broad enough for three people to walk abreast, and well-graded. The habitat shifts, becoming damper, as loblolly bay and red maples fill the forest. Star-shaped marsh pinks display their pale pink blossoms. Orange wild bachelor’s button pokes up from the grassy forest floor.