In this hammock, you enter a world inhabited by rare and tiny creatures—the colorful and endangered liguus tree snails of South Florida’s hammocks. You’ll likely enjoy spotting liguus snails on the trees— look for them grazing on algae on smooth-barked trees such as Spanish stopper and Jamaican dogwood. An outdoor classroom surrounds the remnants of a whiskey still circa 1881.
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Overview
Location: Pinecrest
Length: 0.25 mile
Lat-Long: 25.746467, -80.947850
Type: loop
Fees / Permits: none
Good for: botanical wonders, wildlife
Difficulty: easy to moderate
Bug factor: annoying
Restroom: None
Across the road, the Everglades Environmental Center is open to youth groups and educators for specialized environmental programs. .
Directions
From US 41 at the west end of the Miccosukee Reservation, turn south on Loop Rd and follow it through Pinecrest until you see the Everglades Environmental Center on the left. Park on the left; the trail starts across from the center on the north side of the road.
Hike Details
It’s a loop through a dense, dark tropical hammock, where the petite trees create a tunnel through which the trail passes. There are surface limestone outcrops along the trail, and sword ferns grow along the edge of a sluggish slough. A whisk fern perches in a strangler fig. It’s a short and easy walk, with yellow ropes delineating the footpath and lots of benches along the way. Walk slowly, so you can stop and spot snails on the smooth-barked tropical trees.
[...] Loop Road Education Center about seven miles west of the eastern entrance to Loop Road is the short Tree Snail Hammock Trail. It’s only a third of a mile long and it’s a jungly bramble. Hunting for the pretty tree snails [...]