This park is located off of North State Rd 78. I saw a Florida heritage sign for it on the side of…read morethe road and decided to make a detour to investigate. This park is in the middle of nowhere in the heart of cattle country where the cows out number the people 10 to 1. You drive down a dirt road and come to a park. The park has picnic pavilions, a bathroom, and a small playground for kids. The real reason I wanted to visit the park is that it contains several ancient Calusa Indian mounds and canals that were once used as waterways for travel and transportation. The Calusa used wooden and shell tools to create waterways that were 20 feet wide and 3 to 4 feet deep and allowed them to travel from Lake Okeechobee and the Gulf of Mexico. The canals date to 1700 years ago (the same age approximately as the Miami Circle) and the site was first discovered in 1839. The park is named the Larry Luckey Ortona Indian Mound Park for the retired Glades County Property Appraiser who was instrumental in creating the park and preserving the area. He created the park paths and arranged to have the land cleared. He first asked the county commission to consider his plan in 1987 and the park was created in 1989. In addition to the Indian mounds there is a scrub habitat with wading birds, a hammock habitat, a grassy area, and Lake Wobegon. Every year the park is the site of the Ortona Cane Grinding Festival organized by Luckey and his wife Neva. The festival celebrates the early settlers' cultivation and the processing of sugarcane syrup. admission includes a chicken and pork lunch. The proceeds of the event go to the Glades County fire department where the couple is actively involved. I hope to get to the Sugar Cane Festival one day. On the day I visited the park was deserted. There is a kiosk with information on the Calusa Indians but when you try to take the boardwalk to the nature trails it is falling apart. The boardwalk is actually on top of mound. I tried to go further and ended up with several nasty scratched on my arm. It's a shame that the boardwalk has been allowed to fall apart. You can't access the nature trail if you can't cross the boardwalk. Many of the ancient mounds were carted away for road fill and others were lost when the Ortona cemetery was built. That is why it is so important to preserve what is left and it was disappointing to see the park let go this way. I hope the county gets it together and treats this park like the archaeological treasure it is.

A rare gem in the rural cattle & sugar fields of Glades County! This is a County Park managed as a…read morenatural area, full of Palms, Oaks & Pine with a scrub habitat beyond the central pavilion area. It also commemorates the ancient Ortona Native Americans who first inhabited this area 3,000 years ago and built extensive canals by-hand to connect with the Calhoosahatchee River several miles away, possibly even the Gulf Coast. Archaeological interpretive kiosk along path to the right of the cane grinder after entering. A great place for quiet serenity and viewing native upland plants under the trees. The County keeps this park natural and does not interfere with native vegetation. Rustic sheds adjacent to the entry pavilion area are used for local festivals and family events.

CREW is the acronym for the sixty thousand acre Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed. The CREW…read moreLand & Water Trust was established in 1989 as a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to purchase land, manage it, and offer public outreach. The CREW project includes parts of southern Lee and northern Collier Counties in southwest Florida. The Corkscrew Marsh, Bird Rookery Swamp, Flint Pen Strand, Camp Keais Strand, and the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary are all CREW lands. Fifty-five thousand acres of CREW land is in preservation and it provides flood protection, water filtration and important aquifer recharge. They would like to purchase even more land in order to preserve natural resources such as water and to offer protection for wildlife. I have been fortunate enough to explore several of the CREW properties and each is a treasure of native plants and animals and unspoiled wilderness. The CREW Cypress Dome Trails is also known as Gate 5. A cypress dome is a swamp that has mainly pond cypress and bald cypress trees. Tall trees are at the center with smaller trees at the edge which creates a dome effect. The moist environment is also ideal for other plants, shrubs, and trees. The dome removes carbon emissions and stores water, recharges the aquifer, and provides drinking water. In the dome you can expect to find flatwoods salamanders, white ibis, and wood storks. Be aware that black bears and panthers also live here. There are six miles of loop trails that traverse through pine flatwoods, oak hammocks, wet prairie, popash slough, and two cypress domes. Trails are flat grass and sand. The trail connects to the Caracara Prairie Preserve which is owned and maintained by Conservation Collier. A $3 cash donation is suggested for use of the trail. Trail maps are located at the trailhead along with one port-a-potty. Bring your own water.This trail allows horseback riding With a free special use license from South Florida Water Management. During my visit it was hunting season. Although I didn't hear any shots being fired all of the signs about it made me feel nervous. I went down the trail a way before becoming uncomfortable and deciding to head back. I don't know why they allow the shooting of migratory birds. I can't imagine flying 1,500 miles to Florida to get shot by a hunter. SMH. The only thing I want to shoot birds with is my camera. I'll be back after hunting season. Hopefully some birds will have survived the hunt.

This beautiful nature preserve is home to a variety of really cool native species (both plants and…read moreanimals) which makes for an adventurous hike! The camping site is also a calming space to practice yoga under the trees, which was a nice way to unwind from the long hike through the trails. I will definitely be coming back here. * Tip: hike barefoot, it feels great!! *

Well as long as looking at manatees IS NOT a goal, I recommend this place. We spent about 45…read moreminutes here hopeful to catch a glimpse, without success. They have lined the bottom of the viewing area with black plastic and the water looks very murky as a result. We saw a few fish leap out of the water, less than a dozen lizards VC and the top few inches of one alligator. Parking was $2 an hour and easy to pay with a C QR code. The bathrooms were clean and there is a cut gift shop with a nice variety of items. The walking trails were plenty close to nature while still feeling protected from the alligators. They had a few volunteers available to talk to as well.

quiet, nature-filled spot with walking trails, wildlife viewing, and access to the water. There's a…read moresmall entrance fee along with a nominal parking fee (about $1.50 per hour). The park's trails are short and easy to navigate, winding along shaded paths that take you along the water's edge. While we didn't spot any manatees on this visit, it was still a nice, relaxing stop. Instead, we saw plenty of rabbits, squirrels, and lizards along the way. There's also a small fishing dock where people were casting lines, and if you're looking for something a bit more adventurous, you can rent kayaks at a nearby location within the park. We stayed for about an hour, enjoying the sunshine and slow pace before heading out. It was the perfect low-key outing -- light activity, peaceful surroundings

The Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park is peaceful and tranquil place with lots of hiking…read more trails.The trails are muddy and wet most of the year however definitely worth a great outdoors experience. There were not slot of people our there so if you want hiking with out a lot of people this is the place. There are some dry trails all year that go around lakes with boardwalks , picnic areas and a nature center. Also on Tuesday and Friday they have native plants for sale. Amazing beautiful place.

We visited this nature preserve 2/11/22 while waiting for our plane to leave from the Punta Gorda…read moreAirport and saw turtles, armadillo and fish. No alligator sightings or feral hogs but others out there had recently seen both. This was a very nice hike on a beautiful day before we head home to 12 degree weather.

This is a park located in Palm Beach county, Lake Harbor, Florida. It's not a large park. In fact…read moreit kind of reminds me of a rest stop on steroids. Maybe because it's like a loop where you can enter at one end and exit at the other. A person could walk the entire length of the park in 30 minutes (or less). There are lots of big shade trees for their many picnic tables. There's a pavilion for large parties (call the number on the display board to reserve) with a small, fenced in playground next to it for the youngsters. There's also a full sized basketball court. Importantly, not far from the entrance there's a block building with restrooms. It's located adjacent to the Herbert Hoover Dike which encircles Lake Okeechobee and was built in response to the great Miami Hurricane of 1926 and the Okeechobee Hurricane of 1928 which killed thousands of people when the Lake breached a small simple earthen dike. It was designed for the purpose of flood control, water conservation, prevention of saltwater intrusion, and preservation of fish and wildlife populations. For the engineers or mechanically inclined, you'll find some old retired pumps on display, that you may find interesting. I enjoyed my brief visit as it gave me a chance to get off my bike and stretch after a long ride. Next time I think I'll walk up onto the dike. Park hours are sunrise to sunset. Dogs must be on a leash. It's worthy of a stop.

This beautiful huge park is located along the south edge of Lake Okeechobee and adjoins the Lake…read moreOkeechobee Scenic Trail. The park has a basketball court, access for kayaking or canoeing, a large multi-purpose field and several picnic areas with grills. There is a large playground that is suitable for ages 2 to 12. Lots of parking and lots of space. I had a good walk and a nice picnic that was socially distanced and included lots of fresh air. [Review 14812 overall, 314 of 2021, number 1302 in Florida.]

Opened in 2008, George Lestrange Preserve is named for Mr. George E. Lestrange (1912-1962) who was…read morean avid fisherman and nature lover. He used to own the land and his family sold it to the county. This site will connect several miles of proposed trail along Ten Mile Creek and the North Fork of the St. Lucie River. The 94 acre preserve is located at the end of an abandoned neighborhood building project, It has a 37 acre lake that was formed from an old sand mine. The area was restored by taking out exotic plants and replacing them with hundreds of slash pines and some palmetto. The lake has steep slopes and possible alligators so no wading or swimming is allowed. Boaters can launch canoes, kayaks, and boats with electric motors. If you are fishing the lake is catch and release only. Around the lake is a one mile hiking trail and there is at the north end of the preserve there is an additional one mile looping interpretive trail through makes a loop through pine flatwoods, palm hammocks, and floodplain forest. The preserve is home to ospreys and bald eagles. On my visit I saw rabbits, gopher tortoises, and a peacock. If you love nature and wildlife this is the perfect spot to feel removed from the stress of everyday life and experience the way Florida used to look.

This is the perfect quiet spot for nature lovers, fishermen, walkers or runners. There is a path…read morearound a lake that is about a mile. It is a catch and release lake. I've seen people kayaking and fishing. It is not very crowded... probably because it is a very tucked away place (around an abandoned neighborhood development and in the back corner of a seemingly residential road. There are natural trails also... but be sure to stay on the right path. No bathroom though.

We spent about two hours at Pepper Ranch Preserve enjoying the majestic display of Southeastern…read moreSunflowers. The preserve was open for a weekend in October to view the sunflowers. Once in the preserve the roads are not paved and can be muddy, I have a low car and there was one area I was a little nervous about, but we did not have any problems. We were given a map of the preserve at the entrance where we checked in and the pleasant worker suggested the best location to see the flowers. The preserve is open weekends November through May except when there is hunting. There are camping sites available. There are hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding trails. The preserve is quite a distance off Alligator Alley, but it was worth the time to get there. I would definitely return.

I lived in Immokalee for over 17 years and never visited this place. Of course, not sure how long…read moreit has been open to the public either, but for these special weekends, they open up an area where a species of wild sunflowers abound. You check in at the welcome center and it's completely FREE. You are given a map and allowed to drive your vehicle down the path. It's not paved and can get muddy if it has rained a lot, but it's worth the drive. You might see birds, snakes, alligators and cattle, but during a particular season you can see these beautiful flowers all over the place. If you are into nature, biking and hiking, then this is a place to visit. Get away from the hustle and bustle of city life and enjoy some country time.

I was walking this trail for years. I so loved it. Peaceful nature. Solitude, hardly ever saw…read morepeople. I would go many times a week. Now I cannot go anymore. After suffering a mild stroke at 76 I'm not yet able to go, especially alone as I always did. But still hopeful I might get back there. I've walked miles there, it's so peaceful and beautiful.

This trail area is a great spot to enjoy some nature right outside the city. All the pictures in…read morethis review were taken on a single 2-3 hour hike one morning/afternoon but on the Owahee canal trail, not Apoxee. I live right behind this trail, walking distance from my apartment (a rarity in this part of WPB) so I care about it quite a bit. There are certainly plenty of improvements that could be made. If you're not walking the Owahee canal trails on the outskirts, and trying to walk the actual Apoxee trail, it's almost always too flooded by rainfall to make it very far. There has been word of more elevated boardwalks for the trail, but no progress has been visible for a while. Still a great place for a nature hike in WPB.

The park itself is peaceful and scenic, with views stretching out over the water and plenty of…read morespace to relax. We walked along the beachfront, which is beautiful but a little unique compared to typical sandy beaches. This area is known as a shell beach, meaning the sand is mixed with lots of shells -- making it a great spot if you enjoy shell hunting, but just a heads-up if you're planning to walk barefoot. It was a nice way to slow down, take in the ocean views one last time, and enjoy the history and natural beauty of the island before heading back for the evening.

Best shell finding ever! Super fun spot for anyone who enjoys shell hunting. I'd recommend arriving…read moreto your beach spot early to avoid any traffic via bridges and to snag a parking spot! The unique shells I found were certainly worth an early morning!

Florida panthers are a subspecies of mountain lion and the only one to still exist in the eastern…read moreUnited States. They used to roam from Florida to Louisiana throughout the Gulf Coast states and Arkansas. Today they are only found in the southwestern tip of Florida in the Everglades and here in Big Cypress Preserve. They are usually solitary unless mating and eat white-tailed deer, feral hogs, raccoons, birds, and other medium-sized mammals and reptiles. Hunting has decimated their population and they were added to the endangered species list in 1973. Today there are only 120 to 130 panthers left in the wild and with so few left they are also susceptible to disease, genetic disorders, and car accidents. The land that is now the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge was once owned by the Collier family who were the largest land owners in Florida in the 1920's. They used the land for private hunting cattle grazing. In 1989, the US Fish & Wildlife Service purchased 24,300 acres from the Collier family for $10.3 million dollars to create the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, under the authority of the Endangered Species Act for the purpose of protecting the the Florida panther and its habitat. Another 2,000 acres were purchased from the Collier family in 1996 to expand the preserve. It is believed that 12 to 16 panthers currently roam the refuge along with black bears, bobcats, white-tailed deer, Big Cypress fox squirrels, alligators and wood storks. You can access the hiking trails through the Leslie M. Duncan Memorial Trails in the southwest corner of the preserve by taking the Everglades City exit off of Alligator Alley. The preserve backs I-75. This is one of those places that I have wanted to explore but never had the time. How fast things can change in two weeks. At the gravel parking lot there is a port a potty, a board with trail information and access to two trails, one a third mile and one that is one and a third mile. You are only allowed access to a small portion of the preserve in order to not disturb the panthers. Bring your own water. I read the U,S. Fish and Wildlife Service Service website regarding this trail before attempting it because it seems like it could be dangerous to hang out with panthers. According to them "Panthers are rarely seen on the refuge. I have since learned that panthers are most active at night, during the day the rest. However, if you do see a panther, follow these guidelines: *Keep children within sight and close to you. Pick up small children. *Give the panther space. Give them a way to escape. *Do not run. Stand and face the animal. *Avoid crouching or bending over. *Appear larger. Open your jacket.(it was pushing 90 degrees, I didn't have a jacket) *Throw stones, branches, or whatever you can reach without crouching or turning your back." I chose the one and a third mile trail. You can access it through a gate in a fence from opposite ends of the parking lot. There is one look out area with a bench on the trail which is very narrow on natural ground. The trail is cut out from Big Cypress Preserve and meanders through the refuge through tropical hardwood hammocks, acres of slash pine, and wet prairies. Over 700 species of plants have been recorded here including lobelia, tickseed and prairie milkweed. Rare orchids and bromeliads are also found here. At times the plants and trees were as tall as my head on either side of me as I walked the trail. I didn't come across any panthers and didn't see so much as a footprint. In fact the only creatures I saw were some grasshoppers, bees, and a vulture. The path is in full sun and some shade but I was very hot by the time I got done. If you are looking somewhere off the beaten track to explore than this would be a good choice. The hike is not difficult and you can social distance safely. Although I saw a couple of cars in the parking lot I never encountered anyone on the trail.

Nice little park. It's right off I75 at fl29. The preserve its much larger than your access to it…read more The area you can hike is two trails, one .3 miles and the other 1.3 miles. It's next to big cypress preserve, so expect plenty of muddy parts. In November there were still some blood sucking insects, but the hordes of mosquitoes were gone. The policy of national parks was not lost on Florida Panthers. They left only footprints! I saw two prints and they followed prints by a deer. The prints were clear and probably hours old. There are little lizards everywhere. The flowers were long gone at this time of year.