Cedar Point Environmental Park

Protecting 115 acres along Lemon Bay, Cedar Point is Charlotte County’s flagship environmental park.

Adjoining Lemon Bay High School, the park was established in the mid-1990s for environmental education and conservation.

While foremost a preserve of coastal habitats, this is a gentle place for hikers of all ages and a great place to bring the kids.

The paths are natural surface and easy to follow

The trails are well marked with signage at intersections and benches at strategic points. Special points of interest are called out with interpretive signs unique to the preserve.

Guided hikes and seagrass wading adventures are offered on a regular basis to help visitors better understand the complexity of coastal habitats. Call ahead to sign up for one.

Cedar Point Environmental Center

Resources

South Florida Explorers Guide book cover

Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover

Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.

Overview

Location: Englewood
Length: 2.6 mile trail network
Trailhead: 26.9254, -82.3350
Address: 2300 Placida Road, Englewood
Fees: Free
Restroom: adjoining the nature center
Land manager: Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center
Phone: 941-475-0769

Trails open sunrise to sunset. Visitor center open Mon-Fri 8:30-4:30. No dogs permitted.

Certain trails may be closed seasonally to protect nesting eagles from disturbance.

Founded in 1987, this nonprofit organization is always looking for members and volunteers. Learn how you can help.

Directions

From US 41 in North Port, follow River Rd south to Englewood. Take Pine St south to SR 775, and soon after crossing SR 776, watch for the park entrance on the right. There are two parking areas: one just inside the preserve entrance and another near the environmental center.

Hike

The Conservancy Trail connects the front parking area with the environmental center parking area with a quarter mile loop through pine flatwoods.

We parked closer to the environmental center and started at the main kiosk for the preserve, where you can pick up a trail map.

The main kiosk, where maps are provided

Follow the “To Trails” sign to walk around the environmental center and turn right at the Tortoise Trail sign. A grassy corridor leads between the saw palmetto under the pines.

Walking through pine flatwoods to the Tortoise Trail

Reaching the next Tortoise Trail sign, turn right to walk a comfortable pine-needle strewn path through the coastal flatwoods.

Main trail junction with Cedar Point to the west

Mature slash pine forms the high canopy, while sand live oaks draped in Spanish moss knit a lower canopy providing shade.

Hiking under the oak canopy

Needlerush appears in low spots, signaling that water is near. Passing the Eagle Trail coming in from the left, you meet the loop in the Tortoise Trail after a quarter mile. Keep right.

Needlerush and mangroves tell you the coast is near

The trail curves behind a line of black and red mangroves. The red ones sport prop roots, while the black ones are surrounded by the tiny finger-like protrusions called pnuemataphores.

Finding a gap in the wall of mangroves

Stepping through a gap in the mangroves, stand on the shores of Lemon Bay. An oyster bed is visible when the tide is out.

An oyster bed in Lemon Bay. The bridge leads to Manasota Key.

A bench is nearby, along with a kiosk about oyster bars and a disposal for fishing line. Anglers are welcome to walk out here to cast a line.

Start of the Marsh Trail

To go deeper into the needlerush, turn right at the Marsh Trail sign. This short loop off the Tortoise Trail walks you through the marsh behind the mangroves.

Walking into the salt marsh

Here, the glossy forms of salt-loving plants like glasswort and saltwort stand out against the marl and sand. Fiddler crabs scurry away into their holes.

Glasswort looks like little jointed pipes up close

Rejoining the Tortoise Trail, follow it as it loops back around to the Eagle Trail. We weren’t surprised at all to find a gopher tortoise ambling down the trail in front of us.

This gopher tortoise was right along the Tortoise Trail

Turn right on the Eagle Trail. It starts out in a dense pine flatwoods but opens up when it reaches the linear Jeep Trail. Turn right.

Turn at the Eagle Trail sign

The Jeep Trail starts down towards Cedar Point at the end of the peninsula. A bench is strategically placed at the Bald Eagle interpretive sign.

Along the Eagle Trail

The tree with the eagles’ nest is straight ahead from the sign. However, we found a better perspective on it on our return from the point.

Watching for activity at the eagles’ nest

Walking out to Cedar Point, you are surrounded by needlerush and mangroves for a stretch. The landscape opens up to reveal cedars dotting the grassy peninsula.

Cedars grow on the coastal flats

A side trail leads right through the sea grapes to another perspective on Lemon Bay from a small bluff. Osprey hover overhead, waiting for the right moment to dive.

A bluff with a view of Lemon Bay

Look carefully at the bluff as you climb up it and you’ll see it is made up of compacted shells. This is a man-made bluff, a midden created by ancient people who once fished these waters for sustenance.

Fossilized shells spill out of this bluff, a clue it is a midden

The Mangrove Trail continues to the very end of the peninsula, where a short boardwalk leads to the point at 1.3 miles. Enjoy the view.

Looking out across Lemon Bay from Cedar Point

A picnic pavilion provides a place for a break, and another disposal for fishing line.

On the return, the transition from cedar flats to mangrove forest to pine flatwoods is more obvious as you walk up a gentle grade.

Along the Mangrove Trail

Stop again at the bald eagle interpretive sign. It takes a long lens or binoculars to see activity in the nest. From this perspective, however, you can tell how enormous the nest is.

The eagle nest at Cedar Point

It was here when the park first opened. Local naturalists date it to 1992. The eagles return every season.

Eagle tail feathers upper left in nest

After 1.6 miles, take the Big Pine Trail to make the return loop. It leads through cedar flats and saw palmetto before getting into the forest of tall slash pines.

Dense cabbage palms in the pine-palm flatwoods

Many of the mature pines of this region ended up in sawmills, so it’s a delight to see so many on this coastal preserve.

Big pines on the Big Pine Trail

Follow the Big Pine Trail to get back to the environmental center. If you parked at the front gate, use the Connector Trail to the Conservancy Trail to get there, adding another 0.4 mile to this 2.1 mile hike.