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Cypress dome

CREW Cypress Dome Trails

On this 4.4 mile loop, experience an impressive array of habitats in Florida panther habitat – from sandy flatwoods to flooded cypress swamps – in the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed.

Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed  |  Estero
( 26.456468, -81.562205 )      4.4 miles

Spanning over 60,000 acres, the CREW project identifies the boundaries of the largest watershed in Southwest Florida. CREW is short for Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed, and over 54,000 acres of this biome are protected land.

Several agencies are involved in management, including the CREW Land and Water Trust, the Audubon Society, and the South Florida Water Management District.

The project focuses on providing a habitat for a multitude of native species, recharge of the aquifer, filtering impurities, and flood control.

Strangler fig Strangler fig clinging to oak along the trail


The CREW Cypress Dome Trails provide an extensive trail system, traversing diverse woodland ecosystems alongside an expansive marsh.

Wildlife flourishes in these quiet woodlands, a residence to black bears, alligators, and Florida panthers.

This loop hike provides the only access point to adjacent Caracara Prairie Preserve, a Collier County conservation property with its own 2.6 mile loop.

This property also has a drive-up primitive campsite reservable though the South Florida Water Management District.

Grassy trail in dense forest Grassy section of trail


Resources

Resources for exploring the area

South Florida Explorers Guide book cover Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover 50 Hikes in South Florida 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: Felda
Length: 4.4 mile loop
Trailhead: 26.456468, -81.562205
Address: 3980 Corkscrew Rd, Immokalee, FL 34142
Fees: Free, donations accepted
Restrooms: Portable restroom at trailhead
Land manager: South Florida Water Management District
Phone: 239-657-2253
Open one hour before sunrise and one hour after sunset.

Dogs are allowed on a leash. Expect wet feet for you and your dog.

Primitive camping is free, but you must reserve your campsite online in advance.

Cypress dome wade


Directions

 
From Interstate 75 in Estero, head east on Corkscrew Rd for 13.9 miles. The trailhead is located on the right side of the road.

Hike

Starting at the parking area, head through the gate and turn right onto the green trail, passing a group of benches at the trailhead.

In 0.2 mile, a large covered structure known as Jim’s Pavilion stands to the left of the trail near a sign indicating the direction of a primitive campsite.

Benches flanking sign about panther habitat Trailhead benches


Continue southward, following green blazes for 0.2 mile through a pine flatwoods habitat before making a left turn.

Cabbage palms and tall slash pines rise from a lush shrubby landscape of saw palmettos, sumac, and fetterbush lyonia.

Bench adjoining forest road in pine and palm woods Pine and palm flatwoods


At the south end of the property, the trail turns left to head eastward for 0.2 mile before reaching the edge of a majestic cypress dome, its namesake trees towering above the surrounding forest.

In another tenth of a mile, the path begins to follow an old canal filled with surprisingly clear water.

Cypress dome behind palms Cypress dome


Splashes of aquatic wildlife from the nearby canal blend with bird calls and the crunching leaves of occasional unseen mammal sneaking through the underbrush.

It is easy to imagine a Florida panther slowly creeping away from the trail to crouch in the bushes, hiding from an approaching hiker.

Grassy corridor in South Florida forest Canalside trail


In 0.3 mile, the Green Trail takes a sharp turn to the northwest. Continue following the canal, joining the White Trail as the surrounding jungle becomes thicker.

Pass the junction for the Red Loop of the Caracara Prairie Preserve on the right just after Marker 6.

Gaps in the thick foliage lining the canal reveal spotted gar floating close to the surface, and an occasional gator sunning on the grassy edge.

Alligator on water's edge Resident alligator


At 1.7 miles, a sign denotes the beginning of the Wild Coffee Trail, a fantastic trek through a dense subtropical jungle.

Oaks and cabbage palms form dense canopy over rich soils carpeted with ferns and wild coffee.

Giant air plants rest in nooks as strangler figs cling to trunks, slowly making their way towards the dappled sunlight above.

Wild Coffee Trail sign Start of the Wild Coffee Trail


As the trail turns west, the animal-tracked mud becomes thicker, reaching the edge of a pop ash slough at 2.2 miles.

Although this section of trail is likely flooded most of the year, it is well marked.

Giant leather fern foreground with popash in water Popash slough


White blazes lead though knee-deep tannic waters, while the abundance of trees provide handholds across the uneven terrain.

The inundated portion might be short depending on the time of year.

The trail ascends into pine flatwoods in 0.6 mile, shortly before reaching the Green Trail again. Turn right, following green blazes for 0.2 mile, then turn right onto the Yellow Trail loop.

Cypress and pop ash with white blazes Cypress slough


The Yellow Trail is a wide pathway cutting through pine flatwoods dotted with sporadic cabbage palms and oaks.

A blue-blazed shortcut bisects the trail as it leads towards the north end of the property.

The Yellow Trail curves southward through the pines and ends at the trailhead in another mile.

Grassy trail in pines Yellow Trail at Marker 14


Trail Map

CREW Cypress Dome Trails Map


Explore More!

More trails in the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed

Blaze post on prairie trail

CREW Marsh Trails

At CREW Marsh, a network of well-marked paths crisscrosses the northwestern tip of the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed, providing loops of up to 3.1 miles along a vast marsh.

Levee in Big Cypress Swamp

CREW Bird Rookery Swamp

Rich with wildlife, CREW Bird Rookery Swamp near Naples provides up to 12 miles of hiking/biking in Big Cypress habitats on tramways through a primordial swamp

boardwalk to big cypresses in Corkscrew

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Weaving beneath a canopy knit by old-growth cypress trees in a majestic swamp forest, the boardwalk at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is one of Florida’s best hikes

Red blaze post amid pines

CREW Flint Pen Strand

Just four miles east of Interstate 75, get your feet wet in one corner of the vast the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed on the trails of Flint Pen Strand.

Video


Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

LaBelle Nature Park bench

LaBelle Nature Park

Along a mile of interconnected footpaths at LaBelle Nature Park, walk a gentle half-mile loop with views of the Caloosahatchee River from a lush hammock

Caloosahatchee Regional Park

Caloosahatchee Regional Park

Providing a rare peek into unspoiled upland and floodplain habitats along the Caloosahatchee River, Caloosahatchee Regional Park evokes the wilderness in which the Calusa lived

Thomas Edison home

Edison & Ford Winter Estates

Tropical gardens from the 1920s grow lavishly around the historic winter homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers

Cross Trail junction in Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve

Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve

Winding 1.4 miles through the slough, the broad wheelchair-accessible boardwalk at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in Fort Myers leads you into a dark cypress strand

Trail Map (PDF) Reserve Campsite Official Website

Category: Day Hikes, Hikes, Loop Hikes, Natural Lands, Southwest Florida, Trails, Water Management AreasTag: Botanical, Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed, Dog-friendly, Estero, Fort Myers, Immokalee, Primitive Camping, Wildlife Viewing

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Our recent park & trail updates in this region

Red blaze post amid pines

CREW Flint Pen Strand

CREW Flint Pen Strand
Collier Seminole Hiking Trail

Collier-Seminole Hiking Trail

Collier-Seminole Hiking Trail
Collier Memorial at Collier-Seminole State Park

Collier-Seminole State Park

Collier-Seminole State Park
Shell path under live oaks

Phillippi Estate Park

Phillippi Estate Park

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