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White sand path in scrub

Estero River Scrub

Skirting the edge of a tidal marsh alongside Estero Bay, the loop trails at Estero River Scrub are incredibly unique and a challenge to hike.

Estero Bay Preserve State Park  |  Estero
( 26.441980, -81.836218 )      5.0 miles

The Estero River Scrub trails at Estero Bay Preserve indeed protect some scrubby habitats, although much of the property can be very wet.

Three colored loop trails and one short linear trail provide access to an impressive variety of different ecosystems.

The orange loop and eastern portions of the yellow and red loops are seasonally flooded.

Adventurous hikers can delve into the tidally influenced western side for a literally immersive trek through mangrove laden salt marshes.

Expect soft mud, soggy footpaths, and swamp wading along this wild trek on the edge of the suburbs.

Watery trail among mangroves Trailside mile marker


Resources

Resources for exploring the area
50 Hikes in South Florida book cover South Florida Explorers Guide book cover Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover Hiking the Gulf Coast 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: Estero
Length: 5 miles
Trailhead: 26.441980, -81.836218
Addresses: 940 Broadway Ave W, Estero
Fees: $2 per vehicle
Restroom: At trailhead
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 239-992-0311
 
Open sunrise to sunset. Leashed dogs welcome. Expect mosquitos and prepare for them before you step out of the car. Trails may be muddy or entirely a wade, depending on tides.

Directions

 
From Interstate 75 in Estero, exit on Corkscrew Rd and head west for 2 miles before turning right onto S Tamiami Tr. In 0.7 mile, turn left onto Broadway West. Continue straight for 1.6 miles, turning right at a parking area marked with a State Park sign.

Hike

At the trailhead, a covered pavilion and picnic bench stand alongside an information kiosk with trail maps and details about the preserve.

Turn to the left to begin the hike, heading westward down a broad pathway speckled with tufts of grass and pine needles.

Pavilion in pines Covered picnic table at the trailhead


Orange painted metal poles mark the trail as it follows an access road to a junction with the Blue Trail at 0.3 mile.

Taking a detour here leads down a sugar sand laden, and occasionally flooded path for 0.2 mile to an outlook over the Estero River.

tidal river Estero River


From the trail intersection, yellow blazes continue to the west for a quarter mile, passing bright yellow seaside goldenrods and milkworts.

Reach a bench near the high tide mark. The water level at the bench will indicate how swampy the next mile of trail will likely be.

Bench in tannic water in front of mangroves Trail at high tide


Fiddler crabs scurry in every direction as you proceed into the squishy terrain of the tidal marsh.

Although markers are scarce in the marsh, the trail forms a very distinct narrow corridor cutting through densely clustered young mangroves and glasswort.

Red, white, and black mangroves thrive in the salty bayside habitat as well as salt-loving panicum and other grasses.

Hundreds of tubelike pneumatophores sprout from the muddy soils, allowing black mangroves to acquire oxygen in flooded conditions.

Continue straight at 1.9 miles, joining the Red Trail to the north as the Yellow Loop leads east towards the trailhead.

Mangroves with pneumatophores Mangroves with pneumatophores


In areas where the path through the mangroves widens, deep footprints in the mud evidence the direction of the trail as it heads northward.

Passing alongside and over a few sandy beaches, the trail enters a drier section at 2.3 miles, where cabbage palms stand at the edge of the estuary.

Fish and footprints under water Footprints in the mud


The trail weaves through a seasonally flooded palm forest dotted with slash pines for a half mile before climbing slightly into a mesic flatwoods habitat.

Red painted metal poles lead the way as the path reaches an edge of the property before circling to the south.

Grassy path in pine forest Pine flatwoods


An occasional trailside bench offers a resting spot as the route crosses wide swaths of healthy pine savannah carpeted with saw palmettos and tall golden grasses.

Small candyroot plants produce puffy lemon-yellow flowers alongside carnivorous sundew plants and showy blooms of rose gentian.

Pink flowers Largeflower Rose Gentian


At four miles, the Red Loop concludes where the Yellow Trail begins curving gradually east.

Crossing over a few patches of dry, scrubby flatwoods where gopher apple grows next to prickly pear cactus, the path reaches the trailhead after another mile.

Broad sand path in scrub Scrubby flatwoods


Trail Map

Estero River Scrub Trail Map


Explore More!

Learn more about Estero Bay Preserve State Park

Mangroves along a mud flat Estero Bay Preserve State Park An aquatic preserve, Estero Bay Preserve State Park has mangrove-rimmed flats beloved of flats fisherman and paddlers as well as two upland access points with extensive trails.

Video


Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Wall of mangroves Mound Key Archaeological State Park Launch your kayak from either Koreshan Historic State Park or Lovers Key State Park for a paddle into Estero Bay to see Mound Key, a significant Calusa archaeological site that is now its own state park.
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.
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.
Accessible walkway in pines and saw palmetto Wild Turkey Strand Preserve Historic and natural landscapes come together along impressively accessible trails at this picturesque conservation area on a WWII-era training base.

Trail Map (PDF) Official Website

Category: Day Hikes, Florida State Parks, Hikes, Loop Hikes, South Florida, Southwest Florida, Swamp Walks, TrailsTag: Birding, Estero, Florida State Parks, Fort Myers, Mangroves, Picnic, Wildlife Viewing

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Our recent park & trail updates in this region

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Telegraph Creek and Bob Janes Preserves

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Grassy path through palms and oaks

Hickory Swamp Preserve

Hickory Swamp Preserve
Forest of pines and palms with a grassy trail through it

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Alva Scrub Preserve
Path lined with cypress knees in cypress strand

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