Nested within the longer and more wild Panther Trail, the Leslie M. Duncan Memorial Trail honors one of the early volunteers who helped make this refuge a reality.
Part of a contiguous whole of conservation lands within the rain-fed Big Cypress Swamp, the refuge is largely off-limits to the public.
Blue markers lead the wayBut a pair of trails near Interstate 75 provide a peek into what’s being preserved for the Florida panther and other key species that call these ecosystems home.
Hardened with limestone, this 0.4 mile loop is easy to follow and accessible with assistance depending on water levels.
Limestone pathResources
Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.
Overview
Location: Immokalee
Length: 0.4 mile loop
Trailhead: 26.16173, -81.34627
Address: 12085 SR 29, Immokalee
Fees: Free
Restroom: Privy at trailhead
Land manager: US Fish & Wildlife Service
Phone: 239-657-8001
Open sunrise to sunset. No pets permitted. If the gates along SR 29 are locked, the refuge is closed for land management activities.
The Leslie Duncan Memorial Trail has a hard packed limestone surface and may be accessible with assistance depending on water levels.
It is unlikely you will see a panther, but for your children’s safety, carry small ones along this trail and keep older ones close.
Do not run if you see a panther. Do not turn your back but give it space to leave.
Directions
From Interstate 75 exit 80 east of Naples, take SR 29 north. The refuge entrance is immediately on the left. Follow the limerock road to the parking area within the gates.
Hike
At the trailhead, a tall fence and gate are behind the kiosk. Close the gate behind you, as the fence is to help keep the panthers in.
All along Interstate 75 and SR 29, tall fences topped with barbed wire discourage these felines from climbing out to cross roads, where they are likely to be killed by vehicles.
TrailheadKeep right at the loop junction, pausing to look at the interpretive marker.
Towering slash pines shade a verdant understory. Limestone outcroppings belie how close the bedrock is to the surface.
Broad path with interpretive markerThese Everglades habitats–for the Big Cypress Swamp makes up the Western Everglades–sit atop vast slabs of porous limestone.
They are etched by rainwater as it picks up natural acids from oak leaves to form a flat karst landscape punctured by solution holes.
Corridor of palmsThe trail winds through stands of cabbage palms and water and laurel oaks. An open area is visible through glimpses through the understory.
It’s a broad, flat prairie where ponds may appear in the wet season. A boardwalk leads to an overlook.
Boardwalk to overlookTurning away from the prairie and deeper into the tropical hammock, notice tiny bromeliads clinging to slender twigs.
Reach the junction with the Panther Trail, marked with red arrows, at 0.3 mile.
Trail junctionGoldfoot ferns cascade from the trunk of a cabbage palm, while long thin ribbons of shoelace fern hang in dark green.
Pass a pond surrounded by limestone boulders, a deep solution hole within the rock. Returning to the loop junction, exit to the right.
Prairie at the overlookTrail Map
Explore More!
Learn more about Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge
Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge Explore the habitat of Florida's apex predator on a pair of short hiking trails in one small corner of the vast territory that the endangered Florida panther roams.Slideshow
See our photos from the refuge
Nearby Adventures
Panther Trail Tunnel through verdant tropical forests and wade across open prairies on the Panther Trail, a 1.3 mile natural surface circuit through Florida panther territory at Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge.
Dr. Robert H Gore III Preserve In a lesser-known corner of the Big Cypress Swamp, Dr. Robert H Gore III Preserve immerses hikers in truly wild South Florida landscapes on its nature trails.
Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk Discover fresh perspectives on the abundance of tropical habitats at Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park on the newly reconfigured Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk.
Ten Thousand Islands Marsh Trail On the Marsh Trail, immerse yourself in the mangrove maze of the Ten Thousand Islands on a trail that takes you to places you'd normally only see from a boat. 
- Hal Scott Yellow Trail - November 3, 2026
- Hal Scott Preserve - October 28, 2026
- Tradewinds Park - October 27, 2026