Protecting over 66 acres of sensitive ecosystems in the Orange River watershed, Hickory Swamp Preserve is a work in progress.
Purchased by Lee County in 1999, the land has undergone invasive plant management and prescribed burns to encourage growth of natural plant communities.
A loop trail traverses the preserve, crossing though a variety of habitats from mesic hammocks to scrubby flatwoods.
Blaze posts are tipped orangeResources
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Overview
Length: 1.2 mile loop
Trailhead: 26.667795, -81.737048
Address: 13320 Peace Road, Fort Myers
Fees: Free
Restrooms: No
Land manager: Lee County
Phone: 239-839-5862
Open sunrise to sunset. No pets allowed. Active cattle grazing on property.
Directions
Exit Interstate 75 at SR 80 east of downtown Fort Myers. Drive east, taking the first right east of the interstate at Orange River Blvd. In 0.2 mile, turn left to stay on Orange River Blvd, continuing for 3.3 miles before turning right onto Higginbotham Rd. Make a left at Peace Rd in a half mile, and the preserve entrance will be on the right after 0.4 mile.
Hike
Starting at the trailhead, walk through a spring-loaded gate and look for an orange blazed metal post in the center of a wide clearing.
Follow the trail markers across this open space, entering a shaded mesic hammock on the opposite side.
TrailheadA thick canopy of cabbage palms and stately live oaks provide cover for ferns and wild coffee, while countless air plants thrive on long, heavy limbs stretching over the trail.
Dried palm fronds lay across damp soils, crunching underfoot as the path leads through a subtropical jungle before emerging into a cattle pasture.
Oak and palm hammockMetal posts lead the way along the edge of a field where prickly pears and paw paws flourish in abundant sunlight.
Carpets of grass give way to patches of white sand as the land becomes noticeably drier, reaching a scrubby flatwoods habitat at the southeast corner of the property.
Prickly pear pollinatorTurning to follow a fence line for a short distance, the path then curves through a mesic flatwoods community of mixed pine, oak, saw palmetto and wax myrtles.
Continue along a corridor dotted with beautyberry bushes before the trail opens again to the cattle pasture at one mile.
Mixed flatwoodsThe preserve allows cattle grazing, so it is not uncommon to see cows in these open areas.
Although caution is advised, these large animals typically run away when they spot hikers approaching.
Downed palms and oak trees provide natural seats to take a rest under ample shade at the edge of the pasture.
Grazing cattleBroad palm fronds flank the trail as it winds northward through a dense palm hammock.
Pass a large cypress tree hidden among the lush greenery. In a tenth of a mile, the loop concludes at the trailhead.
Palm hammockTrail Map
Explore More!
Video
Nearby Adventures
More worth exploring while you’re in this area.
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.
Hickey Creek Mitigation Park Walk along a blackwater stream that sluggishly seeps towards the Caloosahatchee River on the way to a panorama of pines and palmettos along Hickey Creek.
Alva Scrub Preserve A winding loop across seasonally flooded flatwoods, the multi-use at Alva Scrub Preserve provides excellent birding in a rural setting near the Caloosahatchee River. 
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.
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