Named after an environmental advocate who fought for wildlife conservation for decades in Southwest Florida, Nancy Payton Preserve protects nearly 70 acres of upland habitats.
Florida panthers have been spotted at the property, along with several other threatened and endangered species.
A pair of trails wind through the north and south sections, offering a variety of opportunities to explore the preserve.
Misty morningResources
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Overview
Location: Naples
Length: 1.9 miles
Trailhead: 26.192222, -81.670889
Address: 1540 Blue Sage Drive, Naples, 34117
Fees: Free
Restrooms: None
Land manager: Collier County
Phone: 239-252-2331
Open sunrise to sunset. Leashed dogs welcome.
Directions
From Interstate 75 in Naples, exit onto Pine Ridge Rd and head straight east for 5 miles. The road turns south at 23rd St SW. In another 1.9 miles turn right onto Keane Ave and continue straight in 0.1 mile when it becomes Brantley Blvd. Turn right onto Blue Sage Dr in a mile. Follow a one-lane dirt road alongside a canal for a half mile to the parking area for the preserve.
Hike
Beginning the hike at a charming kiosk with a built-in bench, proceed through an opening in the trees, passing between bars meant to keep all terrain vehicles off the trails.
A sandy corridor leads eastward along a narrow easement, allowing access to the rest of the preserve.
Trailhead kioskA lush jungle of tall bracken ferns and palmettos line the trail for a short distance before leading into an open flatwoods environment.
Turn left at the first junction, beginning the Blue Loop along a wide pathway strewn with pine needles.
Tall bracken fernsThe trail follows a straight path northward, passing a picnic table before winding to the right towards an intersection with the Red Loop at 0.4 mile.
Numerous gopher tortoise burrows provide evidence of a healthy tortoise population, some of which have kicked up the yellow soil hidden beneath bleached white sands on the surface.
Picnic spotClustered shrubs and grasses dot the forest floor, basking in ample sunlight between a scattering of cabbage palms, slash pines, and cypress trees covered in airplants.
Patches of this fire dependent habitat have notably diverse plant life where recent burns have occurred, contrasting with areas that are carpeted with dense grape vines
Airplants on a dormant cypressWhile markings along the route are sparse, signs with arrows keep visitors on track where the pathway is intersected by access roads and firebreaks.
Turning left where the Red Loop meets the Blue Loop at an open area of low-lying scrubby flatwoods, follow the wide trail as it takes a gradual bend southward.
Trail signBlueberries and lyonia bloom in the late winter and early spring alongside minty bouquets of Florida pennyroyal as the trail leads to an edge of the property.
As the green expanse of an adjacent golf course comes into view through the shrubs, the path takes a westward turn to complete the loop, returning to the trailhead in a quarter mile.
Florida pennyroyal in bloomTrail Map
Explore More!
Video
A walk through Nancy Payton Preserve
Nearby Adventures
Picayune Strand Sabal Palm Trail A pair of loops offer an often-soggy 3.4 mile trek into a wild corner of the Big Cypress Swamp near the outskirts of South Naples.
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.
Rivers Road Preserve Nestled within a setting of suburban neighborhoods and golf courses, Rivers Road Preserve is a slice of sanctuary for endangered species alongside a crucial wildlife corridor.
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.
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