Along a sleepy section of the Myakka River north of Venice, Sleeping Turtles Preserve North buffers its west side with 174 acres of floodplain swamp, pine flatwoods, and oak hammocks.
Separate parcels along Border Road each have a network of scenic trails that enable you to tailor the length of your loop.
Riverfront path on the North LoopOn the North Parcel, a stretch of the trail follows the edge of the bluffs across from Carlton Reserve.
With more riverfront swamps, the more shady and lesser-used South Parcel has spurs off its main loop to high bluffs with a view.
Tannic stream flowing into the Myakka RiverBoth loops have numbered markers at trail intersections corresponding to the trail map to aid in navigation.
They share one trailhead, which has a kiosk with maps and a picnic pavilion under the shade of the oaks.
Shared trailhead along Border RoadResources
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Overview
Location: Venice
Length: 3.2 miles in two loops
Trailhead: 27.1229, -82.3519
Address: 3462 Border Rd, Venice
Fees: Free
Restroom: None
Land manager: Sarasota County
Phone: 941-861-5000
Open 6 AM to sunset. Bicycles welcome. Leashed dogs welcome on the North Loop; pack out all animal waste. The South Parcel is open to equestrian use, so dogs are not permitted in that part of the preserve.
Directions
From Interstate 75 exit 193, Jacaranda Blvd in Venice, drive north 0.6 miles to where the road ends at a T intersection. Turn right. Follow Border Rd to the entrance to the preserve on the left.
Hike
North Loop
From Marker 1, leave the parking corral to enter the oak hammock surrounding the picnic pavilion and kiosk.
The crossed limbs of the live oaks knit a canopy providing deep shade. Young cabbage palms and bluestem palm crowd the understory.
Trailhead and start of the loopReaching a T intersection at Marker 2, turn right. Ascend to the bluffs above the Myakka River.
A series of benches begins. Enjoy the views and look for turtles on the fallen logs in the slow current.
Upriver viewAs the bluff drops off abruptly in several spots, sometimes its easier to look down to spot the river than out across it.
Marker 5 heralds the first crossover for the outer loop. At Marker 6, bear right to follow the worn path along the river bluffs. Across the river is Carlton Reserve.
View from the bluffsThis route paralleling the river is the most spectacular part of the loop. It turns away from the bluffs after a half mile.
Skirt a floodplain swamp along a depression along the river basin. At the bench at Marker 8, bear right.
Above the floodplainParalleling the floodplain, this corridor reaches the top of the loop at 0.6 mile.
A picnic shelter on the bluffs has a path dropping off beyond it towards a landing where paddlers can take out of the Myakka River for a break.
Picnic shelterMarker 9 is at this junction. The pathway you came in on continues past it to a walk-through gate from a neighborhood at the north end of the preserve.
Instead of aiming towards the neighborhood, turn left to continue on the outer loop, now heading south towards the trailhead.
Multi-trail junctionAt 0.8 mile, bear right at the Marker 7 bench to follow the west side of the loop. The oak hammock opens up, and the footpath becomes grassier.
Curve past a tall slash pine in an clearing before reaching Marker 11. Bear right. A picnic shelter overlooks a patch of prairie.
ClearingThe prairie is a prime location for deer to browse as the sun sinks low in the sky.
At Marker 12, stay right. Walk along a corridor framed by live oaks, swinging around Marker 14 to return to the trailhead after 1.2 miles.
Exiting towards the trailheadSouth Loop
Walk up the entrance ramp for the trailhead and cross Boundary Rd. Aim for the gap adjoining the highway bridge over the Myakka River.
Descend a ramp like a cattle chute into the South Parcel, facing trailhead signage and a sun-drenched picnic bench beneath the oaks.
Entry point to the South ParcelTurn left to follow the entry road between the fences, curving right to meet the Marker 1 junction at the top of the loop.
Skip past this turn to stay with the grassy road defining the west side of this loop. Entering the oak hammock, it becomes a well-worn two-track.
Straightaway over culvertAt a quarter mile, a sometimes-dry channel flowing towards the river passes beneath the road in a culvert.
Tall slash pines rise above the oaks near Marker 22 and soon flank the trail, covering it in soft pine duff.
Heading east from Marker 21Curve east just past a clearing at Marker 21. A shady tunnel of oak canopy blots out the pines again, palm fronds keeping the understory impenetrable around the next bend.
Emerge into a surprisingly sunny spot at a half mile with an abrupt shift in habitat to pine flatwoods at Marker 17.
Pine flatwoodsContinue straight ahead onto a grassy corridor among the pines, which curves gently between them towards the southwest corner of this loop at Marker 16 before turning east.
To stay on the perimeter loop and not miss the first overlook on the river, bear right at Marker 15.
Marker 15A few moments later, the trail splits under the pines; either side works but the left branch is a nice footpath through the forest.
Both sides rejoin in front of Marker 14. The buzz of traffic noise? Interstate 75 is not far south.
Split in pathwayIf not for the family who wanted their riverfront forest preserved for future generations, River Road would have been extended north through this tract.
Turn left at Marker 14 to walk the grassy corridor amid the palms along the preserve perimeter, defined by a waterway beyond them.
Marker 9 junctionSkip past Marker 9 to follow a spur trail to a bluff. It’s a beauty spot above a shallow tannic stream.
The midden and its spill of fossil shells beneath the oaks indicates ancient peoples once lived at this confluence.
Midden topped with a live oakFollow the curve of the path next to the stream to see where it pours its waters into the much broader and bluer Myakka River, creating a sandbar.
At 0.9 mile, this is the far tip of the loop and the best panorama of the river along it.
Sandbar at the confluenceReturn to Marker 9 and turn right, entering a palm hammock on the river bluffs. Turn right where the path broadens as it opens into the pines again.
Curve past Marker 8 on a low bluff outlined with palms, a willow marsh behind them.
Marker 8 on a bluff above the marshThe dropoff adjoining the path isn’t showy, but it is dense with ferns.
To stay on the perimeter of the loop, close to the floodplain, keep right each time the grassy path splits beneath the pines.
One of several splitsBy 1.2 miles, Marker 6 is where these alternate routes finally merge together. Stay right, as the path directly across heads towards the pine flatwoods at Marker 17.
Enter a showy oak hammock, the curved limbs of the live oaks furry with resurrection fern and bromeliads.
Hiking through the oak hammockBlue-tipped posts confirm the obvious route. Where a grassy path splits off to the right, take it.
This spur leads through a palm hammock to a second overlook above the Myakka River. Homes are tucked under the oaks on the bluffs on the opposite shore.
Second river viewContinue back to the main corridor, where palms become more prominent among the oaks.
At 1.4 miles, trails splinter off in several directions in a clearing at Marker 5. Bear right, staying along the perimeter path.
Marker 5 junctionPass by a relic from the homestead this land was once a part of, a large metal water tank. A rusting bathtub adjoins it. The trail splits around this location.
Perhaps the house probably stood nearby. Well worn by prior use, the broad road through the hammock meets a T intersection at Marker 4. Turn right.
Homestead relicsOne final spur to a river view leads east from Marker 3, ending at a very low bluff at 1.7 miles revealing a white sand beach below striped with tannic watermarks.
Return along the spur and make a right, crossing that tributary that was bridged with culverts on the incoming side of your loop.
Final river viewSwooping past Marker 2, emerge into a clearing where the South Parcel entrance is within view straight ahead.
Seal the loop at Marker 1 and continue towards the walk-in trailhead to ascend up the chute.
Crossing Border Rd, return to the parking area, completing a 2 mile circuit of the South Loop, 3.2 miles total if you tackled the North Loop as well.
Return to the South Loop entranceTrail Map
Explore More!
Video
Hiking the South Loop at Sleeping Turtles North Preserve
Slideshow
See our photos from Sleeping Turtles North Preserve
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