Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge
Preserving more than half of Sanibel Island for the sake of its bird life, Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge is one of the top places in the United States to view rare bird species.
Edison & Ford Winter Estates
Tropical gardens from the 1920s grow lavishly around the historic winter homes of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford at the Edison & Ford Winter Estates in Fort Myers.
Estero Bay Preserve State Park
Fort Myers milesAn 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.
Estero River Scrub
Estero 5.0 milesSkirting the edge of a tidal marsh alongside Estero Bay, the loop trails at Estero River Scrub are incredibly unique and a challenge to hike.
Four Mile Cove Eco Preserve
Cape Coral 1.2 milesA forest of mangroves along the Caloosahatchee River, Four Mile Cove Eco Preserve is a rare find in Cape Coral, with a 1.2-mile loop hike partly on a boardwalk through the mangrove fringe.
Hickey Creek Mitigation Park
Fort Myers 4.7 milesWalk along a blackwater stream that sluggishly seeps towards the Caloosahatchee River on the way to a panorama of pines and palmettos along Hickey Creek.
Hickory Swamp Preserve
Fort Myers 1.2 milesEnvironmental restoration is on display at Hickory Swamp Preserve along a well-marked 1.2 mile loop trail designed by Scouts along the Orange River watershed.
Indigo Trail
Sanibel Island 4.0 milesGet to know mangroves for miles and miles on the linear Indigo Trail, open to hikers and cyclists as a parallel route on a levee that connects to Wildlife Drive near both ends.
Kids love wildlife hikes!
Here’s a little proof positive that the younger generation still finds the outdoors a thrill. Late last year, I had an email from a reader planning a trip to Florida looking for a way to day-trip the Everglades while visiting family in Punta Gorda. …
Koreshan State Park
Estero 2.1 milesWhen Dr. Cyrus Teed founded a commune along the banks of the Estero River in 1894, he envisioned a utopia in the tropics. Koreshan State Park preserves that slice of history.
Lovers Key State Park
Estero 5.5 milesWith a name straight out of tourist fantasies of 1950s Florida, Lovers Key State Park is a series of slim barrier islands between Estero Bay and the Gulf of Mexico south of Fort Myers Beach.
Mound Key Archaeological State Park
Estero 1.5 milesLaunch 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.