A block long and a third of a block wide, this urban forest north of downtown Naples offers a sliver of gopher tortoise habitat in a very developed area.
It’s at the entrance to Fleishmann Blvd, which leads directly to the Naples Zoo. Older residents will recall this corner once had a giant toucan atop a sign pointing the way to Caribbean Gardens.
The urban forestCovering 9.5 acres, the preserve is owned and managed by the city of Naples. Among the flora growing beneath the pines are endangered and threatened species.
On each visit, we’ve managed to spot at least one gopher tortoise and usually more. This is a delightful location to bring young children to watch for “turtles.”
Gopher tortoise at the preserveResources
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Overview
Location: Naples
Length: 0.4 miles
Trailhead: 26.16733, -81.79848
Address: 1690 Tamiami Trail, Naples
Fees: Free
Restroom: At the Eco-Center
Land manager: City of Naples
Phone: 239-261-4290
Boardwalk open daylight hours. No pets, bicycles, or food. Once you join the boardwalk, stay on it for the hike.
The Hedges Family Eco-Center is open 9 AM to 5 PM. See the preserve’s website for a detailed list of upcoming talks held there.
Directions
From Interstate 75 exit 105 in Naples, drive 4 miles west along Golden Gate Parkway to US 41 (Tamiami Trail). Turn left and continue a quarter mile south. Make a left onto Fleischmann Blvd and an immediate right into the parking area.
Hike
Begin by popping into the Eco-Center, an architecturally distinctive Mid-Century Modern building. Displays inside highlight county natural areas and local history.
Outside, watch for butterflies and hummingbirds in the Pollinator Garden, and have the kids drop a promise in the Promise Globe for how they can protect the Earth.
The Hedges Family Eco-CenterA limestone-outlined footpath through the Dry Scrub Garden leads left to a picnic table. Another leads right through the Flatwoods Garden to a picnic table.
Both begin in front of the ramp which starts the boardwalk. Ascend to a chickee with benches in the shade.
Start of the boardwalkA white board with recent wildlife sightings lends a clue as to what you might see ahead. We spotted our first gopher tortoise from this perch, and you may, too.
Continue through the chickee to follow the gentle sweep of the boardwalk. It hovers just high enough off the landscape to let wildlife pass under it.
The slight hover of the boardwalk lets tortoises pass beneathDeck 1 provides a bench. The surrounding oak hammock has a busy understory of saw palmetto, American beautyberry, and grapevines.
Directly behind the deck the National Champion myrtle oak once stood, 41 feet tall with a crown spread of 38 feet. Unfortunately, Hurricane Irma felled it in 2017.
Deck 1Continue along the sweep of boardwalk into the pine flatwoods. Reaching the loop junction at a tenth of a mile, bear left and pass Deck 2.
Watch the pine duff for wildlife: hopping, crawling, roaming. Watch the pine trunks, too, for woodpeckers and flickers.
Approaching the loopThe forest thins near the top of the loop, wiregrass under the pines giving way to open sand.
At 0.2 miles, a spur leads to Deck 3, the southernmost point in the loop, through scrubby flatwoods. Fall wildflowers blossom in this corner.
Scrubby flatwoodsContinue the loop south, re-entering the pine flatwoods. Reach the end of the loop at 0.3 miles and turn left.
Take the last section slow to watch for more wildlife. Mark down what you see on the whiteboard so other visitors know what to look for.
Complete the hike by descending to the parking area after 0.4 miles.
Watch for gopher tortoises in this open area near the Eco-CenterTrail Map
Explore More!
Slideshow
See our photos from Naples Preserve
Nearby Adventures
Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens Established in 1919 by botanist Henry Nehrling, what is now the Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens has improved over a century's worth of expansion into an accredited zoological park.
Gordon River Greenway Get a new perspective on Naples along the Gordon River Greenway, where you can hike, bike, or paddle through the city's urban mangrove forest.
Fred W Coyle Freedom Park In northeast Naples, an impressive network of accessible paved pathways and boardwalks meander across a mosaic of ponds and natural wetlands teeming with wildlife.
Naples Nature Center Edging the mangrove-lined Gordon River immediately south of the Naples Zoo, this 21-acre Conservancy of Southwest Florida complex pairs learning with nature trails and wildlife.
- Michael Crotty Bicentennial Park - November 3, 2026
- A.J. Henry Park - November 1, 2026
- Okeeheelee Nature Center Trails - October 22, 2026