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Liguus tree snail

Tree Snail Hammock Trail

On the Tree Snail Hammock Trail, walk slowly and look carefully at the limbs and the trunks of the trees in this tropical hammock to discover some of the smallest and rarest creatures of Big Cypress

Big Cypress National Preserve  |  Pinecrest
( 25.746467, -80.947850 )      0.3 miles

One of the lesser-visited trails of Big Cypress National Preserve, the Tree Snail Hammock Trail is along Loop Road across from the Everglades Environmental Center.

In a tropical hammock, this quarter-mile interpretive trail leads you through a world inhabited by rare and tiny creatures—the colorful and endangered liguus tree snails of South Florida’s hammocks.


Resources

South Florida Explorers Guide book cover Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover The Hiking Trails of Floridas National Forests Parks Preserves book cover

Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.


Overview

Location: Pinecrest
Length: 0.3 mile loop
Trailhead: 25.746467, -80.947850
Fees: None
Restroom: None
Land manager: Big Cypress National Preserve
Phone: 239-695-4111

Open dawn to dusk. If roped off, do not enter.

Across the road, the Loop Road Education Center is open to youth groups and educators for specialized environmental programs.


Directions

 
From US 41 at the west end of the Miccosukee Reservation, turn south on Loop Rd and follow it through Pinecrest until you see the Loop Road Education Center on the left. Park on the left. The trail starts across from the center on the north side of the road.

Hike

This loop leads through a tunnel of petite trees in this dense, dark tropical hammock. Walk slowly so you can spot the snails on the smooth-barked tropical trees.

Look for the color-banded liguus snails grazing on algae on smooth-barked trees such as Spanish stopper and Jamaican dogwood.

Liguus tree snail
Liguus tree snail

If you see a tree snail, take photos, but don’t touch. They are very sensitive and extraordinarily scarce, a natural wonder to behold.

You’ll also find surface limestone outcrops along the trail. Sword ferns grow along the edge of a sluggish slough. A whisk fern perches in a strangler fig.

Yellow ropes delineate the footpath of this short, easy walk, which features several benches. An outdoor classroom surrounds the remnants of a whiskey still circa 1881.


Explore More!

Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Young cypresses in dense swamp

Roberts Lake Trail

8.2 miles. Now the Roberts Lake Trail, the former Loop Road to Oasis section of the Florida Trail is now blazed blue. It is where sawgrass and cypress meet, where the Everglades and Big Cypress blend.

Kirby Storter Boardwalk

Kirby Storter Boardwalk

An accessible walk through the habitats of the Big Cypress Swamp, Kirby Storter Boardwalk gets you up close to the wonders of nature in Big Cypress National Preserve

Walking through wet areas helps cool you down

Tamiami Trail Triathlon

3.0 miles. Trying the hiking portion of the Tamiami Trail Triathlon in summer is a little crazy, but we wanted to check it out. The swamp is lovely, but the loop uses a rough OHV road

Big Cypress Swamp

Florida Trail, Big Cypress South

30.3 miles. Traversing a vast wilderness in the wet wilds of Big Cypress National Preserve, the southernmost segment of the Florida Trail is the toughest backpacking trip in Florida


Loop Road Scenic Drive Map (PDF) Official Website

Category: Hikes, Loop Hikes, Nature Trails, South Florida, TrailsTag: Big Cypress National Preserve, Big Cypress Swamp, Botanical, Family-Friendly, National Parks, Tropical Forests, Wildlife Viewing

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Our recent park & trail updates in this region

Bridge edged by alligator flag

Okaloacoochee Slough Tram Loop

Okaloacoochee Slough Tram Loop
Cypress dome in fog

Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest

Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest
Collier Seminole Hiking Trail

Collier-Seminole Hiking Trail

Collier-Seminole Hiking Trail
Collier Memorial at Collier-Seminole State Park

Collier-Seminole State Park

Collier-Seminole State Park

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