Florida Hikes

Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides

Footpath on berm above mangrove forest

Ungarelli Preserve

A 35 acre sliver of public land along the southeast rim of Palma Sola Bay divides subdivisions and shops from a tiny strip of uplands above a mangrove forest.

Palma Sola (27.463392, -82.648695)   0.3 miles  

The slightest of public preserves in the Palma Sola edges a bluff immediately north of the road between Palma Sola and Cortez.

A covered picnic pavlion adjoins a small parking area. While the trail is short, it provides opportunities for birding and walking your dog.

Opening from shady spot to parking and pavilion in sun Parking area and pavilion

Resources

Resources for exploring the area
South Florida Explorers Guide book cover Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover Paddlers Guide Florida 50 Hikes in South Florida book cover Hiking the Gulf Coast book cover
 
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Overview

Location: Cortez
Length: 0.3 miles
Trailhead: 27.463392, -82.648695
Address: 4000 Palma Sola Blvd, Bradenton
Fees: Free
Restroom: None
Land Manager: Manatee County
Phone: 941-748-4501

Open sunrise to sunset. Leashed dogs welcome. A picnic table adjoins the small parking area.

Directions


 
From downtown Bradenton, take Manatee Ave (SR 64) west for 4 miles. Turn left on 75th St. Continue 1.3 miles south to 27th Ave. Turn right and go a quarter mile to Palma Sola Blvd. Turn left and drive 1.2 miles to the preserve entrance on the right.

Hike

This short walk starts at the opposite end of the parking area from the picnic pavilion.

A shell path leads into a shady coastal hammock with sea grapes, oaks, and to our surprise, mature mulberry trees bearing fruit in April.

White sand path under mulberries Mulberry tunnel

There’s a restoration feel to the preserve, which adjoins a commercial business but is dense with native plants, including junipers and coontie.

Palm fronds dip low over the footpath. Emerge in front of the parking area behind its fence and continue straight ahead past the picnic pavilion.

Sculpture in black next to picnic pavilion The Ungarelli bust

Joseph Ungarelli Sr. is memorialized with a monument. A local businessman who died in 2007, his wife donated this land in his memory.

Now obviously atop a bluff above the mangrove forest of Palma Sola Bay, the path is out in the open, passing under palms and oaks.

Footpath on bluff Footpath with dappled shade

Prickly pear cactus thrives amid soft panicum grasses. Pines and junipers edge the trail along with more coontie. Pass beneath a stand of sand live oaks before coming to trail’s end.

There is a sort of turnaround on the bluff. Return the way you came, passing the picnic pavilion again to complete a 0.3 mile walk.

Broad footpath above mangroves Returning from trail’s end

Trail Map

Ungarelli Preserve Trail Map

Explore More!

Video

A walk through Ungarelli Preserve

Slideshow

See our photos from Ungarelli Preserve

Nearby Adventures

Wetland overlook Perico Preserve Hugging the edge of Perico Bayou on Perico Island, Perico Preserve adjoins Robinson Preserve in Palma Sola, presenting similar habitats on a smaller scale.
Boardwalk with palm tree Neal Preserve Discover the botany and prehistory of Perico Island through excellent interpretation and observation points with outstanding views at Neal Preserve.
Red flowers blooming under large tree on pond's edge Palma Sola Botanical Park Now a showcase for temperate and tropical species, this former ten acre nursery encompasses collections of palms, fruit trees, and flowering tropical trees.
Observation tower on a lagoon Robinson Preserve Edging Tampa Bay, the vast sweep of Robinson Preserve is a puzzle of natural and restored habitats circled by more than ten miles of mixed-use trails.

Official Website

Sandra Friend
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