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Description:
Beaches, mangrove
forest and tropical hammock are the dominant habitat types in this 342-acre
county park, located on Little Hickory Island near Bonita Springs. Walk
along the beach or choose the one-mile long self-interpreted trail that
gives a good overview of the coastal habitats.
Watchable Wildlife:
Gopher tortoises and their
burrows are plentiful along the nature trail that runs between the sand
dunes and the hammock. This is also a good place to see green and brown
anoles and the tracks of occasional visitors – mice, snakes, raccoons,
opossums, bobcats and foxes. The trail ends at Wiggins Pass; look for wading
birds here. In the summer along the beach, watch for crawl marks left by
nesting Atlantic loggerhead sea turtles. Scan offshore for bottle-nosed
dolphins. Willets, sandpipers, plovers, terns, gulls, brown pelicans and
ospreys are common.
Ownership:
Collier County
Department of Parks and Recreation
Contact:
(941) 498-4364
Directions:
From I-75, take
exit 18 (Bonita Beach Road) and go 5.6 miles to Leley Boulevard (park
entrance road). Turn left and travel Leley Boulevard 1.7 miles through
residential development to the preserve. Ranger-led nature walks are
regularly offered.
Related Sites:
Other South West Florida Wildlife Sites
Florida State
Parks |
Wildlife Viewing Site
