As soon as surrounded by the grassy waters of the Everglades, Pine Island Ridge is the best pure landform in Broward County, simply 29 toes above sea stage.
Within the uneasy years between the Second and Third Seminole Warfare, Abiaka and his fellow Mikasuki traversed the River of Grass to this ridge, establishing a village.
Atop the ridgeIt was not the primary on this web site, which was house to a thriving indigenous tradition for greater than 5,000 years.
However it was the Seminoles who lived right here that Main William Lauderdale and his troops tried to drive to go away in 1838.
Considered one of many interpretive stops that inform the storyAssets
Overview
Location: DavieLength: 2 milesTrailhead: 26.076081,-80.275329Address: 3900 SW one centesimal Ave, DavieFees: Charge charged weekends and holidays, in any other case freeRestroom: On the nature middle in Tree Tops ParkLand supervisor: Broward CountyPhone: 954-357-5130
Open 8 AM to 7:30 PM each day. Don’t disturb any artifacts. Pets should not permitted. Equestrians and cyclists are welcome.
Instructions
Hike
Fronting the character middle at Tree Tops Park is a novel submit explaining the importance of this web site as a Broward Cultural Heritage Landmark.
A part of a sequence of seven islands operating east to west within the Everglades, this is likely one of the highest pure elevations within the county.
Landmark submitStroll via the character middle to learn interpretive panels on the historical past that unfolded right here and proceed down a hallway to exit out the again door.
Meet a paved path in entrance of a life-sized sculpture depicting Sam Jones, identified to his individuals as Abiaka.
Background on the Seminole presenceHe had proved his army mettle towards the U.S. Military within the Battle of Okeechobee, December 1837. The U.S. Military each revered and feared what Abiaka would do subsequent.
On March 22, 1838, Lauderdale and his troops surrounded Pine Island Ridge. Outnumbered and outmaneuvered, Abiaka gathered up his individuals and vanished deeper into the Everglades.
Statue of AbiakaFlip left and observe the paved path beneath an archway of stay oaks, following it to the walk-in entrance to Pine Island Ridge Pure Space.
It leads previous a Nature Path signal on the left marking the beginning of our circuit via Tree Tops Park. Should you plan to do each, it expands the hike to three.2 miles.
Nature Path entrance for Tree Tops Park loopSince most of Pine Island Ridge is in full solar, it’s finest to hike it first. Proceed alongside this broad path, coming into the pure space over a small bridge in 0.3 miles.
From an entryway with an introductory panel, stroll amongst pines in a grassy park-like setting to a kiosk and bike restore station.
Entry levelA aspect path heads to a neighborhood entrance level. The principle path continues into a good looking tunnel of stay oak cover with a dense tropical understory.
At a half mile, meet a junction within the paved path. Bear proper for a spherical journey alongside the ridge.
Beneath the cover of oaksKeep proper on the T with a fence, following a gradual grade in a sweeping curve previous a neighborhood. Reside oaks shade the path, as does a quite massive strangler fig.
The primary in a sequence of panels in regards to the Seminole settlement on Pine Island particulars a timeline of their lives on this island.
Curving pathEmerge from tree cowl into an open grassy area dotted with slash pines and stay oaks. If it seems to be like a golf course on a ridge above a subdivision.
And certainly, that was the plan for this vital cultural web site that needed to be derailed to protect it.
Atop the ridgeA bench adjoins an interpretive panel on the Seminole Wars, fought because the U.S. Military tried to drive all native peoples to reservations in Oklahoma.
Properly after the Seminole Wars, refugees as soon as once more made their house on this excessive ridge, however the drainage of the Everglades within the early 1900s compelled them to maneuver to uncontested floor.
Seminole Wars ceaseRegardless of the manicured environment, gopher tortoises roam and big air crops thrive within the excessive branches of the stay oaks. Chances are you’ll even see equestrians roaming the hillsides.
A 3rd panel discusses Seminole chief Abiaka, and a fourth recounts Main William Lauderdale’s try to drive the Seminoles off the island.
Ribbon of pathwayThe Military fort on New River throughout the Seminole Wars was named for him, therefore town’s identify.
Reaching the again gate of the protect at a mile, exit into the arc of hedges to see a statue of the foremost on his horse with a messenger pigeon at their toes.
Main Lauderdale statueAs this can be a linear route, return the identical manner, alongside the highest of the ridge. As soon as again on the junction at 1.5 miles, bear proper.
A bench within the shade adjoins a panel on the wildlife generally discovered right here, and a closing one looped by the paved path talks about Seminole tradition.
Return routePointed again in direction of the junction, proceed via it to return via the grand cover of stay oaks to the again gate into Tree Tops Park.
Comply with the mild curves of the paved path below the oaks previous the horse crossing. At 1.9 miles, flip proper on the Nature Path signal in case you plan to hike Tree Tops Park.
Tree Tops Park Discover an historic Everglades island the place you possibly can climb into the cover of historic stay oaks to browse among the many bromeliads or wander wetlands boardwalks on a 1.3 mile loop.In any other case, return alongside this path across the Nature Middle to finish a 2 mile hike.
Exiting Pine Island Ridge Pure SpacePath Map
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Mountain climbing Pine Island Ridge Pure Space
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See our images from Pine Island Ridge Pure Space
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Official Web site
Creator of 45 books, Sandra Good friend established FloridaHikes.com in 2006 to increase on the sector analysis she’d accomplished for her first six mountaineering guides. She has been honored with lifetime achievement awards from the Florida Path Affiliation and the Florida Outside Writers Affiliation.
