Red Trail, CREW Flint Pen Strand – Florida Hikes

The Purple Path is one in every of 5 distinct trails blazed by means of an easy-to-reach nook of Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed simply 4 miles east of Interstate 75.

It may be moist. It may be dry. All of it will depend on the season and up to date rainfall. It’s a stroll by means of one tiny piece of a important watershed for the area.

Bromeliad rising in a popash swamp

Considered one of many trails amongst over 60,000 acres of wetlands now edged by subdivisions, it illustrates the wonder and variety of the Huge Cypress Swamp.

With its personal separate trailhead from the interlocking trails of the Huge Loop to its east, it’s the shortest of the blazed paths inside Flint Pen Strand.

Purple Path between the pines

Assets

Overview

Location: Bonita SpringsLength: 1.5 milesTrailhead: 26.333780, -81.690867Address: 15970 Bonita Seashore SE, Bonita SpringsFees: Free, donations acceptedRestrooms: Transportable restroom at trailheadLand supervisor: South Florida Water Administration DistrictPhone: 239-657-2253

Open one hour earlier than dawn and one hour after sundown. Canine are allowed on a leash.

Seasonal searching happens on a number of the northern parts of the property. Test the protect web site for dates.

Instructions

Hike

Beginning on the trailhead for the Purple Path, remember to take a look at the kiosk for details about the property and choose up a map if wanted.

Past a niche within the fence, a bench sits subsequent to a well-maintained path bordered by plumes of golden grass.

Trailhead bench

Palmettos develop in clusters on the grassy forest ground alongside wax myrtles, grapevines, and passionflowers.

Leaving the pines at 0.2 miles, enter a wide-open space earlier than crossing an intersection with the yellow-blazed equestrian path.

Passionflower in bloom

To the west, pillars of tall, bone-white tree remnants rise from the horizon in stark distinction from the in any other case lush inexperienced panorama.

These are stays of the extremely invasive and ecologically disruptive melaleuca tree, the removing of which is a part of an ongoing habitat restoration undertaking.

Melaleuca remnants

At 0.6 miles, the path enters a small hammock of stay oaks and cabbage palms. Ferns carpet the richer soils right here, prospering below the shady cover.

After crossing an previous artifical ditch, the trail takes sharp flip to the proper, meandering in the direction of the Kehl Canal.

Oak and palm hammock

Flip proper in a tenth of a mile, following the canal eastward. Its water just isn’t seen by means of the dense shrubs bordering the path.

Thudding and the laughter-like calls of pileated woodpeckers echo by means of the forest as they seek for a meal within the treetops above.

Blended forest alongside the canal

Reaching one mile, take a flip to stroll alongside the canal. It is not uncommon to see anhingas, cormorants, herons, and ibis perched in bushes and on the banks of this linear waterway.

Pay shut consideration to the path markers right here when the forest is flooded to keep away from slipping into the deeper water.

Proceed following crimson blazed posts because the path bends southward, finishing this 1.5 mile loop in one other half mile.

Canal views

Path Map

Discover Extra!

Be taught extra about CREW Flint Pen Strand

CREW Flint Pen Strand Simply 4 miles east of Interstate 75, get your toes moist in a single nook of the huge the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed on the paths of Flint Pen Strand.

Video

Mountaineering the CREW Flint Pen Strand Purple Path

Close by Adventures

Path Map (PDF) Official Web site

Alongside along with his spouse Chelsey, Chris Stevens shares outside adventures on Instagram and Fb as @sunshinestateseekers and is a co-host of a podcast about Florida’s outside, The Florida Madcaps. An avid hiker and camper, Chris serves as a Trailmaster and a board member for the Florida Path Affiliation.

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