Description:
Located on 3,000 acres of pine flatwoods, cabbage palm and oak hammock, freshwater and saltwater marsh, and mangrove swamp, this center features hiking trails, a visitor center, and a museum annex with a touch tank, mounts of local birds, and fossils. There is a photographer's blind.
Watchable wildlife:
From December through April, bald eagles nest in the park. Gopher tortoises inhabit the flatwoods, as do snakes, including the rare eastern indigo snake. Woodpeckers are abundant year-round, and migratory warblers flit through the oak hammock in the spring. Bobcats prowl in the early morning hours. Herons and egrets fish in the marshes.
Ownership:
Department of Environmental Protection; managed by Charolotte Harbor Environmental Center, Inc. Contact:
(941) 575-5435
Directions:
From Punta Gorda, take U.S. Highway 41 southeast, then turn south on Burnt Store Road (Florida Highway 765). The entrance is 1 mile ahead, on the west side of the road.
Related Sites:
Other South West Florida Wildlife Sites
Florida State Parks | |
