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Alligator Creek Preserve

4.1 (9 reviews)

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Jason Y.

Had a nice walk on one of 5 different trails. Very peaceful. The highlight was a stop at the Alligator pond where we saw a gator sunning itself on the banks. It would have gotten five stars had we seen more wildlife. I would definitely go back again!

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6 months ago

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1 year ago

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10 years ago

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7 years ago

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8 years ago

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7 years ago

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6 years ago

Beautiful location, no alligators but saw multiple turtles. Was hoping for alligators.

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10 years ago

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8 years ago

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Ask the Community - Alligator Creek Preserve

How long is the hike/run And is there an issue with alligators?

all the trails are described on alltrails.com (just enter Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center) . . no issues unless you throw out trash or bother them :)

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CREW Cypress Dome Trails

CREW Cypress Dome Trails

4.8
(8 reviews)
40.5 mi

CREW is the acronym for the sixty thousand acre Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed. The CREW…read moreLand & Water Trust was established in 1989 as a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to purchase land, manage it, and offer public outreach. The CREW project includes parts of southern Lee and northern Collier Counties in southwest Florida. The Corkscrew Marsh, Bird Rookery Swamp, Flint Pen Strand, Camp Keais Strand, and the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary are all CREW lands. Fifty-five thousand acres of CREW land is in preservation and it provides flood protection, water filtration and important aquifer recharge. They would like to purchase even more land in order to preserve natural resources such as water and to offer protection for wildlife. I have been fortunate enough to explore several of the CREW properties and each is a treasure of native plants and animals and unspoiled wilderness. The CREW Cypress Dome Trails is also known as Gate 5. A cypress dome is a swamp that has mainly pond cypress and bald cypress trees. Tall trees are at the center with smaller trees at the edge which creates a dome effect. The moist environment is also ideal for other plants, shrubs, and trees. The dome removes carbon emissions and stores water, recharges the aquifer, and provides drinking water. In the dome you can expect to find flatwoods salamanders, white ibis, and wood storks. Be aware that black bears and panthers also live here. There are six miles of loop trails that traverse through pine flatwoods, oak hammocks, wet prairie, popash slough, and two cypress domes. Trails are flat grass and sand. The trail connects to the Caracara Prairie Preserve which is owned and maintained by Conservation Collier. A $3 cash donation is suggested for use of the trail. Trail maps are located at the trailhead along with one port-a-potty. Bring your own water.This trail allows horseback riding With a free special use license from South Florida Water Management. During my visit it was hunting season. Although I didn't hear any shots being fired all of the signs about it made me feel nervous. I went down the trail a way before becoming uncomfortable and deciding to head back. I don't know why they allow the shooting of migratory birds. I can't imagine flying 1,500 miles to Florida to get shot by a hunter. SMH. The only thing I want to shoot birds with is my camera. I'll be back after hunting season. Hopefully some birds will have survived the hunt.

This beautiful nature preserve is home to a variety of really cool native species (both plants and…read moreanimals) which makes for an adventurous hike! The camping site is also a calming space to practice yoga under the trees, which was a nice way to unwind from the long hike through the trails. I will definitely be coming back here. * Tip: hike barefoot, it feels great!! *

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Weeds
CREW Cypress Dome Trails
CREW Cypress Dome Trails

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Celery Fields

Celery Fields

4.5
(32 reviews)
40.2 mi

Great area for bird watching!…read more We parked in the free lot, climbed some of the hill, and then crossed the street for a short walk to the water viewing wooden piers. We were able to see some great birds and the water was beautiful. Very peaceful area that we could've easily spent more time in. It was sweltering outside so make sure to bring a sun umbrella, hat, and water.

We visited Celery Fields on a recent Monday morning, with the hope of seeing and photographing…read more sandhill cranes, roseate spoonbills, and other birds. We were partially successful. There are 2 buildings adjacent to the main parking lot at Celery Fields. Each has a purple martin house, and both of these were very active when we were there. One of the buildings houses Audubon Society volunteers who can advise you where to see birds. There's a small garden outside of this building that's worth a visit. The other building, on the opposite side of the parking lot, has rest rooms. There's a crosswalk across Palmer Blvd. near the parking lot, leading to a boardwalk over a marshy area. A recent rain attracted quite a few birds when we were there in mid-March 2026. At the end of the boardwalk there's a gazebo for observing the birds. Another marshy area and gazebo is along Raymond Rd. Parking is available on the grass along the road. There was lots of bird activity. We saw many varieties, including herons, egrets, a caracara, a northern harrier, ibises, wood storks, gallinule, osprey, anhinga, and many others. There are lots of trails near the marshes, in addition to the boardwalks. Celery Fields is a great spot to go hikng and birding. Sunscreen is advisable because most of the areas are not shaded.

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Sandhill crane, moseying across Raymond Blvd into the grass
Sandhill crane, moseying across Raymond Blvd into the grass
Celery Fields
Celery Fields

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Lake June in Winter Scrub State Park

Lake June in Winter Scrub State Park

4.5
(2 reviews)
47.7 mi

Lake June-in-Winter Scrub Park is part of the Florida State Park system. Entrance is two dollars on…read morethe honor system. You can drop cash in the lock box or pay on your phone. This state park provides 845 acres of protection for Florida scrub habitat on the Lake Wales Ridge. Scrub habitat is one of the most endangered in Florida because it is high and dry making it ideal to build on. This ridge is located on an ancient ridge of sand dunes. The ecosystem here consists of scrub, scrubby flatwood, and bayhead. Some of Florida's most threatened animals and plants make their home here including the scrub-jay, Florida scrub lizard, Florida mouse, gopher tortoise and the Eastern indigo snake. Ospreys and bald eagles are found along the three miles of lakefront on the west side of Lake June in Winter while white-tailed deer, bobcat and black bear can occasionally be sighted among the trees. During my visit I saw an Eastern cottontail rabbit. This park also has one of the highest concentration of rare plants in North America. In the park you can hike along the half mile Tomoka trail along the fern lined waterway. The Bobcat Trail runs south from the entrance gate into the scrub where you may spot the scrub jays. Fishing is allowed on lake June or you can launch a canoe or kayak on to the water. There are covered picnic tables available to eat at. The scrub is hot and sandy with little sun protection. Be sure to bring water. There is a composting toilet. At this park you can experience a remote feeling yet be only 15 minutes from downtown Lake Placid. Even though there are few amenities, the tranquility and peacefulness will attract nature lovers.

Beautiful park, nice scenery! Definitely would come again, the water looks so beautiful. Honestly,…read moreit's a breath of fresh air. Nice place to have a picnic, or to come and take lovely pictures of nature

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Lake June in Winter Scrub State Park
Lake
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Scenery of the lake

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Scenery of the lake
Ortona Indian Mounds Park

Ortona Indian Mounds Park

4.0
(2 reviews)
44.5 mi

This park is located off of North State Rd 78. I saw a Florida heritage sign for it on the side of…read morethe road and decided to make a detour to investigate. This park is in the middle of nowhere in the heart of cattle country where the cows out number the people 10 to 1. You drive down a dirt road and come to a park. The park has picnic pavilions, a bathroom, and a small playground for kids. The real reason I wanted to visit the park is that it contains several ancient Calusa Indian mounds and canals that were once used as waterways for travel and transportation. The Calusa used wooden and shell tools to create waterways that were 20 feet wide and 3 to 4 feet deep and allowed them to travel from Lake Okeechobee and the Gulf of Mexico. The canals date to 1700 years ago (the same age approximately as the Miami Circle) and the site was first discovered in 1839. The park is named the Larry Luckey Ortona Indian Mound Park for the retired Glades County Property Appraiser who was instrumental in creating the park and preserving the area. He created the park paths and arranged to have the land cleared. He first asked the county commission to consider his plan in 1987 and the park was created in 1989. In addition to the Indian mounds there is a scrub habitat with wading birds, a hammock habitat, a grassy area, and Lake Wobegon. Every year the park is the site of the Ortona Cane Grinding Festival organized by Luckey and his wife Neva. The festival celebrates the early settlers' cultivation and the processing of sugarcane syrup. admission includes a chicken and pork lunch. The proceeds of the event go to the Glades County fire department where the couple is actively involved. I hope to get to the Sugar Cane Festival one day. On the day I visited the park was deserted. There is a kiosk with information on the Calusa Indians but when you try to take the boardwalk to the nature trails it is falling apart. The boardwalk is actually on top of mound. I tried to go further and ended up with several nasty scratched on my arm. It's a shame that the boardwalk has been allowed to fall apart. You can't access the nature trail if you can't cross the boardwalk. Many of the ancient mounds were carted away for road fill and others were lost when the Ortona cemetery was built. That is why it is so important to preserve what is left and it was disappointing to see the park let go this way. I hope the county gets it together and treats this park like the archaeological treasure it is.

A rare gem in the rural cattle & sugar fields of Glades County! This is a County Park managed as a…read morenatural area, full of Palms, Oaks & Pine with a scrub habitat beyond the central pavilion area. It also commemorates the ancient Ortona Native Americans who first inhabited this area 3,000 years ago and built extensive canals by-hand to connect with the Calhoosahatchee River several miles away, possibly even the Gulf Coast. Archaeological interpretive kiosk along path to the right of the cane grinder after entering. A great place for quiet serenity and viewing native upland plants under the trees. The County keeps this park natural and does not interfere with native vegetation. Rustic sheds adjacent to the entry pavilion area are used for local festivals and family events.

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Ortona Indian Mounds Park
Ortona Indian Mounds Park
Ortona Indian Mounds Park

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Alligator Creek Preserve - hiking - Updated July 2026

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