ENVIRONMENTAL PARKS & CONSERVATION CHARLOTTE PRESERVES the El Jobean area of Port Charlotte. Travel onto SR 776 toward the El Jobean area. Turn onto Flamingo Blvd. and again onto Joppa Ave. The park is located at 16259 Joppa Ave., Port Charlotte, FL 33948.
property. The property provides habitat for several listed species of wildlife, including the Florida scrub-jay, gopher tortoises, and eastern indigo snake. The Conservation Charlotte preserve is located in eastern Charlotte County along Prairie Creek, a tributary of the Shell Creek Reservoir. Travel I-75 to the Highway 17 exit, exit to the north. Proceed approximately 7 miles; the Preserve is on the right side of the road. Shell Creek Preserve This 370+ acre site was the largest area of unprotected native habitat remaining along the un-channelized portion of Shell Creek. The character of the preserve is unusual for south Florida. From the waterline, the creek banks rise almost vertically for several feet indicating that this creek is geologically very old in comparison to most south Florida waterways. Cypress and bottomland hardwoods line the creek shores giving way to xeric hammock, and further landward are intermittent small areas of mesic hammock and scrub leading to large expanses of longleaf pine dominated mesic flatwoods. The Conservation Charlotte preserve is located along the southern fork of Shell Creek in eastern Charlotte County. Travel I-75 to the Highway 17 exit, exit to the north. Turn right on Washington Loop Rd, following Washington Loop to Trails End Rd, turn right. Follow signs to the Shell Creek Preserve. Thornton Key Preserve Charlotte County’s Thornton Key Preserve contains 31+ acres in the central portion of Thornton Key, one of Charlotte County’s Gulf barrier islands. The Preserve contains valuable habitat such as tropical coastal hammock that includes several rare plant species, mangrove swamps, salt barrens, and herbaceous marshes. The preserve is one of the few examples of tropical hardwood hammock habitat remaining in southwest Florida. The Conservation Charlotte preserve is a barrier island in Lemon Bay south of Stump Pass and east of Palm Island; in the center portion of the island. Access to Thornton Key is by boat, canoe, or kayak only. Access through Old Knights Pass east of Palm/Knight Island - Longitude: -82.332019, Latitude: 26.889019. Tippecanoe II Tippecanoe II is a 182 acre mitigation preserve for the Florida scrub- jay, and contains scrub habitat and scrubby flatwoods, xeric hammock, mesic flatwoods, upland mixed forest, marshes, and a small area of palm hammock. These habitats, home to Florida scrub-jay, are also home to other listed species such as the gopher tortoise, the Florida mouse, Eastern indigo snake, and gopher frog. The park is located in
STATE PARKS
Stump Pass State Park 900 Gulf Blvd., Englewood, FL 34233 (Map Key - H) 941.964.0375
At the southwest corner of Charlotte County, there is a mile of beach where seashells and shark teeth wash up, and anglers fish the surf for prize catches. Visitors can enjoy an excellent view of the Gulf of Mexico, as well as a stretch of undeveloped Florida coastline. Visitors come to this secluded beach to enjoy the year-round swimming and sunbathing; shelling is best during the winter months. A hiking trail passes through five distinct natural communities that provide homes for many species of wildlife; covered picnic tables are located along the trail. While at the park, visitors might see West Indian manatees, gopher tortoises, snowy egrets, least terns, and magnificent frigatebirds. Ranger-led nature hikes are available in the winter.
Don Pedro State Park 8450 Placida Road, Cape Haze, FL 33946 (Map Key - C) 941.964.0375
This beautiful park is part of an extensive chain of barrier islands extending along Florida’s Gulf Coast. Between Knight Island and Little Gasparilla Island, Don Pedro is accessible only by private boat or ferry. Boaters can tie up at the dock on the mangrove-lined bay side of the island. Access the dock via the channel south of the Cape Haze power line crossing, but be sure to idle, as the channel is only 2.5 feet deep. Keep your eyes peeled for endangered species such as West Indian manatees, gopher tortoises, bald eagles, and American oystercatchers. With one mile of white sand beach, enjoy sunbathing, swimming, snorkeling, and shelling on Don Pedro’s Gulf side. Boat and surf fishing are other favorite pastimes of visitors to the 230 acre park. Hikers and nature lovers can explore trails of the Park’s land base portion on the Cape Haze Peninsula. The 100 acre land base also offers a fishing dock, nature trails, and a picnic shelter. Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park 12301 Burnt Store Road, Punta Gorda, FL 33955 (Map Key - B) 941.575.5861 This park is comprised of 42,000 acres and protects 70 miles of shoreline along Charlotte Harbor in Charlotte and Lee Counties. Visitors can take advantage of opportunities to hike, fish, paddle, and observe wildlife in the park’s many natural communities, including mangrove forests, marshes, scrub habitats, and pine flatwoods. Most of the park is shallow water fringed by mangroves, providing amazing
14
Find us on social media
Made with FlippingBook - PDF hosting