gopher tortoises

Barrier Island Sanctuary

reweidman50 Florida Hiking Trails, Gopher Tortoise, Uncategorized , , , , , ,

Nestled along A1A in Melbourne Beach, the Barrier Island Sanctuary Management & Education Center serves as the gateway to the 258-acre Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge. The Center itself features a variety of interactive exhibits, auditorium, gift shop and observation deck. Don’t miss the opportunity to take the one-mile hiking trail through several scenic habitats that are home to wildlife such as great land crabs, gopher tortoises, ospreys and great blue herons. 

Hidden Waters Preserve Revisited

reweidman50 Florida Hiking Trails, Florida Preserves , ,

I did a nice hike at Hidden Waters Preserve in Eustis the other day and actually wandered along the hidden waters that give the preserve its name. It was another scorching summer day, of course, but Hidden Waters Preserve is well shaded, except for a couple of some grueling stretches along the perimeter. I only saw one gopher tortoise this time, but there are plenty of them out there to view if you visit at just the right time when they are foraging around. I’ll be back soon!

Hike #8: Osprey Trail & Beach Walk, Honeymoon Island

reweidman50 52 Hike Challenge, Florida Hiking Trails, Florida Islands, Uncategorized , , , , ,


Hike #8, 52 Hike Challenge: Osprey Trail and Beach Walk, Honeymoon Island State Park. We walked along the Osprey Trail until we came upon an impassable flooded area. However, during our brief hike, we spotted an osprey soaring overhead, as well as two osprey nests. Did not see any gopher tortoises or eastern diamondback rattlesnakes, both of which make the pine flatwoods portion of the island their home. We will return another time to finish this trail. I also walked along the beach, which was very scenic. I spotted many shorebirds. Distance: 3 miles.