E38. Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve
SiteID: S38
Region: South
County: Lee
Nearest City: Fort Myers
Phone Number: 239-533-7550
Website: E38. Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve
Amenities: Some viewing is barrier free, Restrooms, Entrance fee required, Good for beginners, Tours, educational signage and/or nature center, Birding by foot/hiking, Best time of day: All day, Recommended length of visit: a few hours
Habitats: Freshwater Swamp, Pines, Lake/Pond/Impoundment, Hardwoods/Mixed Forest
Description:
If you have been looking for an astounding birding experience within a major metropolitan area in South Florida, this is it. With characteristics of much larger and more well-known sites nearby, this site offers some of the best birding around. The 1.2-mile boardwalk invites you to walk slowly and silently through the freshwater swamp and hardwood hammocks, watching at close range as everything from wading birds to warblers forage in the water and woodlands around you. Blinds and viewing platforms offer places to sit for long periods and observe. Roving volunteers provide education and optics. Take your time here and enjoy the small-scale majesty of a site that rivals the more famous boardwalks in Florida.
Directions: From I-75 exit 131 (CR 876/Daniels Pkwy.) south of Fort Myers, drive 2.7 mi. west on CR 876 and turn right (N) on SR 865 (Ben C. Pratt/Six Mile Cypress Pkwy.). The entrance is 1.8 mi. on the right (E) at Penzance Blvd.
Open all year, dawn to dusk.
