Sunflower Trace

Dogs No Dogs

Features Birding · Wildflowers · Wildlife

This trail can be soggy after heavy rains or at the end of rainy season.

This trail is a shared horseback/running trail that forms a 2.5-mile loop through bottomland forest, upland mixed forest, slough, and wet prairie. The forest is characterized by slash pines, live and laurel oaks, cabbage palms, and strangler figs that generally form a closed canopy.

The closed canopy and abundant hardwood mast provided by this plant community attracts a number of wildlife species seeking food, cover, roosting and nesting sites. Wildlife cameras located along this trail routinely capture panther and bear using the trail, though mostly during evening and early morning hours when the preserve is closed. Deer, hogs, bobcats, hawks, barred owls and other small wildlife species are present here as well. The trail is mostly shaded and the ground can be wet in late fall and early winter.

The forest is characterized by slash pines, live and laurel oaks, cabbage palms and strangler figs. Native terrestrial orchids can often be seen in the fall. Morning is the best time to see wildlife along this trail.