True to its name, Pinewood Trails Park contains over 8 acres of pine flatwoods, a common Florida ecosystem characterized by slash pine trees. The remainder of the site is covered by palmetto prairie, salt marsh and mangrove ecosystems. Together, these areas provide habitat to a variety of plant and animal species, including the gopher tortoise, which is currently listed as a threatened species by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Other park inhabitants include the osprey, red-shouldered hawk, northern cardinal and various woodpecker species.
Visitors can catch a glimpse of this wildlife by walking/hiking along the park’s two trails, known as Pine Loop and Holly Way. The 8-foot wide Pine Loop trail is paved, ADA accessible and roughly one-third of a mile long. Holly Way is an offshoot of Pine Loop, primitive in nature and roughly one-quarter of a mile long. Visitors should be aware that parts of these trails may experience flooding during the summer or following heavy rain events during other times of the year.
Lee County Parks & Recreation acquired the 40-acre parent tract back in 1990. Following a series of public meetings, it developed the northernmost 30 acres into a passive park, which opened on July 15, 2016.
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