Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park
Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park
Location:On Janes Memorial Scenic Drive, just west of Copeland on SR 29.
Facilities:A 2,000-foot-long boardwalk at Big Cypress Bend provides a trail through the old growth cypress.
Activities:Wildlife viewing, guided canoe trips.
Special Features:Fakahatchee Strand is a linear swamp forest that has been sculpted bythe movement of water for thousands of years. Beneath a protectivecanopy of bald cypress trees is a slow-moving slough that shields theforest interior from extreme cold temperatures, and this fosters a highlevel of rare and endangered tropical plant species. The Strand is theonly place in the world where bald cypress and royal palm trees sharethe forest canopy, and it also contains 44 native orchids and 14 nativebromeliad species. It's a haven for wildlife as well, and Floridapanthers, Florida black bears, Eastern indigo snakes, Evergladesminks, and diamondback terrapins can still be found here. The migratorybird life is quite spectacular as well.
Address:PO Box 548
Copeland, FL 34137
Phone:239-695-4593
Web: www.floridastateparks.org/fakahatcheestrand
Size: 75,693 acres.
See other parks in Florida.