Prairie Pines Preserve

This was a very nice spot. Plenty of places to park/especially I have a trailer. I use double parking spots available. And the biggest thing that was a plus is it is dog friendly As you know in Southwest Florida, it is very hard to even find a preserve or anywhere you can take your dog nowadays. So I was very happy when I pulled up here. The walking trails were great. However, a little bit concerning we went back to my Trailer to make lunch and there were an awful a lot of MEN hanging out in the parking lot at different areas. Most concerning there was a jogger 50 feet away from my trailer in very concerning attire/not suitable for children. . Just standing there, looking at me and then started to follow me and my dog around on the trails. This was very very concerning and made me feel very uncomfortable. I think this place is a meeting spot for a certain community…. We left very very quickly after this.

One of the largest walkable preserves in the region. Long loop is not for everyone, almost 15 miles long (nice shortcut trails allow you to shorten the distance as needed), trails are clearly marked and in great shape. Rainy season is almost here so it would become greener and muddier. I would add some signs to point at the 2 railroad lines that are now the boundaries of the preserve

This is the perfect place for me to walk with my dogs. The path is wide enough to pass others and there is enough shade to stay cooler and there is a wildlife viewing shelter. The loop is small enough to walk around a few times and there are bathrooms and water fountains. Nice place! Also there is a small dish for dogs to drink if there is a need. I love that.

This is a beautiful place. You can bring your dog , bicycles or even your horses yes horses. There are different length trails for everyone's needs . It is peaceful and well maintained. Be careful to stay on the marked trails and be mindful of your surroundings . Bring water on your walks and take pictures to remember your experience. Be safe out there!! There are also public bathrooms 😉

First time hiking this preserve on such a beautiful February morning. Took about 45 minutes to get here from Lehigh and met my mom for a morning hike. We ventured from the parking lot and took a right off on the yellow trail for the 1.8 mile trek to the bridge and continued on to the silver trail for a short hike to the red trail and did a small loop back around to the yellow trail and back to the parking lot. In total about 4.8 miles. Nice big trails so you can walk side by side, nice to have some shade from the pine trees, but mostly open scrub area. Nice to see such a large area being preserved and there are plenty of trails to hike in there. There is also a nice small maybe .5 mile path that you can walk your dog, just be aware of wildlife and of course pickup after your dog does its business, bags are provided at the entry area for the dog path. There are clean bathrooms on site and plenty of parking spots. Great area to bird watch, saw a cardinal, warbler and white heron, several squirrels on the ground and areas that wildlife use as a paths. Nice to be out in nature on such a beautiful day. Will definitely go back and do some more trails, just make sure you have plenty of water as it can get hot out there in the open. Wear sunscreen, glasses, hat and hiking boots as it can get wet during certain times. Not too bad when we were there, most the mud had dried up. Love that this area has been preserved to enjoy a nice hike in nature.