Hiking at the Mabry Carlton Preserve in Venice, Florida
The Mabry Carlton Preserve is home to a large number of bird species, wildflowers, insects, and other wildlife in Venice, Florida. Long a popular spot for nature lovers and hikers, the preserve has several well marked trails as well as a horseback riding trail that covers 24,565 acres. The preserve also contains a reservoir that provides clean water to many homes and businesses in Venice. The interpretive nature trail is a shorter one, about an hour’s long hike through the preserve and contains signs with information on different areas at the preserve. Starting on the short bricked path that connects the parking lot to the main trail, a number of palm trees can be seen, draped with lichens. The walk is easy, since it is on level land, and grassy, which makes it easier to walk on compared to some of the sand covered trails at other nearby preserves.
Walking southward, a wetland forest soon approaches, providing a nice patch of shade from the sun’s heat. Wildflowers like the fringed meadow beauty, pine lily, and Phoebanthus decorate the sides of the trails. The soft pink of the fringed meadow beauty is a sure sign of the upcoming summer season as they dot the landscape. Phoebanthus is a native to Florida and resembles a daisy but has bright yellow petals. Dragonflies are plentiful, too, since they like wetlands areas and are never shy to show themselves to hikers on the property. Eastern lubber grasshoppers will also sit directly on the trail, waiting to see if anyone will stop and ask them for directions, but that hardly seems necessary since the trails are already well marked.
Veering to the right on a yellow marked trail, a hammock soon becomes visible. Hammocks are clusters of trees that grow in wetlands that rise slightly above the ground so they rarely get flooded. These hammocks are home to many forms of wildlife that can make a nest or hole in the tree trunks to live in. Birds can also be heard here, such as a Carolina wren, a hairy woodpecker, or blue jay. These woodland birds seem happy in their homes, while the seabirds tend to hang around the reservoir which is only quarter of a mile away. Leaving the hammock area to walk along the pink blazed trail, the sun is visible once more after spending time in the cozy dark canopy of the trees.
European fan palms, Areca palms, and a variety of tall grasses form an open meadow area as the pink blazed trail leads back onto the blue blazed trail. Wild orchids can be seen along this part of the trail system, including the snowy orchid, or Platanthera nivea. Wild bachelor’s buttons in yellow can also be spotted along part of the trail on the left hand side. A few butterflies came out to see who was quietly walking by their home, one of note which was the zebra swallowtail, a black and white striped butterfly with a spot of red right in front of the tail. The butterfly rested on a blade of grass for a few minutes before taking off. Now walking towards the east near a meadow area, feral hog traps can be seen at various points on the trail, as part of the state trapping programs. While feral hogs compete with the wildlife for food sources, they can cause damage to protected wetlands, as well as pose a danger to humans, especially the adult hogs. The smaller feral hogs tend to stay out of the way, and will even run, from people on the trails, but the adult ones can grow quite large, up to 200 lbs and over, and can become aggressive. Heading back to the parking lot, the picnic area is visible on the way out, which is large enough to host birthdays and other events.
The Mabry Carlton Preserve is located at 1800 Mabry Carlton Way in Venice, Florida, and is approximately 4 miles from the Jacaranda exit on I-75.
Image Credit: Zindbar.
