Florida Guide > State Parks
ESTERO BAY
Estero Bay Preserve Stae Prak is situated twixt Naples and Fort Myers on Florida south west gulf coast It has a chain of barrier islands to its west side including Long Key.
This park has 10, 000 acres and is still growing. It was rescued from the developers and as more adjacent land becomes available it is acquired and added to this park.
It was the very first aquatic preserve in Florida and was formerly known as Estero Bay Buffer Reserve. It is jointly managed by the C. A. M. A. and the D. R. P.
The bay is full of wild life and particularly the gopher tortoise. the bald eagle and fiddler crabs, so remember your binoculars and have a camera at the ready.
The walking trails are impressive and there are miles of them. They take you through slash pines and live oaks. A little about these majestic trees.
Slash pines grow up to a height of more than 50 feet and 24 feet round. Slash pines elsewhere in America grow to over a 100 feet (though the same thickness) this is thought to because the trees have adapted to Floridas dramatic storms.
It is a long needled ever green conifer with a thich bark and hard wood. The spreading tops of these trees form a crown and the tree bears smallish cones.
They live mostly on coastal plains and can live for 200 years
Live Oaks are the state tree of Georgia but they live very well in Florida as well. They grow as tall as 65 feet and the wood is one of the heaviest in the world.
The Florida champion live oak tree was discovered in Aluchia in 1984 and was 108 feet round (don't try to hug that tree) and 83 feet high. It had a spread of over 100 feet
The leaves are some what leathery and the trees bear acorns which many of the animals in the neighbour hood just love.
It tolerates many different growing conditions and you may have noticed them draped rather prettily with spanish moss. By the way, the people in times gone by used to stuff their mattresses with spanish moss. Often times they would get a nasty shock when the warmth of their bodies tempted crawling creatures to climb out of the moss and in to bed with them!
If you visit this park in the summer you must take insect repellant, lots of water is also recommended and sun hats and sun cream. This area of Florida is lovely to visit and this park only enhances it.
Estero Bay Preserve State Park
P. O. Box 7
Estero, Florida 33928
Phone: 239-992-0311
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