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Manager's Message

This time of year hikers are blessed with access to many parts of the Preserve that are underwater for much of the year. There are several trails that provide opportunities for observing birds and other wildlife around the Preserve. Some of them are listed in the welcome message below. Remember, there is no drinking water available in the backcountry of the Preserve. Be sure to pack in enough water to sustain you for your well-planned hike.

The Preserve also manages more than 80 miles of Charlotte Harbor shoreline. Most of it is shallow water fringed by mangroves. These areas provide amazing opportunities to view wading birds, manatees, dolphins and other wildlife. It is best accessed by kayak or canoe and there are many opportunities to access the Preserve from Placida, El Jobean, Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Cape Coral, Matlacha, Pineland, Bokeelia and St. James City. Portions of the Great Calusa Blueway GreatCalusaBlueway.com , and the Charlotte County Blueway CharlotteCountyBlueway.com paddling trails wind through the Preserve.

There are many resource management activities occurring throughout the Preserve. We will be clearing exotic, non-native plants and mowing boundaries throughout the Preserve. Little Pine Island is completely closed to un-supervised visitation for the next few months as habitat restoration activities are ongoing. I apologize for any difficulties that these closures present to visitation, however, all of these activities are helping to make the natural resources of the Preserve even more valuable for us and future generations. Volunteers spend many hours contributing to the stewardship of Florida’s natural and cultural resources. If you would like to find out more about volunteering in one of the most beautiful places in Florida, please give us a call.

- John Aspiolea, Park Manager

Welcome to Charlotte Harbor

Ringing Charlotte Harbor like a necklace of mangroves, the park provides vast areas of unspoiled scenery and vital habitat for many varieties of wildlife. The Charlotte Harbor Estuary is one of the most productive in the state and five aquatic preserves have been established in the water bodies adjacent to the park. The Mangrove forests and salt marshes comprise the majority of the park, but public access points have been established at strategic upland points in each area of the park. The Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center (CHEC)Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center is located within the park at 10941 Burnt Store Road in Punta Gorda. CHEC is a non-profit group that has a visitor's center, offers environmental education programs, interpretive guided hikes, and approximately 6 miles of marked trails. The Old Datsun Trail is located at 12301 Burnt Store Road in Punta Gorda. This trail is approximately 1.75 miles long and traverses oak/palm hammocks, pine flatwoods and wetland sloughs. The Little Pine Island High Marsh Trail is located on the north side of Pine Island Road between Matlacha and Pine Island. This trail is approximately 2 miles long and traverses salt marsh, freshwater marsh and mangrove forests. The Catfish Creek Trailhead is located on the east side of County Road 771 approximately 1 ½ miles north of Placida. A picnic pavilion is available for visitors to use at this site. Pine flatwoods, freshwater marshes, and salt marshes are accessible from this trailhead. Visitors are welcome to explore other areas of the park, unless posted as closed, but should be aware that these areas are remote and primitive wilderness. Visitors should take a compass, a map, and sufficient water for their trip. Almost all areas of the park are wetlands and are subject to periodic flooding. Heat, muddy trails, and mosquitoes are common elements of natural Florida. Visitors should be prepared to encounter all of them.

Contact the Florida Park Service Information Center for general inquiries.
For Information about Charlotte Harbor, please call (941) 575 - 5861.

Hours of Operation

Open 8 a.m. - sundown 365 days a year.

Driving Directions

The administrative, resource management and facilities maintenance offices are located on Burnt Store Road in Punta Gorda approximately 3 miles south of US 41/Tamiami Trail. Other access points to the park are available in Cape Coral, Cape Haze, El Jobean, Little Pine Island and Rotonda.