Author: Cecilia

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary 
Corkscrew swamp sanctuary is a 14,000 acre wildlife sanctuary near Naples, Florida.  It contains the largest remaining Bald Cypress Forest in North America.
Accessibility as described on tripadvisor   and on   Disabled Travel on VisitFlorida
Here is their website.  The sanctuary was founded in 1954 and is an Audubon Society property.  Here is Audubon’s website about Corkscrew.  Phone 239-348-9151
Wheelchair Accessible A 2.25 mile boardwalk goes through pine flatwoods, wet prairie, around a marsh, and into the old growth Bald Cypress.    There is also another, one mile, boardwalk.
As of November, 2017: “Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary has reopened after Hurricane Irma and we are offering a reduced admission price of $10 for adults and children under 18 are FREE. The boardwalk experience includes the short loop as we continue to repair the additional boardwalk areas.”

Lake Lotus Park at Altamonte Springs

Altamonte Springs -Lake Lotus Park
Lake Lotus Park is s a 150 acre nature preserve in Altamonte Springs.  It is open Thursdays through Sundays.
There is a mile long boardwalk, but no description of how easy it is to get on and off.  A shuttle from the parking lot to the heart of the park runs every 45 minutes, but again, no mention as to whether it can accommodate wheelchairs.  Better call before you go.  Here is a description from Florida Hikes.  Reviews on Yelp.  Phone 407-293-8885  This is Altamonte Springs’ website.   Lake Lotus Park

West Palm Beach Parks and Recreation

West Palm Beach Parks and Recreation
Grassy Waters Preserve of West Palm Beach has accessible trails.  The Preserve is a 23 square mile “remnant of the once great Everglades system.  A mosaic of wetlands, tree islands, and forested hammocks, Grassy Waters Preserve is home to a variety of native wildlife.”   There are a number of attractive-sounding trails.  Trail System    Call for trail conditions: 561-804-4985  Here are the websites for Grassy Waters and for West Palm Beach Parks and Recreation.
Wheelchair Accessible Cypress Boardwalk Trail 1 mile round trip through marsh and cypress swamp.  It is “wheelchair and stroller friendly”.  Brochure
? Hog Hammock Trail 4.23 miles round trip crushed concrete with intermittent boardwalks through “…restored and natural wetland communities including cabbage palm hammock, mesic pine flatwoods, forrested wetlands, and cypress domes.” Brochure
Wheelchair AccessibleApoxee Trail 0.5 miles connecting to other trails, which may be easy depending on trail conditions.  Brochure

Volusia County

Volusia County  Phone 386-239-7873
These beaches do not offer the kind of natural trails this website is really about, but they do offer facilities for disabled visitors.
Wheelchair AccessibleDaytona Beach  Accessibility   Phone 386-255-0415  Wheelchairs

Wheelchair AccessibleNew Smyrna Beach  Brochure

Smyrna Dunes Park in New Smyrna Beach (Volusia County)
Wheelchair AccessibleThis park has “… over 2 miles of boardwalk with views of the Indian River, Ponce Inlet and the Atlantic Ocean. A great view of the lighthouse while walking. Meet other dog lovers and see a wide variety of animals, birds, reptiles, marine life and vegetation in their natural habitat. Note: pets must be leashed at all times.”  This quote is from the New Smryna Beach Visitors Center site.  Phone 386-424-2935.

Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park

Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park
Tarkiln Bayou Preserve empties into Perdido Bay.  It is “home to four species of endangered pitcher plants, as well as other rare and endangered plant species and.  Almost 100 rare plants and animals depend on the wet prairie habitat, including the alligator snapping turtle, sweet pitcher plant, and Chapman’s butterwort.”  Phone 850-492-1595  Here is their website.
Wheelchair AccessibleTarkiln Bayou Trail  0.5mile ADA accessible trail.  “The sidewalk and elevated boardwalk of this trail meanders through prairie, cypress and titi forests.  Benches along the trail provide areas for reflection.  When the trail ends, the observation area provides a scenic view of the bayou.”

Everglades National Park

Everglades National Park
The Everglades spans across 1.5 million acres that stretches over the southern part of Florida. There are three main areas. The northern section of the park is accessible via Miami or Everglades City, the southern section is accessible through Homestead.  The three entrances are not connected.  The Everglades has a “vast diversity of flora and fauna in different eco-systems: freshwater sloughs, marl prairies, tropical hammocks, pineland, cypress, mangrove, coastal lowlands, marine, and estuarine.”
Gulf Coast Visitor Center Phone 239-695-3311  As of November, 2017 the center is closed because of damage from Hurricane Irma.  Call to learn current status.
Flamingo Visitor Center   Phone 239-695-2945  As of November, 2017 the center is partially closed because of damage from Hurricane Irma. Call to learn current status.
Shark Valley Visitor Center  Phone 305-221-8776 As of November, 2017 the center is closed because of flooding from Hurricane Irma. Call to learn current status.
Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center  Phone 305-242-7700      

Facilities, including trails for mobility-impaired visitors.
Information for sight-impaired visitors.

Wheelchair AccessibleAnhinga Trail  0.8 mile round trip “…self-guiding trail winds through a sawgrass marsh, where you may see alligators, turtles, anhingas, herons, egrets, and many other birds, especially during the winter. This is one the most popular trails in the park because of its abundance of wildlife.”
Wheelchair AccessibleGumbo Limbo Trail  0.4 round trip “… self-guiding, paved trail meanders through a shaded, jungle-like hammock of gumbo limbo trees (Bursera simaruba), royal palms (Roystonea elata), ferns, and air plants.”
Wheelchair AccessiblePineland Trail  0.4 mile trail trail “loops through a forest of pines, palmettos, and wildflowers.”
Wheelchair AccessiblePahayokee Overlook  a 0.16 mile boardwalk loop

Wheelchair AccessibleMahogany Hammock Trail  0.5 mile “self-guiding boardwalk trail meanders through a dense, jungle-like hardwook “hammock.” Lush vegetation includes gumbo-limbo trees, air plants, and the largest living mahogany tree (Swietenia mahogani) in the United States.”
Wheelchair AccessibleWest Lake Trail  .05 mile  “self-guided boardwalk trail wanders through a forest of white mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa), black mangrove (Avicennia nitida), red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle), and buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus) trees to the edge of West Lake.”
Wheelchair AccessibleBobcat Boardwalk Trail  0.5 mile “self-guided boardwalk trail that meanders through the sawgrass slough and tropical hardwood forests.”

Rock Creek Park

Rock Creek Park  
Rock Creek Park is 1,754-acre city park that serves as an escape where visitors can find “a peaceful refuge, recreation, fresh air, majestic trees, wild animals, and thousands of years of human history.”
Accessibility   Maps  Hiking   Link to Brochures
Phone 202-895-6000
Wheelchair Accessibleeyelogo copyEdge of the Woods Trail  0.25 mile paved loop trail with interpretive signs, benches, and a rope guide for the visually impaired leads from the  Nature Center which is also wheelchair-accessible.  Here is a video posted on YouTube.