2022 01 22 - Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk - Carnestown FL

The address of this place is actually Naples, but Naples is 25 miles away. Carnestown is only five miles away.

A map shows they have big plans for this place. Right now it is an out and back to a small pond via a boardwalk, The map shows a new visitors center and a boardwalk all the way around a nearby lake.

When you are starting the walk, there are a couple of signs that say that a '$3 donation is suggested.'

PICTURE - This was one of the more interesting things on the walk. How these 'vines' attach themselves to trees.

Once we were on the boardwalk there wasn't any wildlife to see. The foliage was think and the ground was wet/water. There are signs along the path that have info about the trees/foliage.

At the end of the boardwalk there is a small pond, less than an acre. Today there was one bird standing in the water there. Some places we were just looking a spiders for something to see.

The trail was just over a mile round trip with the boardwalk staying about two feet off the ground/water.

In a different direction there was an overlook so we walked that way also. It over looked a lake and was about five steps up with enough room for two people to stand. Not sure the point.

PICTURE - A gator in the water less than 10 feet from the bumper of our car.

Up to this point we had only seen a couple of dozen birds. When we saw this guy we stood and watched him for a while. And it did absolutely nothing. OK, it did close it's eyes for a while. Even when a bird walked along the edge of the water between us and the gator it did nothing.