Coastal Strand Trail at Smith Creek Landing

The Coastal Strand Trail is an invigorating 2.5-mile hike that begins at Smith Creek Landing. There is parking, a picnic table and restrooms.

The first portion of this leisurely hike takes place in a shady maritime hammock. It occurs on old coastal dunes that have been stabilized long enough for the growth of a forest that can be found in interrupted patches along much of Florida’s coast. The vegetation is pruned and flattened by the salt spray, angling away from the ocean.

Once you reach the powerlines, you will be traversing through sunny coastal strand and looping back. These coastal dunes are vegetated with a dense thicket of salt-tolerant shrubs, which provide excellent cover for small mammals, rodents, reptiles and birds. You might even catch a glimpse of the Atlantic Ocean from one of the high points on the trail.

Be sure to look for the well-placed, interpretive signs located along the hiking trail. They highlight special resident species such as the gopher tortoise and garberia, an increasingly rare plant that lives in dry, scrubby habitats.