Welcome to the Winkler Point trails of Estero Bay Preserve State Park.
To hike these trails you will first need an invitation. Not a paper invite but one from mother nature.
If you visit the preserve's web site they will say ..........'This area is very seasonally wet and the trails are difficult to maintain due to the hydrology of the site with trails completely submerged most of the year. Best times to visit are typically January through May when the trails are at their driest.' What they neglect to say is that at times it might be one of the buggiest (flies and mosquitoes) places you will ever experience.
So, how do you get to see this area without getting soaked or carried off by bugs? The answer is to wait for that invitation from mother nature. The invitation will come when a couple of things happen.
Number one. It is important that there be a good breeze blowing to keep the flies and skeeters down. A breeze of 10 mph is OK, 12-15 mph is even better. Paired with a little insect repellent, you will be good to go.
The second thing is the problem with water on the trails. The web site's recommendation of 'January thru May' is usually pretty good for avoiding flooded trails BUT not always. Sometimes it actually rains (heaven forbid) during the dry season. And then, some or all of the trails will flood.
Like all hiking in SW Florida, don't forget to bring plenty of drinking water.
These caches were placed with permission of the Estero Bay Preserve State Park.