Nature Trails at Anne Kolb Nature Center
Four distinct trails, totaling just under five miles, give visitors different ways to move through the mangrove estuary — from a short boardwalk loop to a multi-mile shellrock network open to both hikers and cyclists.
What's here
- Lake Observation Trail — a 0.7-mile round-trip boardwalk winding directly through the mangroves along West Lake.
- Mudflat Trail — a 0.7-mile round trip past giant land-crab holes, ending at an observation deck over the flats.
- Fishing Pier Trail — a paved 0.25-mile round trip along the Intracoastal Waterway, leading out to the fishing pier.
- South Trail — a shellrock network of loops and spurs exceeding 3 miles, open to both hiking and biking.
Good to know
Skating and bicycles aren't permitted on the boardwalk trails — the South Trail is the one built for biking.
Four Trails, Four Ways to Explore
The Lake Observation Trail and Mudflat Trail are both short, 0.7-mile round trips built as boardwalks, giving visitors an easy, mostly flat way to get out into the mangroves without a long commitment of time or effort. The Mudflat Trail in particular passes giant land-crab holes on its way to an observation deck overlooking the flats.
The Fishing Pier Trail is a short paved 0.25-mile route leading out to the Intracoastal fishing pier, while the South Trail is the outlier of the four — a shellrock network of loops and spurs running past three miles, open to hikers and cyclists rather than limited to foot traffic on a boardwalk.
Wildlife Along the Way
The boardwalk trails put visitors close to the mangrove canopy itself, which is where much of the park's bird activity concentrates — herons, egrets, and other wading birds are a regular sight from the Lake Observation Trail in particular.
The Mudflat Trail's observation deck is a good spot to watch for shorebirds working the flats at low tide, and the trail network sees enough migratory activity during peak seasons that even the parking areas can be worth a look before setting out.
Trail Rules & Interpretive Booklets
Skating and bicycles aren't permitted on the boardwalk trails — the South Trail is the one route in the network built to handle bikes, so cyclists should head there rather than the shorter boardwalks near the nature center.
Interpretive booklets are available for both the Lake Observation and Mudflat Trails, giving visitors context for what they're seeing along the way rather than just a path to walk.
See the rest of the park
Nature Trails is one of 6 featured areas at Anne Kolb Nature Center.