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Rules for visitation to a State Archaeological Site
Vascular plants of the Estero Bay and Barrier Island Environs
Birds of the Estero Bay and Barrier Island Environs
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For canoe and kayak enthusiasts, the Hell Peckney Bay Canoe and Kayak Trail offers the opportunity to explore some of the most pristine marine habitat in Southwest Florida. Located in the shallowest upper reaches of the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve and accessed via Matanzas Channel, Hell Peckney Bay's protected waters are made up numerous small, inner-connected bays and tidal creeks. Sightings of our area's diverse marine wildlife, including wading birds, osprey and southern bald eagle, fish and rays, Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, and an occasional manatee are all but guaranteed.
 Click here to view a slideshow of the Canoe and Kayak Trail.
 Click here to view a video clip of the Canoe and Kayak Trail.
Roseate spoonbills at midday roost, Hell Peckney Bay. Photo courtesy Calusa Coast Outfitters |
The well-marked trail is made up of two possible routes, the longest 5.5 miles, the shorter 3.75 miles. Each route offers tunnels through red mangroves and numerous adjacent tidal creeks to explore. Hell Peckney Bay is extremely shallow-its average water depth as listed on USCDS charts is one foot above mean lower low water-a perfect depth for low-impact usage by paddlers in this ultra-sensitive marine habitat. Red and black mangroves abound, providing critical resting and roosting habitat for birds. Vast beds of turtle, shoal and manatee grasses and the marine life they shelter are visible beneath the surface in the shallow waters.
From the water's edge, there is a shell path leading up through the mangroves to a large Calusa Indian shell mound. The site was partially destroyed during this century by commercial shell quarrying, but the remaining shell mound has a high, flat summit with a lower descending flank on one side and steep-walled canyons at the quarry area on the other. Evidence of the site's occupation by Euro-American fisherfolk during this century is still visible today.
West Indian Manatee. Drawing courtesy WCIND |
STATUS: Under Development; Guided tours, self-guided tours and canoe and kayak rentals for the Hell Peckney Bay Canoe and Kayak Trail will be offered through the Fort Myers Beach Cultural and Environmental Learning Center beginning Winter, 1999.
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