A Stroll on the Jack C Watson Nature TrailThe Dedication of Jack C Watson in the Pinelands!Just a short distance up the road from the Blue Hole on Big Pine Key, you will see a parking lot and a sign at the trail head of the Jack C Watson Nature Trail. It is well worth the time and energy it takes to walk this beautiful little nature trail. The trail itself is less than a mile long and very easy walking.
This trail winds its way around solution holes and will take you through one of the last and most beautiful slash pine forests in the Florida Keys.
There is something different about walking through the pineland area, maybe a little surreal at times. We like to catch the trail early in the mornings or late in the afternoons. It is truly worth your time just to check it out! The trail has numerous signs along the trail describing the flora and fauna of the area. You can enjoy a nice stroll and educate yourself about the native keys trees at the same time! Avoid the Poisonwood! You will be walking through an area abundant in poisonwood so it is a good idea to wear long sleeved shirts and long pants. Signs will point out the poisonwood early in the walk. Poisonwood is also called hog gum or the Florida Poison Tree. Poisonwood grows wild in south Florida and it is not a bad idea to know it when you see it. It is related to all members of the cashew or sumac family including poison oak. Any part of the tree will carry the sap so you should avoid all contact. We recently had a friend get tangled up in some poisonwood by accident and he ended up missing a weeks worth of work! Thanks to Jack C Watson for his stewardship of the Key Deer and the Big Pine Key. It's nice knowing that our children and theirs will have the opportunity we have enjoyed. The Nature Trail is located at mile marker 30 in the National Key Deer Refuge on Big Pine Key! “If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking. Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk.”
Go from the Jack C Watson Trail page to Island Attractions
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Poisonwood inhabits the hardwood hammocks, the pinelands, and sandy dunes near salt water.
