Perico Preserve: A Bird-Lover’s Paradise

Perico Preserve in Bradenton begins at Manatee Avenue just before crossing over to Anna Maria Island and meanders north towards Robinson Preserve. It is, in fact, accessible from Robinson Preserve by foot or bicycle along an unpaved trail.

This newer nature preserve had been on my radar for a couple of years, but bigger and flashier parks stole my attention every time I thought about heading to Bradenton for the day.

Then I received one of those monthly “events you might be interested in” emails from Eventbrite – a guided walk at Perico Preserve with a master gardener. A master gardener who, as it turns out, has a huge passion for native plants. I signed up, and let me tell you, if you ever have the chance to attend a guided walk at a nature preserve, take it. I learned so much! And I had a chance to experience this small but beautiful piece of land.

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I pulled into a gravel lot the morning of the walk, three cars already there. On the other side of a wooden post-and-rail fence a man sat on a picnic table beneath a picnic pavilion. A blue porta-potty sat by the gate in the fence. I gathered my camera and favorite Waterfly sling bag and made my way to the picnic table.

Eliott wore all olive green, from his pants to the sun hat on his head. At first glance he appeared quite young but the gray in his hair said maybe he’s just young-looking. He greeted me with a smile, asked if I was there for the walk, and looked up my name on his phone. Over the next ten minutes or so, he repeated the same as others joined us.

Though 9 AM when we started the guided walk, evenings had cooled off quite a bit in the week before, and the morning air kept that crispness. Dew settled on delicate leaves and flowers. Our feet crunched along an unpaved path, but not for long. Eliott stopped us pretty quickly to point at a large shrub with thousands of small flowers which looked like little white tassels. Salt bush. Named for its resemblance to salt. 

This was a pattern we followed for the next two hours as we traversed the 1.4 mile hike around Perico Preserve. Walk and talk, stop and listen, take photos, ask questions. Despite a passion for native plants and Florida’s natural beauty and resources, I learned quite a bit from Eliott. I’ll repeat – if you have a chance to take a guided walk at one of Florida’s many parks, do so. It’s quite the experience.

History of Perico Preserve

Perico Preserve sits on 176 acres that encompasses Florida’s standard hydrophobic sandy soil, wetlands, and waterways. Until 2003, it was a flower farm. A gladiolus farm, specifically. Other things were grown here; I can’t remember what at the moment though. Gladiolus stuck with me; I’d never think this hydrophobic, likely salty soil would be conducive to growing such flowers.

After the farm closed, a developer picked up the property. Or perhaps the farm closed because the developer purchased the land, something we see all too often in Florida. Whatever the sequence of events, the developer’s plans included a golf course and 250 luxury condos. As luck would have it, the Great Recession hit, and the developer backed out of his plans. That’s when Manatee County acquired the property.

Over the next five years, the county stripped the land and recreated it in a way that experts believed it would have looked 150 years ago when it was natural. The property had become overgrown with aggressive invasives – Brazilian pepper, torpedo grass, etc – so the site was basically taken back to the soil. Then, native plants were brought in. Like salt bush. Cedar trees. Muhly grass. Gumbo limbo. Native lime. American beautyberry. Sea grape. And hundreds of others. The only plants which survived from the farm were the native oaks and pines that had lived there for hundreds of years.

Things to Do at Perico Preserve

In the manner of good nature preserves, activities at Perico Preserve include only those which have the least environmental impact. Here, you won’t find restrooms, a visitor center, playgrounds, or an observation tower. There are unpaved trails (some allow bicycles), boardwalks, a couple of benches, and a couple of chickee huts. There’s also a whole natural world to explore.

Bird Watching and Wildlife Viewing

Towards the end of our guided walk, Eliott stopped and said, “It’s been a good wildlife day.” It had, indeed. We saw roseate spoonbills, a wood stork, osprey, aningha and cormorant, butterflies, egrets, herons, gopher tortoises, mullet, and tons of smaller birds.

Early morning and late afternoon are usually the best times for wildlife viewing, when the wildlife is out and about before the heat of the day seeps in. This is true even in the winter when the temperatures are a little more mild.

Hiking at Perico Preserve

Perico Preserve has two stacked loops which end up being about 1.4 miles in length. There is also a 0.3 mile spur which leads to the trail that connects with Robinson Preserve. So, if you do all of it, you can get about 2 miles in. All of the trails are unpaved, but wide and not hard to traverse at all. 

Along the trails, be sure to stop to read the signage and to see the bird blind. Bridges cross various creeks, offering beautiful views of the waterways and ponds. The upper loop begins with a large prairie of muhly grass, a native Florida fountain grass. Though it had shifted colors already when we were there, the last couple of weeks of October are the best to see it in its rich pink color. 

The flatwoods of pine trees and muhly grass give way to wetlands as the trail approaches a tributary of the Manatee River. A boardwalk leads out to the creek through the mangroves and from the pier at the end, you can see Robinson Preserve across the creek.

All told the trails pass through several ecosystems which showcase tons of native plants and wildlife. It’s interesting to note how quickly the terrain changes from dry and sandy to wetland and back again. 

Wrapping It Up: Visiting Perico Preserve

By the end of our guided walk, we had learned about a gopher tortoise’s homing instincts – they will go back to their old burrows and must be confined when relocated until they dig a new one – and all the animals which use a gopher tortoise’s burrow making it a keystone species, the many edible plants found at Perico Preserve, why the mangrove species which is least water tolerant is most salt tolerant, and so much more.

Like I said at the beginning, if you have a chance to take a guided walk, do so. And if you’re in Bradenton, living or visiting, and need a quick nature break, you’ll find that at Perico Preserve. It’s been designed beautifully to bring it back to its natural state and offer a sanctuary for all living things. 

If you’re interested in learning about out parks and preserves that have been restored to more natural settings, you might enjoy reading about Circle B Bar Reserve, a former cattle ranch, and Bonnet Springs Park, a former railyard.

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Hiking Resources:

Hiking Boots: My go-to hiking boot is Merrell’s Waterproof Hiking Boot. It’s extremely comfortable, lightweight, and water-resistant – perfect for Florida!

Hiking Day Pack: This daypack from Waterfly has been the best addition to my outdoor gear this year. I often take my camera and phone as well as the water we have to have in Florida’s heat. This pack is lightweight and has tons of pockets for storing everything I need to take with me.

Swell Water Bottle: I most often take my Swell bottles with me because they keep water cold, a must for me when hiking in Florida’s heat.

Collapsible Water Bottle: This is a great water bottle to keep in a hiking pack and fill at home or keep in the car in case you forget your Swell bottle at home.

Walking Poles: Though Florida’s mostly flat, there are places and times when walking poles are useful. I love these for their durability and because they’re collapsible so are easy to carry and store.

Hotels: We use Booking.com for lodging when we’re ready to compare and book hotels.