Home › Florida › Punta Gorda › Babcock Ranch Preserve - Footprints Trail
Babcock Ranch Preserve - Footprints Trail
4.5 ★★★★★ 63 Google reviews · Running trail in Punta Gorda, Florida · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Boardwalk
- Loop distance
- 2.6 mi
- Shape
- Loop
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Babcock Ranch Preserve - Footprints Trail's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
What runners say about Babcock Ranch Preserve - Footprints Trail
“Well marked signage and the trail is pretty flat so easily traveled.”
“My car was the only one in the parking lot, walking through the thick woods, all you heard is the bird singing and grass swinging in the wind, very peaceful and inspirational.”
I visited the preserves in the early April. The 2.6 mile trail was dry and well marked. A great place to be in the nature. My car was the only one in the parking lot, walking through the thick woods, all you heard is the bird singing and grass swinging in the wind, very peaceful and inspirational.
Trail is shaded and well marked. It was dry (early April). No Restrooms. Took me a little over an hour to walk the loop. Ran into a doe & her fawn.
Great trail but there are no facilities here so make sure you use the restroom before coming here and bring water. The trail is longer than we expected. We saw snakes and deers and thats because we went with 5 loud kids lol so I’m sure if you are quiet you may be able to see even more wild life here.
One of the better trails I've been on. Its 100% a nature trail and not just a path mowed in someone's back lawn like a lot of trails are. You really are surrounded by nature. No housing development 2 miles away, no telephone poles, no "corporate" pollution.
Trail conditions & character
“Well marked signage and the trail is pretty flat so easily traveled.”
“Thought I'd be spared of any submerged sections but this was not the case with ankle deep water preventing me from doing the complete loop.”
“My car was the only one in the parking lot, walking through the thick woods, all you heard is the bird singing and grass swinging in the wind, very peaceful and inspirational.”
“My car was the only one in the parking lot, walking through the thick woods, all you heard is the bird singing and grass swinging in the wind, very peaceful and inspirational.”
“Great trail but there are no facilities here so make sure you use the restroom before coming here and bring water.”
“If you want to see the everglades up close and not from a car or boardwalk then this is a cool spot I saw deer snakes and plenty of hog sign in the middle of the afternoon.”
Plan your run at Babcock Ranch Preserve - Footprints Trail
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- SurfaceBoardwalk — flat and scenic, and slick when wet, so watch your footing
- Loop distance2.6 mi back to where you parked
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- LightingRunners report lights on the path — useful for pre-dawn and after-work miles. Lighting and opening hours are separate things, so check both.
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- Websitemyfwc.com
- Phone+1 941-575-5860
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | 7 am–7 pm |
| Tuesday | 7 am–7 pm |
| Wednesday | 7 am–7 pm |
| Thursday | 7 am–7 pm |
| Friday | 7 am–7 pm |
| Saturday | 7 am–7 pm |
| Sunday | 7 am–7 pm |
Running trails near Punta Gorda
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
Prairie Creek Preserve
4.6 ★★★★★ 23 reviews
Shores Nature Trail Park
4 ★★★★☆ 125 reviews
Small boardwalk, plus a playground and swings, in a cypress swamp location.
Caloosahatchee Creeks Preserve (East)
4.6 ★★★★★ 513 reviews
Visitors can view the wetlands here on a raised boardwalk or canoe on Popash Creek.
Caloosahatchee Creeks Preserve West
4.3 ★★★★☆ 194 reviews
A boardwalk & wetlands observation deck, plus primitive hiking trails & a canoe/kayak launch.