Coastal Prairie Trail

Coastal Prairie Trail is an out-and-back from the back of Flamingo Campground's Loop C to Clubhouse Beach on Florida Bay. It follows an old road through buttonwood hammock and open coastal prairie, then turns off the roadbed to the beach. The mapped line is about 6.2 miles one way, or roughly 12 miles round trip. The park's pages disagree: a newer listing gives six miles one way, while an older trail page and map list 7.5; another route-by-route account reaches the beach at 5.6. Use 12 miles as the planning figure, and reserve a full day.

Start at the trailhead at the very back of Loop C. At the first junction, the shorter Bayshore Loop branches left; stay right on the old road for Coastal Prairie. Near the end, turn left off the roadbed toward Clubhouse Beach. The old track continues straight, so it is easy to walk past the beach turn if you are following the road instead of the destination.

The first stretch passes beneath buttonwood and Brazilian pepper. After the Bayshore junctions, the canopy opens onto saltwort prairie dotted with buttonwood islands. There is a brief shady patch, then a longer buttonwood hammock; farther on, the ground dips and black mangrove becomes more common. Expect the route to alternate between shade and long open stretches rather than stay under trees.

A wide muddy section comes before Slagle Ditch, which the trail crosses by bridge, then the route continues through mud flats. A broad marl prairie opens toward Florida Bay near the end. The final left turn cuts through a small thicket and saltwort to Clubhouse Beach, a backcountry campsite that can also be reached by boat. If you camp there overnight, you need a backcountry permit.

The park describes this road as a route once used by cotton pickers and fishermen. The open prairie is built from mud carried inland from Florida Bay during hurricanes, and it supports plants adapted to salty ground. Cape Sable thoroughwort, a federally endangered sunflower-family herb, grows in this habitat; protecting it is why the park leaves this trail unmaintained.

There is very little shade. The sun is intense, and mosquitoes and biting flies can occur year-round, especially in hot, humid weather. Because the trail is not maintained, vegetation and branches may affect the tread; the sticky marl mud can slow you down. This is not wheelchair accessible, and pets are not allowed on park trails. The two-mile Bayshore Loop shares the trailhead if you want a much shorter look at Florida Bay, though it is also currently unmaintained.