The Gumbo-Limbo Trail is accessed from the same parking lot as the Anhinga Trail but unlike the Anhinga Trail which heads out into open space, the Gumbo-Limbo Trail heads into the darker shadows of a forest canopy.
The Gumbo-Limbo tree has red, peeling bark when younger and a waxy red texture when older. It is sometimes called the Tourist Tree in reference to how its peeling bark might mimic the peeling skin of tourists who are exposed to too much sun.
The trail is a short loop ending up back at the parking lot and is home to many colourful snails (which I didn’t see!) as well as smaller animals and reptiles. A number of unusual tree patterns and tree species grown int he area of the trail.
Because a limited amount of light can pierce the canopy, the understory supports a totally different group of plants and animals than is seen along the Anhinga Trail.
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