Sleeping Turtles Preserve North

Sleeping Turtles Preserve North includes 173 acres of land in Sarasota County, Florida that were purchased in four parcels during 2003 and 2004 through the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program (ESLPP). The name "Sleeping Turtles" comes from descriptions on naval maps from the 1800s of the Myakka River. The park includes floodplain swamps, pine flatwoods, upland mixed forests and seasonal wetlands; habitats for gopher tortoises, swallow-tailed kites, alligators and song birds. The preserve can be toured on five miles of unpaved hiking trail and is located at 3462 Border Road in Venice.