I recently visited Venice for three weeks of horse shows at Fox Lea Farms, and on my time off I like to escape to nature while hiking with my dog Annie. Venice affords nature seekers a variety of places to hike including preserves, reserves, state parks and beaches. Below are five places I hiked in Venice.
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Deer Prairie Creek Preserve
Deer Prairie Creek Preserve is located just 15 minutes east of Venice. It provides hikers with a network of more than 60 miles of trails that pass through scrubby flatwoods, hammock, and wetlands.
The preserve supports the threatened Florida scrub-jay and protects 6 miles of the Myakka River, the only river in Florida designated as a “Wild and Scenic River. It also provides complete protection of Deer Prairie Creek, a tributary of the Myakka River.
The trails are a mixture of hard packed sand and grass as well as softer sand areas. When my dog Annie and I hiked a 6.4 mile loop, parts were overgrown, parts were low lying mud, and parts were deep sand. The portion which traveled by the river provided limited, though pretty views of the water with a few bird sightings.
There are many interconnecting trails without names, just numbered posts, so I highly recommend a map or AllTrails to find your way in this dog friendly park in Venice.
T Mabry Carlton, Jr. Memorial Reserve
The T Mabry Carlton, Jr Memorial Reserve is also located just east of the Venice. The Reserve, named after former Sarasota County commissioner, Mabry Carlton, Jr., is Sarasota County’s largest well field which is the primary source of Sarasota County’s drinking water.
The 24,565 acre Carlton Reserve includes restrooms, a picnic area, primitive camping, and 100 miles of trails. The trails are color coded and well-marked at each intersection with sign posts.
When I visited, I took the Red Trail, a three-mile loop that passed through pined flatwoods, oak hammocks, and dry prairie. Unfortunately, my dog Annie couldn’t join as this Reserve is only horse, hiker, and bike friendly. No dogs allowed!
Sleeping Turtles Preserve
Named for its depiction of turtles sunning on a bank on 19th-century naval charts, Sleeping Turtles Preserve is a split sanctuary featuring over five miles of unpaved, shaded trails through a diverse landscape of pine flatwoods and floodplain swamps.
The North section is distinguished by its dramatic river bluffs offering scenic views of the Myakka River, while the South section features a 1.4-mile loop around a 20-acre lake that was originally a limestone quarry for the construction of Interstate 75.
The Ligon Area of Sleeping Turtles Preserve north section is dog friendly, so that is where Annie and I ended up hiking a two-mile loop in this 373 acre natural sanctuary. Several sandy trails intersect between the palmettos and canopy without much signage, so snap a photo of the map or download AllTrails. The most picturesque part follows the Myakka River.
Oscar Scherer State Park
Oscar Scherer State Park is located in Osprey, Florida between Venice and Sarasota. This 1,400 acre sanctuary is a critical haven for the Florida scrub-jay, the state’s only endemic bird species, which thrives in the park’s carefully managed scrubby flatwoods.
Visitors can traverse over 15 miles of diverse hiking trails, where the landscape shifts from sun-drenched sandy paths to the shaded, cool corridors of oak hammocks along South Creek. Whether you are seeking a meditative walk through pine forests or a chance to spot nesting bald eagles in the winter, the park offers a raw, authentic look at Old Florida’s unique ecosystems.
During our visit to this dog friendly park, which requires a nominal entrance fee, Annie and I hiked the 4.8 yellow trail which circles a small swimming pond and follows sandy trails among changing landscape. The trek is pretty well marked, though there are several intersecting trails, so a map or AllTrails is helpful. Historians will appreciate the loop crossing the Legacy Trail, a rails to trails project, next to the South Creek Trestle built in 1911.
Brohard Paw Park and Beach
While Brohard Paw Park and Beach doesn’t exactly offer hiking in Venice. It does provide a nice beach walk where dogs can run free. In fact, it is the only beach area in Sarasota County where dogs are permitted to roam and swim off leash.
The area combines a 22-acre park with a designated 900-foot stretch of shoreline specifically for canine companions. There is ample parking with restrooms and showers too!
Overall, there are a handful of places to hike near Venice, many of which are dog friendly. ETB
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