Don’t arrive at the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge (13233 State Rd. 29 S., 239/658-6163, sunrise–sunset daily, free) expecting to see any panthers. The endangered cats have had these 26,400 acres allocated to them for a reason; most of the refuge is off-limits to the public for the safety of both the people and the panthers.
There are, however, two accessible hiking trails. The Leslie M. Duncan Trail is a short wheelchair-accessible route that loops for 0.3 mile through a hardwood hammock. The other, unnamed trail is longer—1.3 miles—and though it is well-marked, it is unimproved and can get quite muddy, but because few people make their way along this trail, wildlife is much more likely to be seen.