Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center Programs
Alligator Creek Preserve – Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center, 10941 Burnt Store Rd, Punta Gorda, FL 33955
About
Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center Programs include guided hikes, wading trips, kayak tours, animal encounters, science experiments, and field trips. The programs also offer topical lectures, curated films, a lecture series, Wild Wednesdays curated nature films, eco kayak tours, wading adventures, seasonal camps, nighttime guided hikes, and Little Explorers environmental education with live animal ambassadors and unique exhibits. Activities take place in a living laboratory environment with hands-on environmental education using animals, experiments, and field experiences.
• Ages: 10–18 years old
• Schedule: Office hours Monday–Friday 8am–4pm, with trails open 7 days a week from dawn to dusk; Cedar Point open Monday–Saturday 8am–4pm; free guided hikes every Tuesday during season; Wild Wednesdays on select Wednesdays during season
• Price: Paid wading trips are $15.00 per person with a minimum of 6 persons
The Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center, established in 1987 from Charles E. Caniff Sr.'s vision of an environmental center in Charlotte County, Florida, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing environmental education, recreation, and conservation efforts to the local community and beyond. CHEC provides educational and community outreach programs, conservation efforts, and land management, and relies on volunteers to help carry out its mission. CHEC offers topical lectures, guided hikes, an environmental film series, and outreach programs that focus on Florida ecosystems and wildlife. For eco kayak tours, no experience or equipment is needed because the outfitter provides everything, and participants are asked to bring drinking water and sun protection, with children 10 and older allowed and anyone under 16 sharing a double-seated kayak with an adult. For wading trips, guests are asked to bring sun protection and water and are encouraged to wear sneakers or water shoes.
Last updated February 13, 2026.
• Ages: 10–18 years old
• Schedule: Office hours Monday–Friday 8am–4pm, with trails open 7 days a week from dawn to dusk; Cedar Point open Monday–Saturday 8am–4pm; free guided hikes every Tuesday during season; Wild Wednesdays on select Wednesdays during season
• Price: Paid wading trips are $15.00 per person with a minimum of 6 persons
The Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center, established in 1987 from Charles E. Caniff Sr.'s vision of an environmental center in Charlotte County, Florida, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing environmental education, recreation, and conservation efforts to the local community and beyond. CHEC provides educational and community outreach programs, conservation efforts, and land management, and relies on volunteers to help carry out its mission. CHEC offers topical lectures, guided hikes, an environmental film series, and outreach programs that focus on Florida ecosystems and wildlife. For eco kayak tours, no experience or equipment is needed because the outfitter provides everything, and participants are asked to bring drinking water and sun protection, with children 10 and older allowed and anyone under 16 sharing a double-seated kayak with an adult. For wading trips, guests are asked to bring sun protection and water and are encouraged to wear sneakers or water shoes.
Last updated February 13, 2026.
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