Showy sprays of sand cordgrass wave in the breeze along a prairie fringed with scrub and marsh

In an area where the Lake Wales Ridge has been mostly given over to agriculture and housing, Crooked Lake Prairie is a refreshing reminder of the natural habitats inherent in the landscape between Babson Park and Frostproof. An extensive network of interlinking loop trails enables you to explore the variety of habitats in this 525-acre preserve. While a sign at the trailhead almost immediately points you down the clockwise side of the 1.3-mile Scrub Trail, one of the highlight of this preserve is the cordgrass prairie, which is best seen by following the Prairie Path. Walking the perimeter of the trails, you can enjoy a hike of roughly three miles.

To start, walk down the broad path, past the restroom, and turn right at the first junction. The trail begins by following a jeep road along the edge of a prairie, passing clusters of sand live oaks as the habitat rises to scrub. You leave the jeep track for a narrow, winding path, following trail markers past clumps of prickly pear cactus and into a corridor of oaks draped heavily in Spanish moss. After a quarter mile, you reach a picnic table overlooking Prairie Lake. The trail then drops down into the marshes which, after a rainfall, can be wet. At 0.4 mile you reach a broad boardwalk over the marsh, with fabulous views of Prairie Lake and the prairie itself. With a built-in observation platform, it’s a popular spot for birding.