Explore the Lakeland Ridge on a short trail that showcases prime gopher tortoise habitat.

It’s an unexpected find, this quiet preserve down a dirt road not far from the waves of suburban sprawl pushing south from the Polk Parkway, letting Lakeland flow towards Bartow. One of the first acquisitions for Polk County’s Environmental Lands Program and undoubtedly one of the more heavily used, the Lakeland Highlands Scrub protects 160 acres of untouched habitats along the Lakeland Ridge. The Lakeland Ridge covers roughly 300 square miles along the west side of Polk County, forming a natural watershed divide between the Hillsborough and Alafia Rivers and the Peace River, which all start in the Green Swamp north of Lakeland.

Higher elevations support scrub – which in turn supports the threatened Florida scrub-jay and the endangered gopher tortoise – while a gradient of elevations host sandhills, pine flatwoods, prairies, marshes, and basin swamp. I’ve been told, but haven’t been able to verify, that the preserve contains the southernmost natural waterfall in Florida, hidden off-trail somewhere near the northern boundary of the property. There are two trails to choose from—a 2.2-mile multi-use loop, open to equestrians, bikers, and hikers, and an easy 0.6 mile walking loop. After finding the multi-use loop (which follows old roads) mostly a swamp after a heavy rain, I suggest the hiking-only trail as your best introduction to the preserve.