A long time ago, I discovered that the Lake Wales – Frostproof area in southern Polk County was one of the most hiking-rich areas in the state. Given the mix of state parks, county natural lands, wildlife management areas and state forests – plus The Nature Conservancy’s grand Tiger Creek Preserve – and it’s no wonder that protection of this biologically fragile region means plenty of places to explore.
Caloosa Nature Trail - Atop Florida’s most ancient of landscapes, the Lake Wales Ridge, the Audubon Center at Babson Park has a mission of interpreting the uniqueness of the plants and animals that call this island of biodiversity home. [...]
Catfish Creek Preserve State Park - Hang on for one wild walk! Allan David Broussard Catfish Creek Preserve State Park isn’t just “a perfect example of Lake Wales Ridge Scrub,” it’s a landscape unlike any other you’ll find in Florida. The [...]
Crooked Lake Prairie - In a region where development has started to spread, Crooked Lake Prairie is a refreshing excursion into habitats found on the high hills of the Lake Wales Ridge. The network of interlinking loop trails includes [...]
Hickory Lake Scrub - Along the eastern shore of Hickory Lake, this 57-acre preserve showcases some of the unusual plants you can only find on the Lake Wales Ridge. When the rest of Florida was under a few feet [...]
Lake Kissimmee State Park – Buster Island Loop - Comprised of wet prairies, pine flatwoods, oak hammocks, and scrub, Buster Island in Lake Kissimmee State Park is indeed an island, surrounded by three lakes and waterways that flow into them. The trail loops through [...]
Lake Kissimmee State Park – North Loop & Gobbler Ridge - Most visitors to Lake Kissimmee State Park never see the lake. Certainly, they see the marina, and the Zipprer Canal that connects Lake Rosalie and Lake Kissimmee. Alligators sun on the canal banks, and you [...]
SUMICA - The prairies of Central Florida are fascinating places, rich with wildlife. Here, you’ll see flocks of wild turkeys and sandhill cranes, and that unusual looking falcon, the caracara. Protecting more than 4,000 acres of this [...]
Tiger Creek Preserve – Jenkins Trail - Starting at a small trailhead off a side road off Wakeford Rd, the Jenkins Trail leads you to a cool tannic stream slicing through the desert-like scrub of the Lake Wales Ridge: Tiger Creek, for [...]
