One of the difficulties of searching for parks in the Peace River basin is there are multiple Peace River Parks and multiple Peace River Trails.
Hiking this riverside park in Wauchula, we knew this Peace River Park is the one we’d recommend over all others.
Observation decks and boardwalks are key components of the trail systemAlong a network of trails shaded by an old-growth floodplain forest canopy, primitive campsites serve both paddlers and walk-in tent campers.
Boardwalks span floodplain swamps. Observation decks and bluffs offer views of the river, the most impressive of which is from the top of a four-story tower above the landing.
Peace River landingResources
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Overview
Location: Wauchula
Length: 1.4 miles
Trailhead: 27.549068, -81.797165
Address: 1322 E Main St, Wauchula
Fees: Free
Restroom: None observed, but nearby Crews Park has them
Land Manager: City of Wauchula
Phone: 863-773-3535 (after hours, 863-773-3132)
Open 7 AM to dusk. No alcohol. Leashed dogs welcome; you must pick up after your pet. This park floods when the Peace River rises. Do not enter flowing water if over a trail.
No use of motorized vehicles allowed to access campsites. Campsites are free, but you must call for reservations and abide by campsite rules. Bank fishing is permitted.
Trail junctions are largely unmarked with many different routes possible. Take a map and GPS with you to find your way back to the trailhead.
Guided hikes are offered during the winter months, check their website for a schedule.
Directions
From Lakeland, drive south on US 98 to Bartow and join US 17 south. Drive 23.4 miles to Wauchula. Turn east on Main St (SR 636) and continue 0.9 miles. Turn right at the sign.
Hike
Start at the trailhead kiosk and snap a photo of the map or grab one if available. Heading straight for treeline, walk by the caretaker’s residence.
Cross a bridge over a stream deeply carved into the forest. Turn left, passing an unmarked turnoff to Campground #1 on the right.
Entrance bridgeBroad and shaded, the trail parallels the mild curves of the waterway. Tall stands of Guinea grass dominate the understory.
Common to all the parks we visited in the Peace River floodplain, Guinea grass is an invasive from Africa looks like it belongs on an open savanna where lions roam.
Tannic waterwayLive oaks form the high canopy of a forest punctuated by cabbage palms. Drawing closer to the bluff above the tannic stream, the trail provides views of its showy curves.
Reach a large clearing with a bench at 0.2 mile and three trails radiating from it. No signage indicates where each of them goes, but checking the map helps.
Trail map displayed at entrance kiosk shows connectionsThe path along the stream edges up to the highway and reaches the river near the highway bridge. The map shows a connection under the bridge to Crews Park.
We could find no trail leading from that park to this one. The rough rocks under the bridge made it unlikely, and it’s a busy fishing area which had a crowd when we checked.
Trail junction looking towards boardwalkThe trail to the right heads for the camping area. Tempted by a broad boardwalk and the promise of more beyond it, we took the path straight ahead.
At the boardwalk, bear right. It crosses a depression in the forest, perhaps a sinkhole.
Crossing the boardwalkAscending, the sandy pathway carves a swath through the tall grass, curving past towering oaks. A colorful interpretive sign lists five habitats common to the Peace River watershed.
A boardwalk above a grassy marsh edged with Virginia willow leads into a hydric hammock dominated by cabbage palms.
Bench in palm hammockWeaving between palm trunks, pass a bench, catching glimpses of a much larger willow marsh beyond the palms. A low bridge spans an ephemeral stream.
Snaking between palms and cedars, reach the next boardwalk at a half mile. A massive live oaks anchors the bluff on the near end.
Live oak at boardwalkWhile dry beneath on our visit, this broad basin undoubtedly empties the willow marsh, which likely occupies a former oxbow of the river.
Ascend a sand bluff to an intersection of trails at a bench and interpretive sign on the wetland swamp.
Trail junction on river bluffContinue across to the observation deck for your first look over the edge at the Peace River below. Broad and tannic, it’s edged by forest-topped bluffs on both sides.
Leaving this observation deck, the junction is another decision point.
Peace River below the observation deckTurning right leads to another observation point to make a loop of a mile, returning to the four-way junction where the boardwalks began, back along the stream-paralleling path.
We turned left to make a longer loop. Edged by the ubiquitous tall grass, the pathway ambles over crests and through dips in the folded landscape.
Fold of a dry river channelStaying behind the bluffs, this walk offers few glimpses of the river, but the live oaks along it are immense.
An obvious side path ends below a sandy bluff at the river at a spot designated as a low water kayak launch on the map.
River launch in forestCircle a low basin with towering cypress and tupelo. Reach a deeper drop through an obvious drainage point, the river visible in the distance through this natural funnel in the bluffs.
A steeper ascent follows, with the surprise of an all-metal observation tower dominating the clearing ahead.
A dip through the drainage areaBuilt to withstand the floodwaters that sweep along the Peace River, its steep staircase and large deck are made of the sort of metal grating seen on drawbridges.
Four stories tall, it’s quite the climb, but the view from the far top corner is worth the workout. From all perspectives, you’re largely above tree canopy atop this roofed tower.
Top floor of the towerDescend and walk down to the landing. Ramps guide paddlers up to a decent rest stop and the promise of nearby camping on multi-day trips.
A sheltered picnic pavilion sits in this open area at 0.8 mile. There is also an interpretive sign, but an on-the-ground map or signage would’ve helped in planning the return loop.
Picnic area and landing as seen from towerSince the downriver route marked as the Wetland Trail didn’t look recently maintained, we turned right at the picnic pavilion, walking in to Campground #2.
Make a right to exit the campground and the next left at the Scenic Overlook sign to walk the opposite direction from the tower.
Path around Campground #2While still beautifully canopied, this outer edge of the trail system is a broad forest road providing park staff access to the campground and riverfront.
Skip the next trail on the right to stay with the outer edge of this loop, passing additional campsites at the north end of Campground #2.
Pine flatwoods signAscending away from the river into upland habitat still dominated by cabbage palms, reach a junction with an interpretive sign on pine flatwoods. Take the trail straight past it.
Pines remain a rarity, although oaks now outnumber the palms. A sandy curve in a grassy spot leads to a clearing at 1.2 miles where a mound of soil is topped with grass.
Closing in on a clearingTurn right into the forest and make the next left, resuming the outer route beyond the mound. The canopy opens up, the forest now largely oaks.
The surface becomes graveled as a distant structure comes into focus: the caretaker’s home past the bridge.
Approaching Campground #1Passing entry points to Campground #1 on the right, walk under the arching trunk of a massive live oak to complete the loop.
Cross the bridge and return to the parking area to finish this 1.4 mile inner circuit of Peace River Park.
By adding on the Wetland Trail at the south end (if accessible), you can extend the hike to 2 miles.
One of the entrances to Campground #1Trail Map
Explore More!
Learn more about the Peace River
Peace River Rising from marshes in the Green Swamp basin in Lakeland, the Peace River winds through fossil-rich Bone Valley west of the Lake Wales Ridge, reaching the Gulf of Mexico at Charlotte Harbor.Video
Hiking Peace River Park
Slideshow
See our photos from Peace River Park
Nearby Adventures
Hardee Lakes County Park A collection of former phosphate pits adjoining the floodplain of Paynes Creek provide anglers and campers with a destination west of the Peace River basin. 
Pioneer Park A surprisingly scenic walk along the Peace River and through its floodplain, the loop trail at Pioneer Park starts and ends near the Cracker Trail Museum at Zolfo Springs.
Brownville Park Upriver from Arcadia, this 75-acre county park in the Peace River floodplain with fascinating geologic features centers on camping, paddling, and fossil hunting.
Morgan Park On an easy-to-follow trail network, enjoy exceptional views of the Peace River from surprisingly high bluffs just west of downtown Arcadia.
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