Location: Celery FieldsTrailhead (Google Plus Code): 8HG8+5H Fruitville, FloridaHike Length: 2 milesTime Estimate: one hourHabitats: WetlandsNotes: Lots of bird life! This is an easy walk around some of the best birding in Sarasota. Additionally, there are a variety of plants of interest.
Destinations & Activities
Myakka Hardwood Hammock (Sarasota, FL)
I spent some time in the beautiful hardwood hammock at Myakka River State Park. The hike I went in on is called Fox’s High Trail which is that the north end of the park where there are lots of big oaks and cabbage palms it’s a super wet environment this time of year, wet underfoot, […]
Myakka Pinelands (Sarasota, FL)
I headed out to the mesic flatwoods site reference in Myakka River State Park, which you can get to by going from the main park road to the Ranch House Road trail. Head straight out there all the way to Bee Island Campground and right there is a big stand of longleaf pines, which are […]
Joan M Durante Community Park (Longboat Key, FL)
Fox’s High & Low (MRSP)
Location: Myakka River State ParkTrailhead (Google Plus Code): 7PPV+CX Myakka City, FloridaHike Length: 4 milesTime Estimate: 2-3 hoursHabitats: Hardwood Hammock, Dry PrairieNotes: Generally little traffic at the North end of the park. This is a four-mile hike through hammock, dry prairie and along the stream of Clay Gulley. There is a lot of pig activity […]
Alligator Point (MRSP)
Location: Myakka River State ParkTrailhead (Google Plus Code): 6MWQ+H9 Myakka City, FloridaHike Length: 2 milesTime Estimate: 1- 1.5 hours Notes: Typically a very quiet trail with opportunities to see wildlife. Not the prettiest trail, but many things of interest as you walk next to a cattle ranch.
Oscar Sherer Yellow Trail (OSSP)
Location: Oscar Sherer State ParkTrailhead (Google Plus Code): 5GGQ+CF Osprey, FloridaHike Length: 5.5 milesTime Estimate: 3-4 hoursHabitats: Scrub, Pine FlatwoodsNotes: Nice trail featuring Oscar Sherer’s unique habitat. To see scrub jays and red-headed woodpeckers, go early.
North Lido Key (LK)
Location: Lido KeyTrailhead (Google Plus Code): 8C89+J9 Sarasota, FloridaHike Length: 2.5 milesTime Estimate: two hoursHabitats: Coastal UplandNotes: Beautiful Beach and tidal areas
Bok Tower (Lake Wales, FL)
“Bok Tower — the Taj Mahal of Florida.” With a tag line like that, I didn’t expect much, but the gardens and the estate are beautiful, and well worth the 2+ hour drive to get us there. There are landscapes in Florida that feel like invitations—open-armed gestures from the natural world to slow down, breathe […]
Clay Gully/Mossy Hammock (MRSP)
Location: Myakka River State ParkTrailhead (Google Plus Code): 7PPW+QM Myakka City, FloridaHike Length: 3-5 milesTime Estimate: three hoursHabitats: Hardwood Hammock, Dry Prairie, WetlandsNotes: Almost always has some wet trail. Watch for alligators near streams. This is a beautiful little hike that starts along the south side of Clay Gulley and explores Myakka’s hydric and mesic […]
Power Line/Ranch House Loop (MRSP)
Location: Myakka River State ParkTrailhead (Google Plus Code): 7P24+GC Myakka City, FloridaHike Length: 3 milesTime Estimate: 2 hoursHabitats: Hardwood Hammock, Dry Prairie, WetlandsNotes: This is a relatively dry hike, good for a wet season, and it’s on flat, fairly even ground. However, always be prepared for some wetness under foot. The hike covers a variety […]
All Weather/Horse Trail Loop (MRSP)
Location: Myakka River State ParkTrailhead (Google Plus Code): 6PF2+Q8Hike Length: 2.5 milesTime Estimate: two hoursNotes: Almost always has some wet trail. You don’t need to go into the park entrance to access this – Access the Horse trail from 72, 1.4 miles east of the park’s south entrance. The hike is on flat ground, but […]
Three Sisters Springs (Crystal River, FL)
There are a handful of places in Florida where the world seems to breathe differently—slower, cleaner, with a kind of crystalline patience that feels almost ancient. Three Sisters Springs in Crystal River is one of these places. It is the closest thing our wild peninsula has to a natural cathedral: clear water glowing like liquid […]
Deep Hole (MRSP)
Location: Myakka River State ParkTrailhead (Google Plus Code): 6MRC+45 Myakka City, FloridaHike Length: 5 milesTime Estimate: 3+ hoursHabitats: Hardwood Hammock, Dry Prairie, WetlandsNotes: Requires permit – contact Ranger’s office for information. If the water is high, you cannot access Deep Hole – check with ranger station.
Lemur Foundation (Myakka City, FL)
We spent a few hours visiting the Lemur Conservation Foundation in Myakka City — totally great! There are certain days in the life of a Florida naturalist that sparkle brighter than the rest—days when the wild comes a little closer, when a creature from another hemisphere peers at you with curious golden eyes, and suddenly the world […]