An absolute “must see” for the nature lover. Want to see the Everglades and especially alligators, but don’t want to drive all the way to Everglades National Park? Then this is the right place for you!
11 miles east of Hwy 75 on Rt. 72 (approx. 30 min. from Siesta Key – Clark Road extension).
Myakka State Park is the largest state park in Florida. As you drive through Myakka State Park, you will pass a small parking lot with signage for the Canopy Walkway. After a short walk you will reach the suspension bridge that leads you to the observation tower.
Climbing the 23m high tower is rewarded with a magnificent view. It is a very beautiful and pristine nature park on the Myakka River. Here you can experience pure nature, especially beautiful in a canoe, which you can rent there. If you don’t feel brave enough to paddle around among alligators, you can take a ride on the big airboat. A ranger will explain everything to you very expertly. You can also enjoy nature on foot or on a bike (you can rent it there) or on a train. Often you should see Alligators (alligators), vultures (vultures), a wide variety of waterfowl, such as great blue heron, egrets (egrets), ibis, ospreys (ospreys), snakebirds (anhinga), cormorants (cormorant), squirrels (squirrels) and hawks (hawks) If you are lucky: Bald eagles (soon to be eagle – the heraldic animal of the USA), deer (deer), spoonbills (spoonbill), cranes (cranes), wild turkeys (wild turkey), white pelicans (white pelicans), foxes (fox), raccoons (racoons), turtles (turtle), wild boar (wild boar), otters (fishotter), armadillos (armadillos), different kinds of snakes, most of them non-poisonous, nevertheless you should walk through grass and bushes only with good shoes. Bring binoculars!
Myakka River is an amazing park to enjoy an immersive experience into a diverse and dynamic natural area that is the Real Florida.
The park is over 37,000 acres and is part of a larger area of conservation referred to as the “Myakka Island,” totaling more than 80,000 acres of conservation lands within Sarasota and Manatee counties.
The park was developed in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. It was centered around the Myakka River and its expansive floodplain. Now a state-designated Wild and Scenic River, the Myakka is primarily fed by rainfall and experiences pulses of high and low water levels seasonally.
Summer rains fill the floodplain, leading to high water levels that are ideal for paddling and experiencing wildlife up close. As the park transitions to the winter and dry season, the floodplain recedes to the river and, by the spring, the river will slowly dry up and even go dry in sections. This dramatic shift in water levels provides quite a different experience for visitors throughout the year.
From the blooms of vivid wildflowers and grasses in the Florida dry prairie in October to a sea of bright yellow coreopsis in the floodplain marshes in May, there is a rich diversity of plant species to observe throughout the park.
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