Florida Parks

Lovers Key State Park

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Last Saturday we enjoyed the opportunity to explore scenic Lovers Key State Park (full name: Lovers Key Carl E. Johnson State Park), which lies just south of Fort Myers Beach. The 1,616-acre Lovers Key State Park encompasses the barrier islands of Lovers Key, Inner Key, Black Island and Long Key. Highlights of Lovers Key State Park include 2.5 miles of white sandy beaches with some of the best shelling Southwest Florida, as well as hiking and biking trails, kayaking and canoeing opportunities, a boat ramp, saltwater fishing, wildlife viewing (we saw two gopher tortoises) and a beachside concession stand. A free tram service runs from the first parking area to the south beach. We’ll definitely be back soon!

Wandering Palm Island Park

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Just about every time I get to Mount Dora, I make sure to stop by Palm Island Park for a quick stroll on the scenic boardwalk. I always manage to view something different that makes the stroll worthwhile. Yesterday, I saw a bunch of black vultures just hanging out on a fallen tree. If you’ve never been to Palm Island Park, I urge you to make the trip when you get a chance. Highly recommended!

Sunday Hike at Kelly Park

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A series of renovations are taking place at Kelly Park in Apopka, so we could not go anywhere near Rock Springs (which is closed to swimmers and tubers due to the pandemic), but we still enjoyed a scenic hike along the Kelly Loop Trail (1.5 miles). No wildlife sightings this time out, but a nice time nonetheless and we pretty much had the whole trail to ourselves!

Return to Lettuce Lake Park

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It was just under a year ago when we first visited Lettuce Lake Conservation Park, which lies off I-75 in Tampa and just minutes from the University of South Florida campus. So we jumped at the chance to visit again on Sunday and we were not disappointed! One of the most visited parks in Hillsborough County, Lettuce Lake Park “lies in the natural floodplain of the Hillsborough River” and features a hardwood swamp forest that can be experienced via a 3,500-foot boardwalk and observation tower. During this outing, we saw two Florida alligators, a baby turtle and several bird species, including the white ibis. Entrance fee is $2 (cash only). Don’t miss it!

Brownie Wise Park

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On the afternoon of New Year’s Eve, we found ourselves in Kissimmee and decided to explore Brownie Wise Park, a charming natural oasis located within the Tupperware Island Conservation Area and overlooking Lake Tohopekaliga (Toho to locals), which is part of the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes. Although there isn’t much of a hiking trail, Brownie Wise Park features picnic areas, pavilion rentals, and a canoe and kayak launch. At this point, you may be asking, “Who the hell is Brownie Wise?” She was a Tupperware business pioneer, who “lived on the shores of the lake until she died in 1992 at the age of 79 and owned land in the area,” according to the Orlando Sentinel.

 

 

Eagle Nest Park

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Ideally located in the MetroWest area of Orlando and adjacent to Eagle Nest Elementary, small but charming Eagle Nest Park offers the perfect locale for an afternoon stroll. Best of all, we spotted plenty of wildlife, including wading birds and turtles sunning (unfortunately, no eagle sightings this time out!). In addition, Eagle Nest Park serves as a trailhead for the Shingle Creek Trail.

Colt Creek State Park

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Encompassing more than 5,000 acres, Colt Creek State Park within the Green Swamp just north of Lakeland features “large strands of vulnerable longleaf flatwoods, lakes and winding creeks, thick cypress domes and open vistas.” It is home to an abundance of wildlife such as white-tailed deer, American alligators, otters, gopher tortoises, Sherman’s fox squirrels, bobcats, bald eagles and wading birds. Florida black bears have been spotted here as well. Highlights of Colt Creek State Park include 15 miles of multiuse trails and the short but scenic 0.25-mile Mac Lake Nature Trail, as well as pavilions, picnic tables, a 75-foot dock, canoe and kayak rentals, and campsites for tent/RV, primitive and group camping. A relatively new addition to the Florida State Park System, Colt Creek State Park first opened in 2007. 

 

Lake Lily Park

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We were enjoying an amazing margherita pizza outside at Antonio’s Market & Cafe in Maitland on Saturday afternoon when we first noticed a scenic lake full of birds across the street, so we decided to venture over for a stroll after lunch. That’s how we discovered 10-acre Lake Lily Park, which is billed as “one of the true gems of the Maitland park system.” Highlights of Lake Lily Park include a 0.5-mile walking trail with boardwalk, playground, restrooms and park benches, along with the Waterhouse Museum, a stunningly preserved 19th-century home. Don’t miss it!

 

 

Tucker Ranch Revisited

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Looking to social distance during the holidays and enjoy some quality time in the great outdoors? Look no farther than Tucker Ranch Recreation and Nature Complex in Winter Garden. Ideally located off Avalon Road, Tucker Ranch is a true hidden treasure in Central Florida. Grab a picnic lunch and take a hike while enjoying the natural beauty of the surroundings. Leashed dogs are allowed. So, what are you waiting for? Get up from the couch, turn off the TV and get some fresh air at Tucker Ranch!

Thursby House at Blue Spring State Park

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“Louis Thursby, one of the area’s first European settlers, came here with his family in 1857. He hoped that being close to the river would help him to grow wealthy, and so he built an orange grove and a pier for passing steamships. The Thursby house is preserved as it looked at the turn of the 20th century, capturing Florida in a momentous period of transition between frontier and modern state.” – www.floridastateparks.org

“Thursby House was built by Louis Thursby, who left Brooklyn to fight in the Mexican War, was discharged in California, then settled at Blue Spring in the late 1860s. He was one of the first on the upper St. Johns to establish orange groves and a steamboat landing so he could send oranges downriver. His activities attracted other orange growers to the Orange City area.” – Michael Strutin, Florida State Parks: A Complete Recreation Guide, 2000

“In 1872 the Thursby family built a big frame house on the top of an ancient snail shell mound. The house and grounds have been restored to look as they did in the 1880s when oranges grew in the yard and the family sent their crops to Jacksonville by steamboat.” – Diana and Bill Gleasner, Florida: Off the Beaten Path, 2003