“Developers seeking to build on land colonized by tortoises typically agree to contribute to a habitat fund or set aside a relatively small parcel. It’s called mitigation, a lame charade intended to make the state appear vigilant and to make developers appear caring.” – Carl Hiaasen, Dance of the Reptiles (2014)
As I mentioned before, few natural places (if any) in Central Florida can surpass Orlando Wetlands Park in Christmas when it comes to viewing Florida wildlife, including alligators and a myriad of bird species. Last time out, I spotted this softshell turtle chilling out under a bench. Very cool!
After hearing great things about Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland, we finally got the opportunity to visit and enjoy just a small sampling of this amazing wildlife habitat. A former cattle ranch on the shore of Lake Hancock, Circle B Bar Reserve encompasses 1,267 acres and contains a diversity of great hiking trails. We saw several alligators and the reserve was also teeming with various bird species. We will definitely return soon to explore other areas of Circle B Bar Reserve. Highly recommended!
Part of the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, the 7-mile, one-way Black Point Wildlife Drive allows you to view wildlife in its natural habitat such as alligators, snakes, river otters, bobcats, wading birds, waterfowl (in season), raptors and shorebirds without exactly roughing it. The cost is $10 per vehicle and the drive takes approximately 40 minutes (there are frequent stops along the way). Don’t miss it!
The other day I hiked Lake Louisa State Park for the first time. I decided to hike a 2-mile loop around Bear Lake because it sounded pretty cool. Although I didn’t run into any bears, I did see three deer and a gopher tortoise. I also viewed Lake Louisa, Big Creek and Wilderness Point (a primitive camping area). I will definitely be back soon to check out some of the other hiking trails at this huge state park in Clermont.
It had been well over a year since I visited Trout Nature Center in Eustis and I spent a couple of hours wandering around the short hiking trails here looking for wildlife. I did spot a Florida box turtle sauntering along, so that was definitely a highlight of my visit. The impressive oak tree near the entrance is another not-to-be-missed site at Trout Nature Center, as well as a stroll along the scenic boardwalk to the lake itself. Highly recommended!
For obvious safety reasons, swimming and tubing are not currently allowed at Rock Springs. However, this means that hikers and wildlife viewers have a great opportunity to check out Kelly Park without the throngs of people that usually descend upon Rock Springs throughout the entire summer. In fact, once you head out a little ways on the scenic 1.5-mile Kelly Loop Trail, you will pretty much have the whole trail to yourself. The last two times we’ve visited, we were lucky enough to view some deer, including the fawn pictured above.
If you have guests visiting Central Florida, the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive is the ideal spot to take them to get a taste of Florida wildlife, including Florida alligators, Florida softshell turtles and an incredible diversity of bird species. In fact, more than 360 bird species have been spotted here. Operated by the St. Johns River Water Management District, the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive is a 11-mile, one-way drive with a speed limit of 10 miles per hour (so budget about 2 hours of your time and get there early to avoid the crowds). By the way, Lake Apopka is the fourth-largest lake in Florida. The Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive is open 7 AM to 3 PM on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Don’t miss it!
We arrived at Lighthouse Point Park in Ponce Inlet early on Friday to attempt some beach time before the crowds started descending for Memorial Day Weekend. However, when we arrived just after 8 AM, the parking lot was full. So, we parked at the Marine Science Center (which has been closed temporarily to help slow the spread of the coronavirus). Fortunately, the beach was nearly deserted because just about all the cars in the parking lot were owned by surfers (at least 100!) already out on the water. And let me tell you, there were definitely some huge waves on this day! The rip tide was intense as well and we saw a couple of young ladies get rescued by a lifeguard. Also, we roamed around the boardwalk and saw six Florida gopher tortoises in the dunes. On the way back, we hit DJ’s Deck in Port Orange for a great lunch (it’s all outside and tables were a good distance apart). Bottom line: An awesome way to start the long holiday weekend!
Yesterday morning I took a brief stroll around Palm Island Park and adjacent Grantham Pointe Park in Mount Dora. It’s the perfect spot if you’re looking for a short hike along a boardwalk with a good opportunity to view Florida wildlife, including alligators, turtles and birds. In fact, this time out there I saw five Florida alligators and a variety of birds. Don’t miss it!
Wandering Florida 