Florida Wildlife

Back to Lake Apopka

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If you want to view Florida wildlife and social distance with little effort at the same time, the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive is the perfect choice! More than 360 bird species have been observed here and you are almost guaranteed to see at least a couple of alligators along the way as well. Note that the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive is open only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday between 7 AM and 3 PM. In addition, the Wildlife Drive gets crowded during this time of year, so budget at least 1 to 3 hours for your outdoor adventure.

Turkey Creek Sanctuary

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As soon as we left the parking lot and made our way through the entrance of 130-acre Turkey Creek Sanctuary and walked as far as the boardwalk, a light drizzle turned into a significant downpour and unfortunately we had to abort our hike. However, this well-maintained sanctuary looks like an amazing spot in Palm Bay to enjoy the great Florida outdoors and we will return soon! By the way, Turkey Creek Sanctuary was established in 1981 and features not only the 1.85-mile boardwalk, but 1.5 miles of jogging trails, a one-mile mountain bike trail, the Margaret Hines Nature Center and more. It is part of the East Florida section of the Great Florida Birding Trail. Wildlife that call Turkey Creek Sanctuary home include Florida cooters, manatees, alligators, otters, ospreys and owls.

Return to Lake Harney

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Ideally located along the scenic St. Johns River, Lake Harney Wilderness Area is the perfect spot to get some exercise, view wildlife (I almost always see deer out here in the early morning) and social distance (I hardly ever run across anyone else out here during my hikes). There’s even an observation deck for a sweeping view of Lake Harney itself and the surrounding area. So, what are you waiting for? Mark Lake Harney Wilderness Area down on your calendar and get out in the great outdoors!

Black Point Wildlife Drive

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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!

Trimble Park Revisited

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Nestled between Lake Beauclair and Lake Carlton, scenic Trimble Park never fails when it comes to wildlife viewing. The past two times I have viewed two different alligators sunning on the same log (see above). Also, if you are going for a hike, make sure you visit the boardwalk toward the back of the park. Very cool!

Rock Springs/Kelly Park, Apopka

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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.

Palm Island Park Wildlife

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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!

Save Econ River Wilderness Area

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Once again, we’re faced with another ecological tragedy in Central Florida – in this case an idiot developer wants to turn scenic Econ River Wilderness Area, which encompasses 240 beautiful acres in Seminole County (Oviedo to be exact) and is teeming with wildlife, into a bland subdivision. Let’s put an end to the madness! Visit www.saveecon.com to learn about ways you can help save Econ River Wilderness Area before it’s too late …