Myakka River State Park

This is one of the largest of Florida’s state parks, and it will easily keep you birding and exploring all day long. Take the 7-mile scenic drive through shady hammocks and grassy marshes and along the Upper Myakka lakeshore. From Oct.-Apr., ducks, wading birds, shorebirds, ospreys and eagles are seen from the lakeshore, the Birdwalk, or by canoeing along the river’s grassy edges. Don’t miss the elevated canopy walkway through an oak-palm hammock and the 74-foot-high observation tower. Explore pine flatwoods, hammocks, seasonal wetlands and globally imperiled Florida dry prairie via a 39-mile hiking trail. You’ll find exhibits and movies in the Visitor Center. Stop at the Ranger Station for trail maps and park information. Park may close when flooded.