Myakka State Park

I’ve already lost count of the number of State Parks I’ve visited since arriving in Florida. This is partially due to wanting to get my money’s worth and partially due to my love of parks, in general. While not all will get their own post (sorry Manatee Lake, I stayed at you because you were close to Tampa), there are a few that really stick out in my mind. Myakka is one of those. Why? You may ask (or not, but you know I’m going to tell you either way, so you might as well play along).

I think the central reason is how Florida it is. I didn’t realize this until later, but so much of what brings people to Florida is present in this large state park (and a lot of what makes it special, but more on that later).

First, I got my first sighting of a full-sized alligator in the wild. I was on a bridge and it was in the water, so I felt safe to stand and observe it. Even though they scare me (with good reason!), they are amazing creatures.

The park also has a beautiful lake that had more birds than other parks, of a wide variety, flying around. (I think I might want to take up birding. They are so fascinating to observe but so illusive. Maybe when I retire and have more time to commit, as there are so many different kinds! Totes respect for people who can remember all the details of different birds and identify them while far away and often moving!).

A unique feature of Myakka was a canopy walk. It was so cool! It wasn’t just an observation tower, like at many parks, but also had a suspension bridge that allowed you to feel like you were in the trees! Again, so cool!

What makes Myakka so Florida is all of these things, but what I didn’t realize at the time, is what makes it uniquely Florida was something I noticed while I was hiking: the diversity. Not only what plants grew in the same place (pines & palms? Really?), but how I’d be walking through a prairie and then find myself a few feet later waking in dense woods, then turn a corner and I’d be avoiding puddles near mangroves. At times it felt like someone had taken a bunch of different puzzles and smashed their pieces together, because the shapes fit, even though the images were completely mismatched.

What I’ve come to learn, is that is Florida. It is one of the things that makes the eco-system of the state so interesting (more on this later, I promise).

Now I want to what it is about Florida that makes such bio-diversity possible!

For my faithful readers, I pledge, you will hear more about all of this!