Trekking Myakka River State Park in FL

Myakka River State Park - Wow! My legs were sore the day after we trekked up the Canopy Walk tower at this local state park. Nothing like chasing a seven-year-old up seven flights of stairs. But it was worth it. What a amazing view. You can see for miles over the park and far beyond.

The Myakka Canopy Walk is actually two towers, one 35 feet and one 74 feet high and a 85 foot long suspension bridge that connects the two amongst the tree-tops. It's quite a unique experience to walk and see the world from that level.

The day we made our visit to the park was a glorious winter weekend day, and of course the park was packed with visitors. (Weekdays and summer months are less crowded). So seeing any kind of wildlife was pretty much out of the question. But we had a wonderful day non-the-less. We went to do some relaxing nature walks and have a simple lunch at the concessionaire.

We were disappointed that the park only offered one nature walk which, although advertised to take 20 minutes to traverse, took us only 10. It was adjacent to the very crowded Canopy Walk towers and so was not very remote and had been heavy used that day. Parking for both are directly off Park Drive, about half way between the south entrance to the park and the boat basin/concession area at the south end of Upper Myakka Lake.

The trail is well marked, flat and sandy for the most part. It leads through palmetto thick woods of large old twisted oaks, cabbage and other palms. Occasional the trail opens to low laying land with boardwalks to cross. (These are in rough shape from spending time being flooded during the rainy season. Persons with limited mobility would find these difficult to cross).

We didn't see any wildlife, due to it's heavy use and close proximity to the crowed Canopy Walk. But I did catch a glimpse of a few small birds in the open areas. We had better luck at the Birdwalk on the shore of Upper Myakka Lake. It's a boardwalk that runs from a parking area off North Drive out into the lake. Due to the drought, the lake level has gone down to the point where the boardwalk no longer runs out over open water in the winter months (we'll see how high the water rises this summer), so the shore line and the waterbirds were some distance away. But we did spot a Great Blue Heron among others.

We also saw several gators just from our car. Myakka is known for it's abundance of gators, so please be aware of them and keep your pets on leaches at all times and know where your children are at all times too. A canoe or kayak trip down the river is guaranteed to be one you won't forget if gators scare you at all.

Park amenities include canoe rentals, air-boat rides, bicycle rentals, concession stand serving lunch, gift shop, playground, picnic areas, campground, Canopy Walk, nature trail, hiking, bicycle and horse trails, Visitor Center and Gallery.

So here's my list:

• Walking - the one and only nature trail is short, easy, flat; sand or dirt and wood boardwalk; sunny and shaded; through wooded areas. There are numerous other trails of various types and lengths, the shortest round trip being 2.5 miles including a .9 mile section along North Drive. Some trails are shared with bicyclists and horses and most of the trails I've been on show areas of high use. So even though the terrain is relatively flat, wear good sturdy shoes and be prepared to get wet.

• Dog Friendly - please keep on a leach and pick up after your doggies. There is no dog-park. Beware of the gators.

• Kid Friendly - easy flat and shorter trails can be found. Longer ones for the more experienced kids. And of course the Canopy Walk is a big hit with the kids as well. There is a playground area near the boat basin/concession area. Don't forget to take in the Visitor Center for a look at some of the local wildlife up close.

• Accessibility - good access for those with limited mobility to the area around the visitor center and concessions. There is handicapped parking and accessible restrooms.

• Bird Watching - very good when visitors are few. In the past I have seen osprey and I think a Bald Eagle (but I was new to birding so...)

• Bicycle Friendly - this is a great park for bicyclists of all kinds. Look for marked trails for biking through some of the back country and I hope you have shocks on your bikes! Those roots and ruts can be rough - in my humble experience - but then I didn't have shocks and I'm no mountain biker! For families and others interested in a gentler ride, North Drive is long, smooth and most days are very bicycle friendly. Cars have to travel it very slowly and for the most part this part of the park is less traveled. If you forgot your bike, just rent one there.

• Letterboxing - There are no letterboxes that I am aware of in Myakka. Sad. Maybe someone will place some there?

DIRECTIONS: Myakka River State Park is located in east Manatee and Sarasota Counties and can be reached fairly quickly off I-75 on State Road 72 (Clark Road). There is also a north entry into the park, open only on weekends and holidays that can be reached by traveling east on State Road 70 to Verna Road, head south (the road switches names to Myakka Road) to the park's north entry. Also from Sarasota, take State Road 780 east to Myakka Road and travel south to the north entry.