Myakka River State Park

It has been 12 years since we last stayed here. It is a popular park and the reservations fill up moths in advance. They have three campgrounds. We were able to get a small site #39 in Old Prairie Campground for just two days. So we planned to get here before 10 AM even though check-in time is not until after 1 PM. We were able to get a permit to canoe to Deep Hole from the launch right at the campground entrance. The large picnic ground had a 500’ sidewalk to the river so we could easily wheel our canoe cart to put-in from the large parking lot.

Myakka River Gator

The narrow river flows two miles south to the large Lower Myakka Lake. Right at the start near the highway bridge were some of the biggest alligators we have see on the trip, we counted 2o before we got out of site of the highway. I think we even hit a large gator that swam under us.

The river was very low and we had to walk across a sandbar to get into the lake where we saw a flock of white pelicans.

White Pelicans

There were more large birds along the way than we have seen anywhere else.

It is about a mile to get across the lake and to find “Deep Hole”. The beach and water here of full of hundreds of large gators.

Even without a boat the permit allows you to hike 2-1/4 miles to a nearby beach that you can view the crowd of gators. They only hand out 30 permits/day to either paddle or hike. We were the only boat we saw on our early morning paddle.

Deep Hole Gators

When we saw all the gators in the water as well as on the beach we decided to turn around and head back. It was a harder paddle back against the wind and the current in the river. We made it back to the ranger station just after 1 PM and got our campsite permit. The only site that we were able to book was a 20’ site for our 27’ RV. However the lengths they publish must include a car since there was enough room.

Our our second day we decided to bike the rest of the park taking the park road to the north gate that is only open on weekends. We had a snack there and cars and campers were wondering how to get into or out of the park. There were no signs that told them how to get to the main entrance 28 miles away. These people were following their GPS which didn’t know that this is not the normal entrance. We tried to explain to these drivers that they needed to drive over 20 miles out of their way. The nice 7 mile long 25 mi/hr park road was full of bicycles that they rent at the Upper Myakka Lake. It was a pleasant shady bike ride and the cars were slow and careful of the bike and pedestrian traffic.

Last night we had a little rain but they are predicting another dry day. We leave latter this morning for a short 70 mi drive to Highland Hammock State Park near Sebring, FL. We will stay there for three nights, again that's all that was available.