Last updated on December 2nd, 2024 at 08:47 am
Myakka River State Park near Sarasota is one of the oldest and best Florida state parks, but it was clobbered by Hurricane Milton in 2024.
Many of its magnificent old live oaks toppled over, its well-known canopy walk was damaged and is closed and many of its trails are marred by fallen trees, broken branches and other natural hurricane debris.
Yet when we kayaked down the Myakka River through the park, we saw so much beauty and so much wildlife.
I am thrilled to spot a single roseate spoonbill anywhere. Here, I saw flocks of 10 or 15 every day in different locations.
I love to see alligators in the wild. Here, every gator seemed bigger than the last, shy giants who slunk underwater as we approached kayaking. On a kayak paddle of a few hours, I lost count of alligators. Another paddler following a similar route said she counted more than 60.
Other wildlife we saw in a three day visit included deer at dusk every night and flocks of wild turkeys.
Myakka isn’t perfect, but it’s still a terrific getaway in winter 2024-25.
Here are seven reasons to visit Myakka River State Park in 2024-25.:
- Myakka River State Park has 39 miles of hiking trails. There are excellent paved and unpaved biking trails.
- The wild and scenic Myakka River and adjoining lakes are outstanding for kayaking.
- Myakka River State Park offers a pontoon boat ride that is family friendly for those who don’t come with a kayak.
- Given you need plenty of time to see it all, you can stay in one of 80 shaded camping sites under a canopy of trees.
- The park features some of the most historic and unusual cabins in the state park system — five rustic log cabins built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s.
- Myakka has some of the best birding around.
- History buffs will enjoy hiking to the site of buildings that were part of the ranch operated here by Chicago hotelier Bertha Palmer in the early 20th Century.
At 37,000 acres, Myakka is one of Florida’s most complete outdoor experiences, centrally located so that it draws visitors from Miami, Orlando, Tampa and snowbirds from throughout the United States.
The main road through Myakka River State Park
While Myakka is popular with backwoods backpackers, visitors from kiddies to Grandma can enjoy this park without hiking or kayaking. The road through the park is seven miles long, and there are several great places to get out, enjoy the wildlife and scenery and take a short walk.
The park road makes an excellent bike trail, however, and I highly recommend parking at the south (or north end) and experiencing the park by bike the first time through.
By bike, you enjoy the 360-degree view of the spectacular tree canopy over the road and the constant sounds of birds. On our bikes, we heard a flock of whistling ducks before we saw them and the distinctive voice of sandhill cranes that never came into view. In a car, we might have missed that.
It’s easy to pause at beautiful spots by bike and to venture down some of the unpaved bike trails. There are cars on the park road, but also many bicyclists. The quietest section of the road is the northern section.
From the main entrance (there is a northern entrance open only on weekends), here are some stops along the main road by car or bike, from south to north:
- The Log Pavilion, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1933, is a beautiful building whose logs are palm-tree trunks. Park across the street behind the monument rock and explore the riverside and picnic area behind the pavilion too. There are benches overlooking the Myakka River, with oak trees arching their branches over the water. This a good place to spot alligators lounging across the river.
- Cross the bridge over the Myakka River and, if you’re driving, park on the north side. People gather on the bridge, watching birds or gators and appreciating the view. We saw swallow-tail kites swooping overhead here at sunset and early one morning there was a flock of black-bellied whistling ducks on an island. A beautiful short trail extends along the northern bank of the river through the woods.
- The Myakka River State Park Canopy Walk comes next on the main road, but it is still closed as of November 2024. You might want to stop here anyway because there is a nice short nature trail that begins from the end of the canopy walk.
- Traveling northward, the Big Flats Marsh stretches to your left, with excellent birding opportunities and deer at dusk. This is part of the Florida dry prairie habitat the park preserves and is restoring. Much of Central and Northern Florida were prairies like this – a vast plain covered with grasses, saw palmetto and cabbage palms. It was easy to repurpose this land for farms and groves because few trees had to be removed, and today little prairie is left in Florida. At dusk, we saw more than a dozen deer here, some scampering playfully, and flocks of birds.
- Along the right side of the marsh, watch for the gate with a rustic sign “Meadow Sweet Pastures.” This is Ranch House Road, easily biked even on skinny tires. It leads to the site of buildings that were part of the ranch operated here by Chicago hotelier Bertha Palmer starting in 1910. Palmer donated much of the land that became Myakka River State Park. The ranch buildings are gone. Ranch House Road connects to the long back-country trail system. The connecting All Weather Road requires fat tires for bicyclists. In this area, hurricane damage is obvious but ithe hiking is still beautiful.
- If you stay on the main road here, you’ll soon come to the Birdwalk, a boardwalk extending into Upper Myakka Lake, which is tilted off-kilter from the hurricane and is not open. When we visited, the water level was low enough for us to walk to where the birdwalk ended and the area is still an excellent place for birding. Eventually, it will be rebuilt.
- If you’re driving the park road on weekends or holidays, you can leave by the north gate and go one mile to a terrific nearby facility, Crowley Museum and Nature Center. (Note: As of November 2024, the nature center has not reopened after the storm, but expects to soon.) Whereas the park preserves the natural environment, Crowley tells the story of people, the early pioneers. You’ll find historic buildings, including a log cabin and a museum, and such charming farm animals. There’s a $5 admission for adults. Here’s a Florida Rambler story on the Crowley Museum.
Myakka River State Park boat tours and cafe
Off of the main road, there is a spur that goes to the bustling concession area. Pontoon boat tours of the lake are offered at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. Tickets are $22 plus tax for adults and $12 plus tax for children 3-12. Toddlers 2 and under are free. Call 941-923-0220 for more information.
The Pink Gator café in the concession area offers a variety of sandwiches and has a variety of draft beers, including some locally brewed ones. The view off the café’s covered deck is excellent. It closes at 5:30 p.m., however, so it’s not a great dinner option. (Note: The Pink Gator has free wifi, a boon in a park where I had only weak cell-phone signal.)
The concession area also rents bikes but it no longer rents kayaks and canoes.
Kayaking at Myakka River State Park
If you bring your own kayak, your best put-in spot is the boat ramp south of the bridge on the main road.
The most popular kayaking route: Launching at the bridge, kayak against the current toward the upper lake, which makes your return trip an easier one down river.
The roundtrip paddle to the lake takes a few hours. For us, it was four or five, because of a strong current, plus we stopped to photograph birds and to picnic near the lake and use the facilities at the concession area. It can be done more quickly, probably in 2.5 to 3 hours, but why rush?
It was a memorable and beautiful kayak trail, full of wildlife. At some points, big old live oaks draped with Spanish moss line the shores. At others, your view is of broad grassy marshes.
We passed uncountable gators and many were among the largest I have ever seen. There was no manmade presence on the trail except a set of powerlines and no sounds except nature.
And the birds! Flocks of roseate spoonbills, frequent sightings of limpkins, storks and all sorts of wading birds were exceptional both on March and November visits.
A second good kayak trail is the one downstream out of the boat ramp at the state park and into the Myakka River Wilderness Preserve to Lower Myakka Lake. To kayak this route, you need to stop at the ranger station and get a free permit because access to the preserve is limited.
The downstream kayak trail has some good scenery but we found far fewer birds. About half-way to the lake, the trail enters an open area, twisting through grasslands until it opens to the lake.
The roundtrip to the lake is probably a three to four hour paddle, with the hardest part – paddling against the current – on the return.
We paddled this route on a day that was too windy to explore Lower Myakka Lake. (We wondered, actually, if we’d make it out of the lake, paddling against both a strong current and a stiff wind.)
We had read about the Deep Hole, a 140-foot sinkhole at the southern end of the lake, famous as a magnet for dozens of alligators. We have since learned you are not allowed to paddle into the Deep Hole. There is a 2.5 mile hiking trail to see it, for which you need a permit. The gators gather there when the water level is lower from January to the rainy season. Some years there have been hundreds, park literature says, but the number has dwindled.
If you have just one day to paddle, I’d suggest you do the trip from the kayak launch at the bridge to the Upper Myakka Lake. It’s more rewarding and has more wildlife.
Myakka River State Park cabins
Florida state parks have a lot of great cabins, but these five CCC-built ones made out of palm-tree trunks, have to be among the most picturesque. The Myakka cabins are set back in the woods, separate from each other and away from the road.
We loved the big stone wood-burning fireplace and were surprised how large our cabin felt. There’s a complete, small kitchen and modern bathroom. The big room that doubles as living room, dining room and bedroom is furnished with two double beds, a futon and a dining rooms table and six chairs plus the fireplace. It’s cozy but there is not a lot of natural light. Cabins have heat and air conditioning.
A few things to note: There are no “extras” stocked in the cabin. No soap. No coffee filters. No corkscrew. No paper towels. We were surprised that there were sheets but no warm blankets. (We got our picnic blanket out of the trunk to stay warm.) You are advised to bring your own dishes, silverware and pans, so pack as if you were camping. (The park website notes you can borrow some of these items if you need them.)
Myakka River State Park hiking
This park is a hiker’s wonderland, with close to 39 miles of marked trails and six back-country camping sites. (Only two of the back-country camping sites have reopened (as of November 2024), but crews are working on clearing the way to more.)
We spent more time paddling than hiking — good reason for us to return.
Myakka River State Park camping
With all its assets, it’s no surprise Myakka is a popular camping destination, particularly with snowbirds who reserve far in advance. There are three campground loops, lots of sites, and they all fill up on winter weekends.
For campground reservations at Myakka River State Park, visit reserve.floridastateparks.org or call (800) 326-3521..
Here’s a Florida Rambler story that focuses on camping at Myakka.
Resources for a trip to Myakka River State Park:
Online: Myakka River State Park, 13208 State Rd 72, Sarasota, FL 34241; Park Office: (941) 361-6511; Campground Reservations: (800) 326-3521 or at the parks reservations website.
- More from Florida Rambler about camping at Myakka River State Park
- Camping at nearby Camp Venice, a good alternative in the region.
- While at Myakka, visit the adjacent Crowley Museum and Nature Center
- Friends of Myakka River State Park
On a road trip? Here are nearby places to explore from Florida Rambler:
- The fabulous beaches of Venice
- Bicycling: Legacy Trail and Venetian Waterway Park
- Hidden Gem: Oscar Scherer State Park
- Indian mound unwrapped at Historic Spanish Point
- Cabins in Florida state parks: ‘Comfort’ camping
- Best camping near Tampa: 9 choice campgrounds
- Fort DeSoto Park: Beach ranked among best in nation
