Resources
Resources for exploring the area
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Exploring Kissimmee
Downtown Kissimmee is defined by its waterfront, with a sweep of shoreline along Lake Tohopekaliga edged by a riverwalk.
Once the heart of Florida’s cattle country, much of the open range around the lake has been replaced with sprawling subdivisions.
Public lands along the lake and the basins of Shingle Creek and Lake Marion Creek largely make up its outdoor recreation destinations beyond Kissimmee Lakefront Park.
A trail town on the Western Corridor of the Florida Trail, its a stop for hikers doing big miles on their walk northwest towards the Green Swamp.
Trails and Parks around Kissimmee
Bellini Preserve On the eastern shore of Lake Marion, miles of marked trails explore a variety of natural communities including endangered scrub forests and pine flatwoods.
Canoeing Shingle Creek Paddle down Shingle Creek from Shingle Creek Regional Park at Steffee Landing in Kissimmee, where canoe and kayak rentals are now available for visitors.
Catfish Creek Preserve State Park At Catfish Creek Preserve State Park, the steep ridges of blinding white sand are some of Florida's most ancient landscapes, an unusual and unique natural area for Central Florida.
Catfish Creek Preserve Trails Allan David Broussard Catfish Creek Preserve State Park isn’t just “a perfect example of Lake Wales Ridge Scrub,” it’s a landscape unlike any other you’ll find in Florida.
Cherokee Point Conservation Area Protecting a marshy peninsula on the eastern shore of Lake Tohopekaliga, this remote preserve provides a panorama of natural wetlands from its boardwalk.
Disney Wilderness Preserve Protected and managed by The Nature Conservancy, Disney Wilderness Preserve is a 11,500 acre showcase for habitat conservation amid suburban sprawl south of Orlando.
Florida Trail, Western Corridor Linking Withlacoochee State Forest and the Cross Florida Greenway, the 241 mile Western Corridor of the Florida Trail accesses wild spaces between Tampa and Ocala. 
Historic Babb Landing Home to Osceola Pioneer Village, this 160-acre segment of Shingle Creek Regional Park edges Shingle Creek with easy accessible trails looping a former homestead and citrus grove.
Lake Lizzie Conservation Area Hugging the eastern shore of Lake Lizzie, Lake Lizzie Conservation Area encompasses more than a thousand acres, a vast mosaic of prairies, pine flatwoods, and scrub forest. 
Lake Marion Huckleberry Island Providing an easy walk into 8,000 acres of uplands draining into Lake Marion Creek, the trail system on Huckleberry Island at Lake Marion Creek WMA leads 4.2 miles.
Lake Runnymede Conservation Area Ancient live oaks provide a tightly knit canopy over the 0.9-mile trail system at Lake Runnymede Conservation Area, a 43 acre urban preserve. 
Reedy Creek Swamp At the Osceola District Schools Environmental Study Center, trails along Reedy Creek Swamp showcase the beauty of the ancient cypress and floodplain forest.
Sherwood Stokes Preserve A procession of native habitats is on display along an easy stroll to Lake Marion Creek and back at Sherwood Stokes Preserve. 
Shingle Creek Management Area Boardwalks and trails venture alongside Shingle Creek and into a mosaic of pine flatwoods and cypress swamps at the headwaters of the Everglades.
Shingle Creek Steffee Homestead With boardwalks and trails through pine flatwoods and along the floodplain of Shingle Creek, the Historic Steffee Homestead at Shingle Creek Regional Park makes for an easy family ramble. 
Split Oak Forest WEA A live oak tree more than 200 years old is the centerpiece of Split Oak Forest, a 2,000-acre prairie and scrub preserve near Orlando, home to families of sandhill cranes
Tibet-Butler Preserve A wildlife haven within earshot of Walt Disney World, Tibet-Butler Preserve provides 3.6 miles of well-kept and gentle hiking trails for family fun.
Twin Oaks Conservation Area Named for two ancient live oaks that have long guided anglers to their favorite fishing hole, Twin Oaks Conservation Area protects nearly 400 acres along Lake Tohopekaliga.Related Articles
Zipping Over Gators at Gatorland (6/23/2019) What's it like to sail over a pondful of alligators on a zip line in Florida? Contributor Sally White of the Adventures of Mom shares her experience on Gatorland's Screamin' Gator Zip Line in Orlando.
Osceola: Back in Time (11/14/2015) On a day trip to Kissimmee, we were sidetracked by history at the 23th annual Osceola County Historical Society Pioneer Day, held, to our surprise, at Historic Babb Landing.