A botanical preserve, Lake June-in-Winter Scrub Preserve State Park is notable not just for its concentration of rare species but its setting.
The Lake Wales Ridge is the highest land in Florida’s peninsula, an ancient ridge of sand dunes when the rest of Florida was beneath the sea.
Scrub ridgeResources
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Overview
Length: 3.5 miles in two trails
Trailhead: 27.29677, -81.42013
Address: 630 Daffodil St, Lake Placid
Fees: $2 per vehicle
Restroom: vault toilet
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 863-386-6094
Open 8 AM to sunset. Disturbing or removing plants and the use of drones prohibited. Leashed pets permitted but discouraged due to the scrub-jays and hot sand.
Directions
From downtown Lake Placid at the intersection of US 27 and CR 621, drive north on US 27 for 1.5 miles, passing the tall former observation tower, and make a left on Lake June Rd. Continue 4 miles west along this road. Make a left on Daffodil St at the lakeshore. Continue south 2 miles to the preserve entrance.
About the Park
This isn’t just a preserve for plants. Rare animals thrive here too, including the Florida scrub-jay and the Florida scrub lizard, which “swims” beneath the surface of the soft sand.
A sheltered picnic table adjoins the parking area, and there is a spot where you can edge a kayak into the lake.
The short Tomoka Trail follows a tannic fern-lined stream that flows downhill into Lake June-in-Winter.
Tannic stream along the Tomoka TrailIt’s a teaser for the bigger preserve. Explore it on the Bobcat Trail, which starts near the park gate and follows fire lanes through sugar sand.
Pack plenty of water for an expedition into Florida’s own desert, a place to explore carefully and look at the little things.
Scrub hollyHere, shrunken versions of Florida trees thrive, like scrub hickory, scrub plum, and the pygmy fringe tree.
Take plenty of photos or carry a field guide to understand the complexity of the beauty encountered here in miniature.
Lake June-in-Winter Scrub Trails A trio of trails following established firelines provides a challenging 3.5 mile walk in Florida's own desert for an up close look at uncommon species endemic to ancient scrub.
Lake June-in-Winter Tomoka Trail Following the tannic flow of Tomoka Run, this short nature trail traversing scrub and bayhead at Lake June-in-Winter Scrub Preserve is an introduction to the diverse nature of the Lake Wales Ridge. Trail Map
Explore More!
Slideshow
See our photos from Lake June-in-Winter Scrub Preserve
Nearby Adventures
More worth exploring while you’re in this area.
Lake Placid Scrub Home to Florida scrub-jays, this 3.5 mile loop in the Lake Wales Ridge Wildlife & Environmental Area provides views of the lake and a walk through ancient scrub.
Highlands Hammock State Park One of Florida's oldest state parks, Highlands Hammock protects an old-growth forest while enabling you to explore it on a network of fascinating interpretive nature trails. 
Fisheating Creek Beloved of paddlers and largely protected by Fisheating Creek WMA, South Florida's wildest waterway rises south of Lake Placid and flows towards Lake Okeechobee.
Hickory Hammock Trail In deep shade near the Kissimmee River, a former section of the Florida Trail leads to a primitive backpacking site under majestic live oaks covered with ferns and Spanish moss. 
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