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Orange trees

Lake Wales

Sitting between the ancient dunes of the Lake Wales Ridge and the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes, Lake Wales is rich with outdoor recreation opportunities with panoramic views

View from Iron Mountain

Home to both Bok Tower Gardens and Lake Kissimmee State Park, the sweep of public lands around Lake Wales spans both high points and the low, marsh-edged Kissimmee Chain of Lakes. Surrounded by many natural lands, Lake Wales makes a good base camp for exploring southern Polk County since it has hotels and restaurants, unlike most smaller communities along the ridge.

Established in the 1920s during the Florida land boom, the city has a compact downtown with Spanish Mission architecture common in that period and a railroad museum in its old depot. The Lake Wailes Trail, a paved bike path, parallels its namesake lake, and Spook Hill attracts the curious with its claim that a car in neutral will roll uphill.

Lake Wales thrived as a citrus growing and packing center, and still has a prominent packing house along US 27. Enjoy the scent of blooming citrus on a drive down Scenic 17, the original highway of the region, that follows one of the highest ridges as it connects Haines City, Dundee, Lake Wales, Babson Park, and Frostproof.

Resources

50 Hikes in Central Florida Central Florida Orlando Explorers Guide book cover Complete Guide to Florida Wildflowers Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover

Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us continue to provide public information on this website.

Trails and Parks near Lake Wales

Best Parks and Preserves Around Lake Wales

Atop Iron Mountain at Bok Tower Gardens

Bok Tower Gardens

Atop one of the highest hills in the Florida Peninsula, Bok Tower Gardens is one of Florida’s most spectacular landscaped gardens, “something to appeal to both man and animal, a meditative place,” as envisioned by Edward William Bok in the 1920s.

View from the observation tower at Lake Kissimmee State Park

Lake Kissimmee State Park

Discover the beauty of the land between the lakes east of Lake Wales while exploring the vast prairies and fern-laden hammocks of Lake Kissimmee State Park

Tiger Creek Preserve scrub ridge

Tiger Creek Preserve

Edward Bok’s “Jungle,” a deeply folded landscape between Tiger Creek and Patrick Creek south of Lake Wales, is protected by The Nature Conservancy as Tiger Creek Preserve.

Prairie basin with tall orange grasses

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

Recent Additions and Updates

Trail tunnel between sand live oaks

Big Bay Trail

Big Bay Trail
Tunnel through trees

Scrub Jay Loop

Scrub Jay Loop
View of prairie beyond trail post

Lake Wales Ridge State Forest

Lake Wales Ridge State Forest
Oaks, saw palmetto, and pines

Flatwoods Pond Trail

Flatwoods Pond Trail
Oaks and palms along the path

Gobbler Ridge Trail

Gobbler Ridge Trail
Trail leading to ancient live oak trees

North Loop

North Loop
White blazed tree and trail into forest

Buster Island Loop

Buster Island Loop
Rolling hills at Catfish Creek Preserve

Catfish Creek Preserve Trails

Catfish Creek Preserve Trails

More Trails More Parks

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ALL Articles

NEARBY: Avon Park, Bartow, Frostproof, Kissimmee, Lakeland, Sebring, Winter Haven, Yeehaw Junction| ALONG: Lake Wales Ridge | PART OF: Central Florida

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