Resources
Resources for exploring the area
Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.
Exploring Lake Wales
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.
Trails and Parks near Lake Wales
Barbara Pedersen Preserve A pair of loop trails explore protected green space between farmland and Lake Annie atop the Lake Wales Ridge between Lake Wales and Haines City.
Bok Tower Gardens Art, architecture, and nature intersect among fifty acres of gardens first planted a century ago atop Iron Mountain at Lake Wales.
Buster Island Loop The 6.9-mile Buster Island Loop at Lake Kissimmee State Park is a favorite for both day hikers and backpackers, as it shows off a variety of habitats along the open prairies
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.
Crooked Lake Prairie At Crooked Lake Prairie, the dunes of the Lake Wales Ridge meet showy prairie grasslands along the eastern shore of Crooked Lake. 
Crooked Lake Sandhill On surprisingly steep slopes, the 0.8 mile trail at Crooked Lake Sandhill scrambles a forested ridge above Crooked Lake.
Flatwoods Pond Trail The sole interpretive trail at Lake Kissimmee State Park, the Flatwoods Pond Trail shows off habitats and history in a short loop not far from the campground
Florida Trail, KICCO North 3.4 miles. Take in a panorama of marshes busy with birds in the Kissimmee River floodplain at River Ranch along the northernmost reaches of the Kissimmee River
Florida Trail, KICCO South 10.1 miles. Ancient live oaks break up the expanse of cattle pastures and prairies along the Florida Trail adjoining the Kissimmee River in KICCO
Florida Trail, Kissimmee Following the Kissimmee River for 112 miles, this is a scenic section of the Florida Trail with levees, woods, river views, open prairies, and cattle ranches.
Gobbler Ridge Trail From its showy start with a climb up an observation tower to its breezy loop along Lake Kissimmee, the 2.8 mile Gobbler Ridge Trail offers scenic views all along its length
Lake Godwin Loop Explore tall creek bluffs, cypress lined lakeshores, and scrubby pine forests along a 12.6 mile loop with several backpacking campsites along the way.
Lake Kissimmee North Loop Crossing the Lake Kissimmee State Park park drive multiple times, the 6.8-mile North Loop is the easiest trail to access within the park, offering excellent birding
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.
Lake Wales Ridge Big Bay Trail Traversing sandhill, pine flatwoods, and bayhead habitats, the Big Bay Trail offers a one mile loop with an optional 1.7-mile spur trail featuring two primitive campsites. 
Lake Wales Ridge Nature Loop Explore rare ecosystems along this 1.1 mile loop hike that begins at the historic McLean Cabin in Lake Wales Ridge State Forest.
Lake Wales Ridge Scrub Jay Loop An easy loop trail traverses scattered prairie ponds within a dry ecosystem suitable for one of the state’s most endangered birds, the Florida scrub-jay. 
Lake Wales Ridge State Forest Atop the ancient sands of the Lake Wales Ridge, this massive state forest offers provides hikers and equestrians an expansive network of trails. 
North Walk-In-Water Creek Explore a fishing pond, pine flatwoods and an enchanting hammock of majestic live oaks along a pair of well-maintained loop trails.
Ridge Audubon Center Atop the Lake Wales Ridge, the nature trails at the Ridge Audubon Center in Babson Park do a fabulous job of interpreting the unique flora and fauna of this island of biodiversity.
SUMICA With up to 6.2 miles of trails - many of them a bit wet - SUMICA is one of the natural lands in Polk County where birding is especially superb.
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. 
Tiger Creek Preserve North Take a step back in time while navigating the rolling terrain of impeccably preserved ancient islands along the Creek Bluff and Highlands Loops on the Lake Wales Ridge. Related Articles
The new 50 Hikes in Central Florida (10/5/2018) We launched a new full-color edition of 50 Hikes in Central Florida at the National Trails Festival in Deland the first weekend of October. Take a peek inside.
Tricking out a Trek (6/21/2017) Offroad riding means a lot of bounce, especially on a washboarded limerock road like KICCO Grade. Adding trekking bars to John's mountain bike made all the difference.