One of the four rivers rising from the Green Swamp northeast of Tampa, the Peace River flows for 106 miles to Charlotte Harbor. Officially, its headwaters is Lake Hancock.
Not considered navigable north of Bartow, it at times also dries up from Zolfo Springs through Arcadia. That’s when fossil hunters comb the bottom for finds.
Before phosphate mining took over the phosphate-rich Bone Valley, river levels stayed relatively steady thanks to many springs feeding its length.
Huge open pit mines affected (and still affect) the region’s hydrology, drying out natural wetlands and causing some springs to stop flowing.
Below Bartow, the river has a large floodplain. It asserted itself during Hurricane Ian, swamping downtown Arcadia and many smaller communities within a mile of its banks.
The 67-mile state-designated Peace River Trail has launches, rest stops, and campsites along its multi-day route paddling route on both public and private lands.
It starts at Fort Meade Recreation Area and ends at SR 70 in Arcadia. South of that point, the river widens significantly and has powerboat traffic.
Parks and Trails along the Peace River Basin
Alligator Creek Preserve A series of loop trails radiate from Charlotte Harbor Environmental Center, exploring upland habitats and wetlands where freshwater and saltwater ecosystems converge. 
Brownville Park Upriver from Arcadia, this 75-acre county park in the Peace River floodplain with fascinating geologic features centers on camping, paddling, and fossil hunting.
Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park Stretched long and thin to follow the convoluted shoreline of Charlotte Harbor, Charlotte Harbor Preserve State Park protects more than 100 miles of coastline along the Gulf Coast.
Circle B Bar Reserve For fabulous birding and more alligators than you can count, roam the marshy edge of Lake Hancock on miles of causeways through Circle B Bar Reserve in Lakeland
Fort Fraser Trail Paralleling US 98 between Bartow and Lakeland, the Fort Fraser Trail is along an urban greenway with connectivity to Circle B Bar Reserve.
Fort Meade Recreation Area Anchoring two linear trails along the Peace River, this wayside park off US 98 in Fort Meade has been a destination for river access for decades.
Marshall Hampton Reserve Sample a colorful corner of more than 1,100 acres of conservation land along the eastern shore of Lake Hancock on a hike combining oak hammocks and wetlands for birding.
Morgan Park On an easy-to-follow trail network, enjoy exceptional views of the Peace River from surprisingly high bluffs just west of downtown Arcadia.
Mosaic Peace River Park On the site of a former phosphate mine, worn footpaths top a windswept hilltop above the cypress swamps of the Peace River where a once-fabulous boardwalk to the river is in disrepair.
Paynes Creek Historic State Park Straddling the former treaty boundary of Seminole lands, this interpretive site along the Peace River features a network of trails tied together by a swinging footbridge. 
Paynes Creek Peace River Trail Discover a scenic shoreline along the Peace River where Paynes Creek empties into the winding, narrow river's tannic flow along this 1.1 mile loop.
Peace River Hammock Walk softly through the immersive Peace River floodplain beneath enormous trees to a scenic bluff along the river where paddlers can come ashore.
Peace River Park On 155 acres fronting the Peace River through the rural Hardee County seat of Wauchula, Peace River Park immerses visitors in the beauty of river bottom hammocks. 
Peace River Park Greenway With river views near its ends, a graded 2.5 mile linear path in Fort Meade follows a slender strip of public land parallel to the east shore of the Peace River. 
Pioneer Park A surprisingly scenic walk along the Peace River and through its floodplain, the loop trail at Pioneer Park starts and ends near the Cracker Trail Museum at Zolfo Springs.
Punta Gorda Harborwalk Spanning 2.3 miles along Charlotte Harbor, the Harborwalk is a recreational gem in downtown Punta Gorda