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.
Lake Wales
Sitting atop the ancient dunes of the Lake Wales Ridge, the Lake Wales - Frostproof area in southern Polk County is rich with outdoor recreation opportunities.
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
On the ridges at Catfish Creek Preserve State Park, some steep as a ski slope, these elevated slivers of blinding white sand are some of Florida’s most ancient hills.
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
With an interlinking network of loop trails, Crooked Lake Prairie is a refreshing excursion into habitats found on the high hills of the Lake Wales Ridge
Frostproof
Edged by expansive state forests and wildlife management lands, Frostproof boasts a large concentration of trails in the southeastern corner of Polk County.
Kissimmee
On the north shore of Lake Toho, Kissimmee is a historic community at the headwaters of the Everglades, the marshes that feed the Kissimmee River.
Lake Kissimmee State Park
Deep in the heart of Florida’s heartland, ranching heritage lives on at Lake Kissimmee State Park, home of the 1876 Florida Cow Hunters Camp.
Lake Wales Ridge
The scrubs of the Lake Wales Ridge are one of North America’s most diverse biological communities, with the highest concentration of rare and endangered plants in the continental United States.
Lakeland
With an array of parks and natural lands and a growing system of bike trails, Lakeland is a hub for recreation along the Lake Wales Ridge and into the Green Swamp.