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Sandhill wireweed

Lake Wales Ridge

South of Lake Apopka, the Lake Wales Ridge is a significant landform down the middle of the Florida peninsula, with its highest hills and oldest biological communities

Lake Kissimmee State Park

View from the observation tower at Lake Kissimmee State Park

Lake Wales      ( 27.972226,-81.378925 )      16.0 miles

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 Louisa Hiking Trail

Trail beneath archway of oaks

Lake Louisa State Park   |  Clermont
( 28.456865, -81.720946 )      7.7 miles

Using the decades-old Lake Louisa Hiking Trail as its backbone, this 7.7-mile loop spans natural wetlands and rolling hills at Lake Louisa State Park.

Lake Louisa State Park

Rolling hills at Lake Louisa State Park

Clermont      ( 28.4558,-81.7238 )      

As longleaf pine reaches for the sky, the rolling hills of Lake Louisa State Park near Clermont return to their forested roots

Lake Placid

Lake Placid

Lake Placid is a quiet town among the rolling hills of the Lake Wales Ridge, now known for its public art projects, murals large and small.

Lake Wales

Orange trees

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

Lake Wales Ridge State Forest

View of prairie beyond trail post

Frostproof      ( 27.761688, -81.48929 )      37.0 miles

Atop the ancient sands of the Lake Wales Ridge, this massive state forest offers provides hikers and equestrians an expansive network of trails.

North Loop

Trail leading to ancient live oak trees

Lake Kissimmee State Park  |  Lake Wales
( 27.9441, -81.3559 )      6.8 miles

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

On Iron Mountain

View from Iron Mountain

April 21, 2008    Sandra Friend

Atop one of the highest points in Florida stands a monument to an immigrant who lived the American Dream and decided that his legacy would be to preserve this high point: Bok Tower Gardens

Ridge Audubon Trails

Trails at Ridge Audubon Center

Babson Park      ( 27.841383, -81.533717 )      0.3 miles

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.

Scrub Jay Loop

Tunnel through trees

Lake Wales Ridge State Forest  |  Frostproof
( 27.762533, -81.453035 )      2.5 miles

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.

Sebring

Highlands Hammock

Sebring is in the heart of the state atop the Lake Wales Ridge, with significant natural areas along the Kissimmee River and its tributaries for outdoor recreation.

SUMICA

Wet prairie at SUMICA

Lake Wales      ( 27.856592, -81.375369 )      6.2 miles

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.

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