Myakka River State Park
10:30 am, day off of work. Morning meditation. Finishing it up, feeling refreshed, suddenly overcome by the need to get the heck out of Orlando! Now, a while ago, I remember seeing a photo of this suspension bridge on Instagram and thinking “wow that’s pretty” and I learned it was in a state park in Florida! I sent it to a friend, and learned it’s 2 hours away from us. Now, for a regular day off that might seem a bit far for a spontaneous road trip. But when you are in a middle of a pandemic, you haven’t been able to travel AT. ALL. in six months and you are would give your right arm for some fresh air, the idea doesn’t seem so crazy after all!
So within 30 minutes, I had changed my clothes, packed my camera gear, threw together some lunch (let’s be real, it was not a lunch… just a bunch of snacks), and found myself on the road hoping it was open! I didn’t even look up the weather! Which is Florida, is dangerous business because there is an 80% chance it is going to rain.
Some fast facts about the State Park itself…
Due to the pandemic, they aren’t giving out change. It’s $6 a car. $4 if you’re a single passenger. Soooo I paid $5 and the extra $1 was considered a donation. Worth it in my opinion.
Their visitor center was closed so I was completely winging it the entire time! And just kind of wandered around and figured things out on my own.
It is one of Florida’s oldest and largest state parks! And one of the wettest during the wet season. (Which surprise… it was. Soo not a lot of hiking for me lol)
You can go boating, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, hiking, and bicycling. The majority of the paths are paved, so keep that in mind.
They offer Wildlife Tours that are available by boat and by tram (I didn’t take this because I basically did it myself by walking around so much)
There is a birdwalk for those specifically looking for a lot of wildlife! (this was blocked off due to flooding while I was there)
Myakka Outpost, Rentals, and Cafe - this was open while I was there and is in the far back of the park. It was the last thing I stumbled upon but probably would have made my time easier had it been one of the first! They also have a large picnic area for those who want to gather and eat outdoors.
Canopy Walkway - This was the star of the show! The true beauty! I looks stunning in the woods because it is so unexpected. Apparently it was the first one of it’s kind in North America (who knew, right?) and you can bring your pets on the trail with you, but not on the walkway itself. The highest tower was blocked off? I don’t know why? But you could still cross the suspension bridge. They make the “over 100 stairs” sound like a lot? But picture walking to the third floor of an apartment building. If you can do that, then you do this no problem.
Ok now for all the pretty pictures :)
