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Spring has arrived and the park is bursting with life. Gaze into the lush green canopy of the Hammock or come delight over wildflowers springing up in the flatwoods. Spring birds are abundant now. Look for swallow-tailed kites, yellow-billed cuckoos, red-headed woodpeckers, great crested flycatchers and northern parulas. White-tailed deer are seen nearly every day and alligators laze about in the swamps.
What a wonderful time to visit the park! It’s not too hot and there’s no worry about afternoon thunderstorms for another six weeks or so. Come take advantage of the extra daylight hours. Bring the kids out in the late afternoon and toss a football or ride your bikes. Take a cruise around the Loop Drive’s bike path or enjoy the off-road bicycle trail.
Haven’t been camping in a while? Make a reservation to relax by the campfire while the kids enjoy the playground and make new friends. This time of year is perfect-no pesky bugs to bother you and weekdays are quiet and peaceful. Weekends remain busy until the end of May.
It’s also a great time of year for enjoying an evening concert. Saturday, April 16th, Billy Glades performs his Florida Folk music beginning at 7:00 p.m. Concert tickets are just $5 per person and accompanied kids age 12 and under are admitted free of charge. Park admission is waived after 6:00 p.m. on concert nights, making this an affordable evening out. Why not camp that weekend so you can relax all day, enjoy the concert and still have time for smore’s before bed.
If camping’s not your thing, plan a picnic for Mother’s Day. Park admission is reduced for any family bringing “mom” with them on Mother’s Day. Dad doesn’t need to feel left out because he’ll receive the same discount on Father’s Day. Pack a picnic or bring a cooler of BBQ fixings and grill with the family. Don’t forget to check out the new Seven Lakes day use area on County Road 635. Admission to this picnic area is included with your regular park admission. The lake front offers a relaxing vista to enjoy during your meal.
Tram tours continue to be scheduled at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 1:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the summer season. Tours offer a chance to enjoy remote areas of the park from the comfort of an open-air tram with a ranger narrating along the way. Alligators, turtles and wading birds are often seen, making this an extremely popular way to enjoy the park. As our snowbirds depart for the north, demand for this popular program decreases and tickets are more widely available. Tickets may be purchased the day of the tram at the Ranger Station beginning at 8:00 a.m. Adult tickets are just $5 per person and youth tickets (ages 6-12) are $3.00. Accompanied children age five and under may ride free of charge. Private tours can be scheduled according to staff availability and arrangements may be made by calling the ranger station at (863) 386-6094.
With all there is to do, perhaps the simplest thing gets overlooked. Daily park admission is still just $6.00 per vehicle for up to eight people per car. The park offers nine different nature trails to explore and I bet it’s been a long time since you’ve walked some of them. Do you remember the 1,000 year old tree at the Big Oak Trail? Chances are it looks quite a bit different than you remember. The huge oak on the Hickory Trail with the burned out bottom is still there waiting for you to step inside. Have you seen the Fern Garden Trail now that the historic waterway’s been restored? Fern the alligator is back and maybe you’ll even see the otters swimming around. Don’t forget that you are always welcome to bring your dog out for a walk or borrow a pair of binoculars at the ranger station to see what’s out here in “the Real Florida”.
For more information about the park, contact the Ranger Station at (863) 386-6094 or visit our website at www.FloridaStateParks.org/highlandshammock.
Florida's state parks will be FEE-FREE or DISCOUNTED on the following days in 2011:
Sunday, May 8 – Mothers Day – 50 percent entry fee for families with mothers*
Sunday, June 19 – Fathers Day – 50 percent entry fee for families with fathers*
Sunday, July 17 – National Park and Recreation Day – Free for all*
Sunday, September 11 – Literacy Month – Free with library card, library book or donation of family-friendly book*
Friday, November 11 – Veterans Day – Free for all*
*Excludes the Skyway Fishing Pier State Park.
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