Explore
the
S TATE PARK S
Myakka River State Park
Myakka River State Park, located nine miles
east of Sarasota on State Road 72, is one of the
most ecologically diverse places in the state.
The park sprawls over more than 17,000 acres
of wetlands, prairies, pinelands and hammocks
for abundant wildlife viewing.
On a visit to Myakka River State Park, hike
the canopy trails, bike around the park’s paved
paths, take thrilling Florida airboat tours, go fishing,
camp in log cabins built in the 1930s by the
Civilian Conservation Corps as part of Franklin
D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, or pitch a tent in the
park’s primitive camping spaces.
The Myakka River Canopy Walk provides
some of the best vistas of unspoiled native wilderness
in the state. Modeled after tree canopy
walks used by scientists in South American
rainforests, the Canopy Walk leads to a 76-foot
observation platform offering breathtaking
views of the Myakka River basin.
Oscar Scherer State Park
Oscar Scherer State Park
Oscar Scherer State Park in Osprey is located
just off of U.S. 41. Oscar Scherer’s scrubby
flatwoods serve as one of the only remaining
settings in which to spy a glimpse of the rare
Florida scrub jay.
32 The Official Destination Guide of Sarasota County