HIGHLANDS HAMMOCK
STATE PARK
Resting Easy in Mother Nature’s Hammock
Smack dab in the middle of the state of Florida is a
10
majestic place that has nothing to do with roller
coasters and retail—an authentic respite from the
noise and chaos of everyday life, an escape where you
can sink right into the arms of Mother Nature, full of flora,
fauna, and critters that will touch your heart and leave you
and your family with memories that will last a lifetime—
Welcome to Highlands Hammock State Park.
Highlands Hammock State Park was created in 1931,
four years before Florida even had a state park system,
making it the oldest park in Florida. But what makes it
special is what it does for the soul. Being in the hammock
gives us an opportunity to experience real Florida—what
it would look like, sound like, feel like if it had been left
undeveloped, unspoiled, and untouched.
According to Park Manager, V. Morgan Tyrone,
it’s especially thrilling to people who live out of state
because nothing quite compares to the vast
difference in the ecology.
“For most tourists, coming here is exciting because
this looks nothing like where they’re from,” said Tyrone.
“The Hammock looks like a tropical rain forest—it’s not
like anything you’d see much further north so people
really enjoy that.”
The Hammock is a term used to describe this ecological
wonder comprised of 15 distinct natural communities
within more than 10,000 acres, some of which resembles
the tropical rainforest of the Amazon except with a canopy
of thousand-year-old oak trees and pignut hickories, all in
a contrasting ecosystem.
Wetlands that include cypress swamp, hardwood swamp,
and marshes and upland habitats such as pine flatwoods,
scrub, scrubby flatwoods and cutthroat seep help support
the many species of birds—an assortment of wading birds
and ducks, raptors, songbirds and birds that migrate to
Florida as part-time residents.
Highlands Hammock is one of the highest-ranking parks in
Florida because of its endemic biodiversity.
THE HIGHLANDS HAMMOCK PARK RESIDENTS
The Hammock is teeming with animal life, both common
and rare. Tyrone says,
“ The Park is home to more listed species than
any other state park in Florida. Everyone
loves to see alligators in the wild. We see a lot
of blue heron, night heron, little green heron ,
ibis, and roseate spoonbills. We have scrub
jays, gopher tortoises and other animals not
normally seen in other parts of Florida .”