Great area for bird watching!…read more We parked in the free lot, climbed some of the hill, and then crossed the street for a short walk to the water viewing wooden piers. We were able to see some great birds and the water was beautiful. Very peaceful area that we could've easily spent more time in. It was sweltering outside so make sure to bring a sun umbrella, hat, and water.

We visited Celery Fields on a recent Monday morning, with the hope of seeing and photographing…read more sandhill cranes, roseate spoonbills, and other birds. We were partially successful. There are 2 buildings adjacent to the main parking lot at Celery Fields. Each has a purple martin house, and both of these were very active when we were there. One of the buildings houses Audubon Society volunteers who can advise you where to see birds. There's a small garden outside of this building that's worth a visit. The other building, on the opposite side of the parking lot, has rest rooms. There's a crosswalk across Palmer Blvd. near the parking lot, leading to a boardwalk over a marshy area. A recent rain attracted quite a few birds when we were there in mid-March 2026. At the end of the boardwalk there's a gazebo for observing the birds. Another marshy area and gazebo is along Raymond Rd. Parking is available on the grass along the road. There was lots of bird activity. We saw many varieties, including herons, egrets, a caracara, a northern harrier, ibises, wood storks, gallinule, osprey, anhinga, and many others. There are lots of trails near the marshes, in addition to the boardwalks. Celery Fields is a great spot to go hikng and birding. Sunscreen is advisable because most of the areas are not shaded.

This is a very nice preserve / park. We saw lots of dragon flies and many different types of…read morebutterfly March 2020. Also many species of bird. There are some covered picnic table areas and a small playground. Then some woods with wide and narrow trails. Leads to an open area and slough (lakeish feature). Good mix of wilds and park features. Did a pretty wel established tent campsite with two tents despite the no camping signs. There are buckets out to collect air potatoes if you see any. Lots of large vines,, some saw palmetto, and wildflowers. It was pretty dry this spring and not too buggy. Not sure on summer with the water features around. Lovely area to explore for a walk. Saw people fishing. Reccomended for a nice outing. Peeps were friendly. Lots of dog walkers and nature loving folks.

There are dog walkers with the dog not on a leash. There are signs posted to inform dog walkers…read moreaboilut this

What a wonderful, beautifully maintained, park! We were awed on the hiking trail we looped around…read moreon. The wildlife we saw was pure joy. There are interpretive signs, as well as warning signs (alligators, snakes, etc) along the way which was an added bonus. Although there was a huge number of vehicles in the parking lot, we barely ran across other hikers. The pathway we took, about a 2.5 mile loop, had minimal foot traffic. The paths are wide, wide enough for worker or emergency vehicles. We enjoyed this park very much and plan to return, albeit most likely NOT in the dead of the Florida summer heat/humidity. We are not that "adventurous" hahaha. We are very blessed with the County and State parks we have here, that's for sure!

This place never ceases to amaze me! Every time I come here, I have a different kind of experience…read more That's what I love about it, you never know what you're going to get. I can't wait for my one day where I get the shot to see an alligator sunning himself on the walkway. My children and I still come here on a regular basis to see all the different kinds of wildlife we can count while we're there. It's quite a fun experience!

Lake June-in-Winter Scrub Park is part of the Florida State Park system. Entrance is two dollars on…read morethe honor system. You can drop cash in the lock box or pay on your phone. This state park provides 845 acres of protection for Florida scrub habitat on the Lake Wales Ridge. Scrub habitat is one of the most endangered in Florida because it is high and dry making it ideal to build on. This ridge is located on an ancient ridge of sand dunes. The ecosystem here consists of scrub, scrubby flatwood, and bayhead. Some of Florida's most threatened animals and plants make their home here including the scrub-jay, Florida scrub lizard, Florida mouse, gopher tortoise and the Eastern indigo snake. Ospreys and bald eagles are found along the three miles of lakefront on the west side of Lake June in Winter while white-tailed deer, bobcat and black bear can occasionally be sighted among the trees. During my visit I saw an Eastern cottontail rabbit. This park also has one of the highest concentration of rare plants in North America. In the park you can hike along the half mile Tomoka trail along the fern lined waterway. The Bobcat Trail runs south from the entrance gate into the scrub where you may spot the scrub jays. Fishing is allowed on lake June or you can launch a canoe or kayak on to the water. There are covered picnic tables available to eat at. The scrub is hot and sandy with little sun protection. Be sure to bring water. There is a composting toilet. At this park you can experience a remote feeling yet be only 15 minutes from downtown Lake Placid. Even though there are few amenities, the tranquility and peacefulness will attract nature lovers.

Beautiful park, nice scenery! Definitely would come again, the water looks so beautiful. Honestly,…read moreit's a breath of fresh air. Nice place to have a picnic, or to come and take lovely pictures of nature

It's a nice little adventurous preserve. You can easily spend 90 minutes there…read more The preserve is being enhanced with a boardwalk, paved parking lot and restrooms, etc. This renovation started in the summer of 2025 and it's still ongoing (June 2026). However, access to the old entrance off Del Prado Blvd is still opened with limited parking. https://share.google/sUUdpymsREWL2T24R

Nice trails. Quite from the hustle and bustle. Took wrong turns a couple of time. Could be…read morebetter marked.

Tiger creek was a beautiful hiking area provide extremely well marked trial blazes and ever…read morechanging ecosystems along it's hike as well as amazing demonstrations of succession (post prescribed burn growth) in some areas. Trails can be taken in chunks or as one long loop of about 10-13 miles. I'd be sure to pick a cloudy cool day these trails would be very warm otherwise

One of the most beautiful preserves in Central Florida. Tiger Creek sits high on the ridge. Trails…read morecover rolling hills of Sandhills, Oak Hammocks and bay heads. Long and short trails provide views of rare native plants, swaths of wild flowers, and small grassy lakes. I love it here and try to make it once or twice a month to see the seasons unfold. Eagles and swallow tailed kites nest here. Both bears and panthers have been found here. Tiger Creek has a range of hikes to offer. The trails are well marked ( travel from blaze to blaze and ignore the unmarked fire access roads). It's charms are subtle but well worth a visit.

This park is located off of North State Rd 78. I saw a Florida heritage sign for it on the side of…read morethe road and decided to make a detour to investigate. This park is in the middle of nowhere in the heart of cattle country where the cows out number the people 10 to 1. You drive down a dirt road and come to a park. The park has picnic pavilions, a bathroom, and a small playground for kids. The real reason I wanted to visit the park is that it contains several ancient Calusa Indian mounds and canals that were once used as waterways for travel and transportation. The Calusa used wooden and shell tools to create waterways that were 20 feet wide and 3 to 4 feet deep and allowed them to travel from Lake Okeechobee and the Gulf of Mexico. The canals date to 1700 years ago (the same age approximately as the Miami Circle) and the site was first discovered in 1839. The park is named the Larry Luckey Ortona Indian Mound Park for the retired Glades County Property Appraiser who was instrumental in creating the park and preserving the area. He created the park paths and arranged to have the land cleared. He first asked the county commission to consider his plan in 1987 and the park was created in 1989. In addition to the Indian mounds there is a scrub habitat with wading birds, a hammock habitat, a grassy area, and Lake Wobegon. Every year the park is the site of the Ortona Cane Grinding Festival organized by Luckey and his wife Neva. The festival celebrates the early settlers' cultivation and the processing of sugarcane syrup. admission includes a chicken and pork lunch. The proceeds of the event go to the Glades County fire department where the couple is actively involved. I hope to get to the Sugar Cane Festival one day. On the day I visited the park was deserted. There is a kiosk with information on the Calusa Indians but when you try to take the boardwalk to the nature trails it is falling apart. The boardwalk is actually on top of mound. I tried to go further and ended up with several nasty scratched on my arm. It's a shame that the boardwalk has been allowed to fall apart. You can't access the nature trail if you can't cross the boardwalk. Many of the ancient mounds were carted away for road fill and others were lost when the Ortona cemetery was built. That is why it is so important to preserve what is left and it was disappointing to see the park let go this way. I hope the county gets it together and treats this park like the archaeological treasure it is.

A rare gem in the rural cattle & sugar fields of Glades County! This is a County Park managed as a…read morenatural area, full of Palms, Oaks & Pine with a scrub habitat beyond the central pavilion area. It also commemorates the ancient Ortona Native Americans who first inhabited this area 3,000 years ago and built extensive canals by-hand to connect with the Calhoosahatchee River several miles away, possibly even the Gulf Coast. Archaeological interpretive kiosk along path to the right of the cane grinder after entering. A great place for quiet serenity and viewing native upland plants under the trees. The County keeps this park natural and does not interfere with native vegetation. Rustic sheds adjacent to the entry pavilion area are used for local festivals and family events.