We recently spent four nights camping at Myakka River State Park while also making day trips to Venice for some fossilized megalodon tooth scuba diving, and this park was a perfect home base for our adventures. The RV sites are spacious, well-maintained, and thoughtfully laid out. Unlike many campgrounds where you're practically sharing coffee with your neighbors, Myakka provides plenty of room and natural vegetation between sites. It felt private, peaceful, and uncrowded. If you enjoy the outdoors, you'll never run out of things to do here. There are miles of hiking and biking trails, abundant wildlife, and excellent opportunities for photography and birdwatching. For those looking for a little adventure, the canoe rental outpost offers a chance to paddle the Myakka River and lake system while getting up close and personal with about 10 bazillion alligators. (The OG Floridian!) One attraction you absolutely shouldn't miss is the Trail and Observation Tower. The suspension bridge is a fun experience, and the views from the 72-foot tower are spectacular. Looking out across miles of untouched Florida wilderness really gives you an appreciation for how wild and beautiful this state still is. One word of caution: be mindful of the poison ivy. It's everywhere around campsites, trails, and wooded areas. As a native Floridian who should know better, I managed to find it the hard way and am still paying for that mistake. Learn from my suffering and keep an eye on where you're stepping, leaning, and reaching. Whether you're camping, hiking, biking, paddling, or just looking for a peaceful getaway, Myakka River State Park delivers. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and are already "itching" to return. This time without the poison ivy. Pro Tip: Bring your camera, binoculars, comfortable walking shoes, and a healthy respect for Mother Nature. You'll be glad you did! read more

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We took a short trip to Myakka River State Park and had a wonderful time. The animals were running freely. You could stop and look at them and they wouldn't run away from you. They encourage you not to feed them, but you'll see in the picture of the squirrel, he lives by the camp store and where they make food so I'm sure he raids the trash bin often. I had the feeling of being watched as I sat in my golf cart close to the store where they offer free Wi-Fi. Not more than 6 feet away from me. I happen to see two Beaty little eyes with a bandit mask on. A raccoon was watching me and probably hoping that I would throw something his way to eat. It was mating season for the alligators and I am a little intimidated by them so I don't get too close but they have one that's called big daddy and he is massive. You can get boat rides you can go fishing. They have a like a really tall truck that takes you through trails and wet areas where you can see the land and see some of the wildlife. They have beautiful sunrises and beautiful sunsets. If you've never been to Myakka River State Park it is definitely worse the trip. We love camping there. read more

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My grandkids wanted to see alligators while they were visiting, and a friend told us about this park. We saw numerous alligators, it was great! We went on New Year's Eve and it wasn't overly busy. We were able to park right on the other side of the bridge, and walk back onto the bridge where we could stand to look at the many alligators on the banks of the river. We drove through the park and stopped at a few places where we could park and get out and walk. The kids got to walk on the swinging bridge while this Oma sat on a bench that was conveniently close by. I hope to make visiting this park a tradition for many years to come. read more

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This is such a picturesque park. We went over the holidays, and man... was it packed. The line to enter went out onto route 72. We waited about 15 minutes to get into the park. That being said, the park didn't feel crowded. We did do the canopy walk... that was a little crowded but moved right along. The swing bridge to cross over sides is always fun. The view from the top... so pretty! There weren't as many alligators the day we went, but still a sight to see. The hikes and drives through the trees is great too! read more

Myakka River State Park - Cool trees - Parks Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Great park. Quite a few trails and fun spot to view gators. Limited drinking water options currently and the snack bar is operated the last few years from a food truck but good selections. read more

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Beautiful park, two bucks a person. Def worth it. There is lots of wildlife to be seen. They also had some cute little food trucks and drink stands scattered. Plenty of bird watching and alligators to see. read more

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Wow! Myakka River State Park is amazing! Be aware that you have to enter and exit the main way entrance during the week, one in and one out. On weekends and holidays is when you can go through the other exit. There's nothing quite like this state park. I love how you can see alligators, birds and can even camp. $6 admission to drive all throughout the park. The people working here were kind and friendly at the gift shop. There's a beautiful scenic drive. This is a clean park and a smooth drive. There's plenty of parking but might be packed during weekends! I highly recommend you check out Myakka River State Park! read more

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This a 10/10, if you are near Sarasota you must experience this amazing park. You can bring your whole family there's so much walking so bring comfortable shoes, bring water and snacks you will be there for hours if you like nature. The scenery is sooo beautiful that overtures do not hit it justice. You can camp and fish there too if you are into that. read more

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This park was nice. The fee is $6 per car. We went to many places. It has a lot of trails and the trails in it are equivalent to over 60 miles! It was not crowded at all. First, we went to the visitor center which had no one like literally no one even no staff or anything so we just left but it did show some realistic sculptures of animals. Next we went to the famous Myakka Canopy Walkway, apparently all this state park is known for. They were interesting but had a weird new paint smell and an infinite amount of lovebugs in both the 50 foot and 100 foot tower, and the canopy walkway between. Next we got in our car to drive 2 miles more north on Myakka River State Park Rd to get to the Lake Myakka viewing area and Myakka Outpost restaurant. We walked to the place where you could get a closer look of the lake and there was a lot of Ravens. Apparently the viewpoint was right next to a habitat protection area for Ravens and we went closer to the river and noticed a BUNCH of alligators sitting laying down under 2 trees next to each other like almost 10 alligators. We felt like we hadn't walked enough so we went back to the William S Boylston Nature Trail and did a 0.9 mi loop. We then were driving back and saw a memorial stone that said it was dedicated to someone and it looked cool so we took a picture with it. We also found a rock from the RV ing Rocks on Facebook page. Next we went to the gift shop and we picked up a junior ranger activity folder and put all the receipts and maps from the park in there for memories. read more

Myakka River State Park - Florida panther sculpture at visitor center - Parks Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

I have brought the kids out here a few times where they have enjoyed each trip. Between the tower bridge, alligators and deer sightings, and just being outside, all of us had a great time exploring. Just don't forget your water. I did that once making that a not so amazing trip. Complete fail on my part. 05.02.25 read more

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Loved exploring this Florida State Park near Sarasota and along the Myakka River. Great place to see some wildlife, the grands had a blast seeing the big Gators by the river, we saw tons of deer, raccoon, tortoise, a variety of birds and scattering critters. The grands climbed trees, ran through prairie grasses, swamp area, near the lake explored some oyster shells, and just savored the views and beauty. The park and trails are well maintained and we loved climbing the tower and swinging bridge overlooking the area, the view is amazing! We saw deer in the distance and spotted a few hawks flying. We looked at the campsites and we will be back to camp. Sites are clean, maintained and safe. We stayed all day and had a picnic for lunch, but there's a restaurant/snack bar. The kids really enjoyed the gators and deer. Deer were everywhere and I recommend driving very slow as they cross frequently without regard, lol. We had a great time and could have stayed a few days to explore and enjoy nature more. We didn't get to walk the trails, only walked one to the tower, but the kids were very happy and I enjoyed being able to see so much in a little bit of time. Easy access and kids were able to ask tons of questions to a volunteer ranger about gators, birds, the swamp, river, etc. (they asked a lot, I mean a lot of questions and the volunteer was very informative and patient). We will be back! read more

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The canopy walk is very special, and there's a tall tower you can climb and be high above the treetops it's an incredible gorgeous view. Not to be missed! read more

Myakka River State Park - Making friends with a tree on the trail - Parks Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Wow what a nature find. For a Californian visiting Sarasota for the first time, it was an eye-opening experience. All the trails are completely flat and covered in white beach sand. No 'hiking' here, just miles and miles of gorgeous nature walk, lush meadows, blue skies and lake water for as far as the eye can see (in March 2025). PRO-TIPS: (1) go to the visitor center first, to the left behind the ticket booth; (2) do the unique canopy walk (an area of the Boylston trail), only 1 of 12 in the world, located about 1/2-mile after the bridge; (3) do the birdwalk trail, take the right of the fork and go about a mile, use your sat-nav as signage is poor; (4) on the way back, go to Myakka Outpost for picnic, boat tour, see gators and birds. There is a concession stand "Lazy Gator Cafe" in the picnic area that sells fried gator bites for $16. It tasted like overpriced popcorn chicken. I came here on a Monday morning, so I-75 traffic wasn't bad. Took about 30 min from downtown Sarasota. It's a great state park, one of the oldest in Florida and best in the U.S. BUT PLEASE install more signage for #1-4 above. read more

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Myakka River State Park near Sarasota, Florida. We had a great stay there the last week in February that made the horrible traffic encountered on I-75 to get there worth it. This is a very large state park with three campgrounds. We believe that the Palmetto Ridge Campground is the preferred one of the three. It is near the park entrance, has full hookups and two very nice bath houses. We were in one of the large pull through sites in the center section of this campground and were impressed with its size and the trees and bushes that separated us from our neighboring sites. The other two campgrounds we toured seemed to be more compact with smaller sites, older bath houses and no sewer hookups. One of those two was just across the main road from the Palmetto Ridge campground while the other was about 4 miles deeper into the park out near the Outpost lakeside facility. There has been some ongoing issue at this park with the water system. At checkin we were advised that the water was not potable but the park was providing campers gallons of drinking water at no charge. The park had significant damage from last year's hurricanes. The high water marks were visible on the standing trees and many trees looked to have fallen due to the storm. The elevated canopy walk and observation tower were closed and still under repair. The boat tours on the lake were suspended due to the need for dredging the channel they use to reach the lake that silted up due to the storm. The tram tours of the park that leave from the Outpost were also not operating when we were there. The food truck at the Outpost was open as was the nice gift shop. We did not try the food truck but saw several folks buying food and taking it over to the picnic area. Canoes and bikes are also available to rent at the Outpost. Otherwise, the several trails in this park were open for hiking. Some trails permitted biking but some did not. The highlight for us was the abundance of wildlife we saw. Alligators were seen in most every body of water. There is a small bridge on the main (newly asphalted) road about 1.5 miles deep into the park near the canopy walk and observation tower. This was a great place to stop and walk out to see several gators sunning on the bank. Out by the Outpost shop and lake we also saw lots of gators and many different birds. On the Nature Trail we walked right by a large wild hog rooting for food about 15' from the path. He didn't even look over at us or our dog as we quietly passed by. Later a red shouldered hawk flew right in front of us about 8' above the ground across the path. While biking on the Powerline Road we saw more gators in the creeks and a deer on one creek bank. At night we heard owls and saw racoons. The main road is about 7 miles long from the park entrance out to the Clay Gulley area where a back entrance to the park is. Signage said that this entrance is only available for use in weekends id holidays. The freshly asphalted main road was great for biking on to get to the Outpost and other hiking or biking areas. We only went into Sarasota once for a dinner but the traffic was so heavy we never left the park again to svoid that bad area traffic. Our last day of our stay was warmer (high 70's) and with the rain a few days prior that apparently woke up the mosquitoes that had been missing earlier in the week. I can only imagine how bad the bugs would be on a hot summer day or night. But what do you expect, it's Florida. read more

Myakka River State Park - Parks Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

We have been about 10 times. The rangers have been unfailingly polite and helpful. It's a beautiful park and I love seeing alligators from the bridge and walking the canopy. Such a great place to spend a day or an afternoon. read more

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This park is like a fairy tale. Did a drive through but will definitely make a trip just to spend a day in this park. Everything is so well maintained even after storm damage. Looking forward to coming back for a long hike. read more

Every visit reveals a new adventure from the sight seeing of alligators on the tour boat, the sightseeing "train" that visits the past with very informative guides that for the moment place you back to life and survival a century ago. Enjoy the tranquility of the park by exploring trails such as the Canopy walk. The park also offers RV spots with full hook up or Primitive camping areas. A small restaurant and snack shack is also available. For the Photo buffs the park is filled with a myriad of landscape, nature and wildlife opportunities. It's a place you should have on your bucket list of things to do. read more

I've been here on many occasions. It's a beautiful park. Great tower to climb! It's line Jurassic Park! Highly recommended...must-see!

This is one huge park kept out of the grips of developers and corrupt politicians. The 37,000+ acres offer ideal birding, biking and hiking choices. Boat tours and canoeing are canceled or difficult due to drought conditions. From November through mid-April, there is a bird naturalist at the Birdwalk most days of the week from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Call the ranger station ahead of time at 941-361-6511 Boat tours, when running are at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. No reservations; tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis. $20 for adults, $12 for children 3-12 The park features three campgrounds with 90 campsites. Each site is equipped with 50-amp electrical service, water, a fire ring and picnic table. The sites in Palmetto Ridge also have sewer hook-ups. There are six primitive campgrounds (Mossy Hammock, Bee Island, Honore, Panther Point, Oak Grove and Prairie) located along the hiking trails for backpackers. These rustic settings provide campers with a fire pit and post to hang items. Each campground has three campsites, and a maximum of four people may be on each site. Only Bee Island, Oak Grove and Prairie have water pumps. Water at these sites is not potable; it requires boiling/chemical treatment. Fishing is permitted in the park for those with a Florida freshwater fishing license. The Myakka Trail includes a 38.9-mile hiking loop trail maintained by the Florida Trail Association. Backcountry roads crisscross the trail, allowing hikers to shorten or lengthen hiking trips. Myakka has 12 miles of designated horse trails. The 66-mile Florida Wild and Scenic Myakka River flows through 58 square miles of wetlands, prairies, hammocks and pinelands, starting in northeast Manatee County and ending in Charlotte Harbor. Fourteen miles flow through Myakka River State Park. There is a store/concession and a nice gift shop at the boat ramp area. Breakfast and lunch are offered along with beer on tap! To access areas of the park south of State Road 72, boaters must have a wilderness preserve permit. Only 30 people are allowed south of 72 per day, and all people going must register at the ranger station on the day they would like to go. Stay the night in a log cabin at one of Florida's oldest and largest state parks. Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps between 1934 and 1941, each of the historic palm log cabins includes a bathroom with shower, fully equipped kitchen and a large common room that sleeps up to six guests. A porch and fireplace add to the charm of these historic cabins. Linens, light thermal blankets, kitchen utensils, coffee pot and microwave oven are provided. This park rocks it out! We enjoyed our drive and hike. Definitely coming back! read more

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This is a nice fun family activity to explore. We came across 7 alligators while we were traveling the area and the trails. Scary for sure but cool to see. We got back in the car when they got closer to us read more

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The man setting in the visitors center needs to be put somewhere else. Not very friendly and not full of good information. Told us it was a two mile walk back to the observation tower and nature walk. Did not mention we could drive so on we walked. Should have known better when cars where passing us on road. We made it there and back got a good walk in. Saw alligators while on the bridge. Nice place. read more

It was a cooler , winter day, partly cloudy but not too windy. Not a beach day. So, we took a ride to Myakka and brought out bikes. This is the perfect place for a bike ride. Smooth rides, lots of beautiful scenery, woods and lakes , birds , gators and turkeys. We are not super experienced bikers, but we had a gorgeous, relaxed , one hour bike ride. Years ago we went on the boat tour and loved that also. And previously we have hiked on the canopy trail and that was awesome! read more

We came here to burn a couple of hours before meeting up with a family member nearby. We took a nice river cruise, saw lots of alligators and some native birds. We got pretty close,with barriers, to an area where the gators like to Sun themselves as well.we went on a short trail, limited by a toddler in our group. The gift shop has sunglasses, snacks, drinks, and a few local items. There is a food truck outside the gift shop if you are there around lunch. read more

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Warning - the Canopy Walk / trail and Birdwalk is closed due to hurricane. All trails and google showed me it was closed. The park's website doesn't show the canopy as closed which may create disappointment. Perhaps being clearer it's closed would lower attendance. The hurricane damage is clear. There's no trees to even have a a tree canopy walk there. Many trees are fully or partly up rooted. The front entrance attendant was very friendly. $6 for a vehicle of 2-8. It was also earth day. The special event had a ranger, maybe named Cade, showed a python, boa constrictor, leopard gecko, and tortoise. They gave guided nature walks. The one volunteer said the best ~ one hour hike with the closings was Power Line Rd then left at the first intersection All Weather Trail on the map / State Park Road on google maps. Then left at the next intersection Ranch House Road on the map. And then left at the State Park Rd that you started on. The all weather trail on the right has a Savanna feel with that area being control burned every 2-3 years. The only wild life I saw the whole time was 3 small lizards. I'm not sure if the birds haven't come back from the hurricane or it was an off day. read more

Myakka River State Park - Ranch house and Park road facing north west - Parks Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Myakka State Park used to be one of our favorite places in Florida to visit. Except for the still very nice staff, the park has really gone downhill these last few years. You can't drink the water anywhere in the park since it is polluted, and has been undrinkable since 2024.. You can't ride the alligator-touring boat since it is no longer operating. You can't walk the long pier to look at the wild boars since the pier is now completely broken down. The cabin that we stayed in for two nights was an even worse complete disappointment. Housekeeping must not exist any longer in the park. Nothing was provided to make our stay comfortable (no hand or other personal soap, one roll of single-ply toilet paper, a shower curtain liner which was too short for the shower and had rust stains all over the bottom, a shower curtain that went two thirds across the width of the shower, furniture that was both sparse and very uncomfortable, lightning in the main cabin room that consisted of one good overhead fluorescent lamp and two very small and weak table lamps, and a complete absence of anything to sit on when we were on the back balcony). The whole experience of the cabin was depressing. It was like a trip to a Dollar Store was made by one of the staff where the goal was to spend as little as possible. They succeeded, but it isn't what you do when you are really trying to give your customers a nice experience. We won't be going back to Myakka. We had to assume that the State of Florida is purposely trying to discourage people from going to Myakka. If they are indeed planning on closing the park in the very near future, they are doing a good job toward making this less than admirable goal a reality. read more

Nice state park in Florida near Sarasota. Here you are able to climb up stairs and see a nice view of the swamps. There is also a bird walk which didn't have much and a bridge you can walk over and see alligators in the water from a safe distance. There is a food stand and gift shop there which I can not account for as we did not use it. Cool place to see some gators and Florida wildlife read more

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If you want to see alligators this is the place! You can almost find them at the bridge or by taking a walk on the path across from the snack bar. Clay gully is a great place for a picnic and the tree bridge has amazing views from the top of the tower. The CCC structures are a cool piece of Florida history. read more

Myakka River State Park - Myakka River State Park - Parks Near Me - Sarasota, Florida

Epic photos of alligators and armadillo walking about! Never did we feel unsafe-our whole family was in a boat and we were able to get great photos of birds close up too! read more

Retirement is just this good! After dropping off our car for servicing, we decided to get some exercise and walk around Myakka River State Park. Even after lots of rain from a tropical storm followed by a hurricane in the past week, Myakka is a lovely park. Advertised as having plenty of wildlife (deer, birds, raccoons, alligators, squirrels, bobcats, wild turkey to name a few) - with the very wet grounds and the very hot temperatures, not so much wildlife was visible. (This would be a disappointment to impatient younger children.) The Canopy Walk would have been enjoyable IF it it's location had been better identified. BIG TIP: the canopy walk is a small part of the William S. Boylston Nature Trail - just inside the park's SR 72 entrance. (NOTE: It was the first canopy walk in North America, and is one of 12 in the world!) We remembered a particular path - that must have been under-water today - so we thought we'd take a narrated boat ride. For us: it wasn't worth the price. (The military discount is pitiful.) The boat very slowly navigated part of the Myakka Lake for the hour. We saw a couple of fish that surfaced, two alligators (at different locations), and a few birds. On "slow" wildlife days especially a running commentary needs to be made. Inform riders that you welcome questions, and then repeat the question on the mike before you answer it so all can hear. One example was that alligators swallow their prey whole, sink to the bottom, and wait for their body to digest the meal. I was curious as to what happens to the bones: Do they dissolve? Do they stay in the stomach? Instead the narration on the entire trip was sporadic. Some local history (the Parker family, the indigenous people, local anecdotes, etc.) would have made the hour pass much more pleasantly/educationally. Upon our return to the dock, we had thought we'd be able to have lunch while at the park as they had a restaurant. Nope. It's under renovation, so no "gator bites" for us. They do have a Food Truck with burgers & hot dogs, breakfast sandwiches, and canned drinks - including beer. There is a gift shop near the dock with typical tourist/visitor items (magnets, wall art, t-shirts, and other numerous tchotchkes) - plus water and sodas for sale. All of that said - we will return! The location off SR 72 is great - and the paved road throughout the property will be perfect for riding bikes. We'll take a cooler and picnic at one of the tables or benches (and we won't feed other animals than ourselves). AND we'll be sure to find the Canopy Walk! read more

I want to phrase this correctly, because the park was/is very nice, but the experience was a bit underwhelming. Myakka River Park is a huge expanse of river side park, including bird trails and equestrian trails. There were ample restroom facilities, some with water bottle fill stations, and it is quite popular. It is about an hour from Sarasota/Bradenton if you're not local. The reason I was a bit disappointed by my visit is that the park's website wasn't well updated after the hurricane damage. So, I am 100% understanding that there IS damage and that there just isn't funding to replace the structures that are no longer accessible (birdwalk and canopy walk), but it wasn't well noted on the website that those things were no longer in existence. When I arrived, there was a sheet of paper taped to the entrance gate informing you of those closure. Upon checkin, we were informed that the equestrian trails, and ranch, and back country trails were also all closed. Again, it's the wild, so wild stuff happens, but I would have arrived with different expectations had the information been more readily available. So, that being said, there were cranes, lots of other birds, some very cool pink spoon bills, and lots of gators. You can rent canoes and kayaks, and at some times, bring your horses to go riding! The views, especially along the river were lovely. a lot of people hang out on "The Bridge" because a lot of gators congregate there, and you can find friendly volunteers there through the day, including one gentleman who can identify the gators by site (I think there was a Bruce). read more

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Walking through Myakka it is heartbreaking to see all the hurricane damage. BUT the park has done a good job of clearing paths, so we had no trouble navigating. Really enjoyed seeing lots of alligators, birds (Roseate Spoonbill!), and not many hikers. Was great to drive by camping area and see it full. Looking forward to coming back and kayaking. Super clean bathrooms and whatever soap they use; it smells really good. read more

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I thought I'd take a moment to tell you that there's all kinds of animals in this park but there's one that is extinct, it's called a manager. Somewhere along the line about three or four years ago this park has gone steadily downhill, apparently the real manager has retired. Years before this, they installed the new gift shop and a café to where everyone could enjoy themselves it was clean and a great place to eat. The kids and adults could see the alligators from the second floor, It was a booming business. Realizing they had some tough times with the hurricanes and they had to close the café, but that has been years ago. Now we've got a food truck that is a joke and the picnic tables that are atrocious to eat off. There's not one health inspector that wouldn't have a problem on how dirty these tables are to eat off. The bathrooms themselves were very clean and kept up but at this time they're going downhill fast. Nothing is put back into this business and it's sad now the boats are gone to give the kids a ride out on the lake. It's just one more notch down for Myakka State Park. But it's still a great place to ride your bicycle around and to walk along and see some alligators, pigs and deer. It's just unfortunate that things haven't been kept up. For a state run business it's totally ridiculous. read more

This is a much bigger park than I expected it to be. I pass it all the time on I75 and I definitely recommend to take the day and relax here! $6 per car and they give you a map since the property is pretty big! We came to have some Pub-subs and hike. We found the first picnic area after entering and it was in a big open cabin with a fireplace. Super cool if you especially can come with a group and occupy the cabin area. There are cans for cigarette butts to keep the area clean of those, but there wasn't any trash cans in the area, which I found odd for a picnic area. That specific area had two SUPER cold water fountains. I know that's not a key feature of the park but finding cold water fountains is very rare (but very refreshing). We drove down the road after and rented two canoes and a kayak. You sign up and pay for it by the gift shop and they trust you to grab all of your equipment yourself and you must always wear a life vest. We were advised to not go into the river due to high water levels but there was no sign for the river out there so we never really even knew where it was. We stayed on the lake the entire time which was still really nice. The lake is huge and the water was decently calm. This was my first time being in a canoe and it was very relaxing once I got the hang of it. We had a little over an hour on the water and were told three times by an employee that she really wanted to leave at 4pm so to get there by then. It felt a little forceful and demanding. We didn't really like her lol but the young guy helping us out for the canoes was very nice. After canoeing, we drove to the canopy walk. The "hike" to the canopy walk is maybe 5 minutes long if you keep moving. There is a sign that says there's a 40 minute hike (there was a separate nature trail) but that trail was flooded and basically impossible to go through unless you came prepared for that. There were other trails that we saw on the way to this one that were completely closed off because they were flooded. The canopy walk was nice with a beautiful view of the forest from the top of the observation tower. The tower is covered in plaques and memorials which was nice to read on the way up. Bring some quarters for the binoculars up top. We finished our stay with going through the scenic drive. Truthfully it's just as scenic as the rest of the property but if you like to drive around and look, definitely do the scenic drive. You pass a board walk on the scenic drive called the Bird Walk where there's a board that teaches you the names of birds you may see at the park, I recommend walking down the boardwalk. Overall Myakka was a pretty cool experience. We did see some wild animals including pigs and birds and even a fox. I recommend this place for a nice getaway for a day. You can camp here as they have cabins and primitive camping as well. If you're into Geocaching, this is certainly a place to go. read more

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We took a day trip here to see some alligators! The views were amazing! We took the boat ride which was $20 per person for about an hour long. The boat goes about 5 mph at its fastest and you're able to walk around to be able to see the alligators **go to the early boat ride 9 am for the best alligator views. It's the coolest in the day and the alligators will be more visible. We drove down to the bird walk which we saw about 3-4 alligators with their heads up. The walk was great and is wheelchair accessible. read more

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The fifth largest state park in Florida, this piece of heaven for wildlife lovers is rivaled only, perhaps, by the great Everglades National Park in terms of the wildlife viewing opportunities that it bestows upon its visitors. At the very first pullout after the park entrance off State Road 72, I was able to see and photograph 10 different species: great egret, snowy egret, little blue heron, tricolor heron, white ibis, glossy ibis, wood stork, limpkin, roseate spoonbill, and, of course, American alligator. Farther inside the park, where the park's namesake Myakka River meets the Myakka Lake, there were more alligators, spoonbills, limpkin, great blue herons, anhinga, black-necked stilt, moorhen, ibis, osprey, and bald eagle. In the marshes and woodlands, there were white-tailed deer, red-shouldered hawk, wild turkeys, more wood storks and ibis. I saw at least 19 different species in just a few hours of my brief visit to the park. The only bird that I was hoping to see, but was not able to see in the park, was the Florida sandhill crane. The birds that I saw, but was not able to photograph, were a bald eagle (in flight near the lake, chasing an osprey), an osprey (in flight, with the bald eagle in hot pursuit), a moorhen, and a couple of wild turkeys. I had recently captured some great shots of an osprey in the Everglades, and I had previously photographed wild turkeys in Radnor Lake State Park in Tennessee, so I wasn't too disappointed. I had photographed bald eagles in the past in Alaska, but was still hoping to get a good shot of one in Florida. Oh well, that gives me another reason to come back! read more

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Loved feeling on top of the world walking the canopy bridge through the trees and then followed by climbing the tower almost 80 feet up to the view. That was the highlight of the trip. We didn't see much animals unfortunately. But I at least know I don't have to travel far to see what they see here. People see alligators, wild pigs, different birds, snakes. I saw a pink bird when I first got here and an alligator in the distance as well as a wild pig in the far distance. I unfortunately don't recommend the tram tour. I felt like it was a waste of $20 each. The tour guide is very kind and knowledgable and talked about history of the area and being in the area back in the day as well as the plants and trees and animals etc. But the voice was monotone and resembled a voice of calm meditation. Therefore, we fell asleep on the tram tour. Guess that part of relaxing in nature served us well! Overall, this is a neat place. We also walked the Birdwalk which is a board walk that ends at the end of water with flocks of birds. It was nice during the afternoon when the sun was coming down. This is definitely a place to go if you love camping, outdoors, kayaking, and biking. I wouldn't want to bike here because you bike on the street or rugged ground and there are no paved trails. The trails that are paved which we only saw say no bikes. read more

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Such a good park. Lots of gators to look at and plenty of ample parking. Definitely try canopy walk. Great views and well maintained spaces. read more

Perfect stay at Myakka River State Park. The RV locations feature full hookups. Not overcrowded and easy to back in. Level with 30/50 amps and sewerage. When we arrived we were told our campsite was ready. When we pulled in there was still a camper occupying our spot. We went back to the office and the Ranger asked the people to check out (as they were scheduled to do so). We had an easy hookup. The park has lots of great trails, boat tours, kayak, and bike rentals. The grounds are well maintained and breathtaking. Don't miss the canopy trail. Lots of wildlife can be found everywhere. The on-site restaurant has great food and drinks as well as a very extensive gift shop. Tips: This Myakka State Park fills up quickly, you have to book your RV stay in advance. Watch for alligators! read more

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Beautiful spot! This is a great place if you're looking to see gators. Keep the kids and pets close ! read more

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The canopy trail is a joke. Way overrated. It is more like a bridge/observation tower. It is no more than three stories and it took me two minutes to walk across. The upper level is currently closed. If you are looking for further hikes, you might be disappointed. I recommend printing the map ahead of time because the smartphone signal does not work in certain areas of the park. The signage in the park is horrible to non-existent. What good is 38 mile of trails if no one can find it? First of all, the park map is not the same as the hiking map. The park map shows different attraction locations. If you are looking for boating, the river is beautiful and they offer rentals. There are no dedicated biking paths but the main road is wide and smooth. This park has so much potential. But the layout and lack of signage shortchanges the experience. The main road is fairly straight so biking could get a little dull. When I was finally able to pull up the map on my phone, I did manage to squeeze in an additional hike at the Fox Low header. The blazes are vibrant and recently painted, but the map does not indicate what color represents which trail. Also, trails offer little shade. read more

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