Page Updated: September 15, 2023
Myakka River State Park
Myakka River - Myakka City FL
Located roughly 20 miles east of the heart of Sarasota Myakka River State Park is one of the State’s oldest parks. The winding road from the visitor center is beautifully shaded with a gorgeous canopy of oak and palm draped in Spanish moss swinging lazily in the breeze; only broken by segments overlooking the local wetlands. The main road treks an easy 10-mile point to point ride from the park entrance on SR 72 to the northern entrance just off Clay Gully Road; perfect for bikers, hikers, and everyday walkers.
On September 28, 2022, Category 4 Hurricane Ian made landfall near the island of Cayo Costa, FL. Damage to the island and the surrounding greater Fort Myers area was catastrophic. Many communities lost businesses and homes. The determined began the arduous process of rebuilding. Others have chosen to move on.
At the first little no-name bridge in the park, we stopped to appropriately ogle a dozen or so alligators chillin in the sun… except for one big guy waiting patiently near the bridge for the fishermen to reel in their catch.
One of the park’s coolest features is the Myakka Canopy Walkway and Observation Tower. The walkway is 25ft off the ground and 85ft long. The tower - 74ft tall. It’s a unique way to get on overhead view of the park’s canopy and wetlands.
The park also boasts 39 miles of hiking trails and offers canoeing, birding, kayaking, fishing, and boat and tram tours. Low water levels from seasonally dry conditions meant the boat tours were not operating the weekend of our visit.
The Pink Gator Café overlooking Upper Myakka Lake was being remodeled. We grabbed hotdogs and a craft beer from the onsite food truck and decided to try home-made alligator stew - which was more like a soup and just meh.
This was a fun find! I imagine it’s a great spot to hang out for a weekend when the park is completely up and running.
-b&b
Biking Pine Island
Beach Hopping Sarasota County
