The Myakka River Park Offers Photography Opportunites For Wildlife, Landscape, Water Reflections And More
Myakka River Park covers over forty-five square miles, making it one of the largest state parks in Florida. It is also one of the odlest parks in the sunshine state, first developed in 1934 by the Civilian Conservation Corp. Some of the original cabins are still standing and available as rentals for overnight stays. The Myakka is also the only officially designated "wild and scenic" river in the state. There are large areas of riverine wetlands, rare "dry prairie" areas and oak/palm hammocks. All of these habitats provide living space for a large variety of wildlife, whether aquatic, dry land or avian. The main and easiest access is along the seven mile paved drive that runs south-to-north from S.R.72 about ten miles east of Sarasota. Close to forty miles of hiking trails and many miles of dirt roads run through the more remote areas of Myakka River Park. A canoe or kayak give excellent access to many miles of river, lake and creek.
Some of my favorite features at this park are the canopy walkway and tower along the nature trail, giving a bird's eye view of a large area. The birdwalk is a boardwalk into the middle of a large wet-grass prairie on the north end of Upper Myakka Lake. The Clay Creek picnic area near the north end of Park Drive has intimate views of a pristine Florida creek and I usually see deer in this part of the park and large catfish in the creek. The park provides for RV, tent and cabin camping. There is a lake wildlife tour available on the world's largest air boat. Wildlife/scenic tours by tram are lead by very knowledgeable guides and are an easy way to see beyond the automobile road. There are canoe, and bicycle rentals at the concession area on the south end of the lake. Horse rentals for trail rides are available close to the park.
The photography at Myakka River Park is outstanding. Wildlife is abundant, but bring a long lens for deer or wild pigs. Landscape shots are varied and the open areas allow using the great skies for a backdrop so be sure to include a wide-angle lens in your bag as well. Thunderstorm season, June and July, makes for dramatic cloud formations. Very large alligators and all the usual birds are found along the river, lakes, creeks and canals. Polarizing and split neutral-density filters are handy to enrich colors and lower contrast between the ground and the sky. Return to Florida Parks page
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