Here you will see the real Florida. Not the mechanical robots of Disney or the overpopulated beach areas, but the real thing," Morgan Tyrone begins to tell The Buzz. Tyrone is park manager of the oldest state park in Florida, Highlands Hammock State Park. Highlands Hammock State Park is in south central Florida and shows diverse landscapes, which in turn has unique species of plants and animals.
"If you are coming from the Midwest, this is unlike anything you've ever seen," Tyrone said. Indeed, the term hammock means a group of trees that grow on a small island in the midst of wetlands. There are boardwalks that go through an old-growth bald cypress swamp. Some of the trees are said to be over a thousand years old. Along the boardwalks, it is common to see alligators basking in the sun, owls hooting from the trees, and much other wildlife. Occasionally, a Florida Panther, of which there are only about 120-200 in the wild, are seen in Highlands Hammock.
"There are more listed species of plants and animals than anywhere in Florida," Tyrone explained, "Partially due to how long this park has been around and stayed a park." The park has been a public park since 1931 when local citizens bought the land with the intention of protecting it from being used as farmland.
Vintage photo of a sign pointing to Highlands Hammock State Park [Photo/Florid State Parks]
Originally, there was an attempt to make it a National Park, as the Florida State Parks did not exist at the time, however it was deemed too small be a National Park. "Mrs. Roebling, who was related to the Roebling's that built the Brooklyn Bridge, spearheaded the effort," Tyrone explained. "When she died, her husband helped carry out here wishes." It opened in March of 1931 with 1,280 acres (currently 9,000).
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), which put young men back to work building trails and park facilities as part of President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal, made camp in 1934 in an area next to the park to build a Botanical Garden. In 1941, with the soon-to-start of World War II on the horizon, the camp closed and merged with Highlands Hammock State Park.
The park has a very informative and interesting museum dedicated to the CCC. "It has assorted CCC memorabilia," Tyrone said. "We are the state museum for all 8 state parks that were developed by the CCC." One reviewer said of the museum, “The CCC Museum (Civilian Conservation Corps) is amazing. It really shows how much work went into the public works and state parks that we enjoy so much.” The museum is open 9:00am - 5:00pm, daily.
There are several trails that run throughout the park. There is a trail for biking and inline skating, as well as boardwalk and walking trails. Many of the animals that live in the park are seen on excursions. One of the most popular ways to go through the park is by tram, which is guided by an experienced interpretive guide. On the tram, visitors can sit back and relax and get a close view of alligators and many other plants and animals while going through a restricted area of the park.
By all accounts, it is a great experience. Another user said, “I have lived in Highlands County for 21 years and today took my first interpretive tram ride. I was pleasantly surprised by how much information the guide shared with us. He was great & extremely knowledgeable about anything and everything asked. Besides working at the park for over 20 years, it was obvious he also researched the different plants, birds, turtles, trees and the not so elusive alligators.”
There are three different types of campsites at the park. “One campground has electric, water, and a dump station - a typical campground. One is a primitive campground with a simple porta-potty. The last is setup for groups of up to 25,” Tyrone lays out. The full hook-up campground is said to be clean, pleasant during the week, and often busy during the weekend. Reviewers state that the sites are close together and a bit oddly arranged, mainly due to how old the campground is, however it is worth it to stay at the park with so much to do and the facilities being so clean. The busy season is November - April.
The park has many special things for people that want to see something different. As Tyron said, “This park is interesting because it is the real Florida. Due to its location it has the unique mixture of open pine woods and the primitiveness of the hammock, which looks like nothing you would see north of central Florida. There really is nothing like it.”
Destinations, Florida, Nature, Outdoors, State Parks, Wildlife