Myakka River State Park

What a breathtakingly gorgeous state park. My girlfriend and I camped here, this past weekend, and it is amongst our favorite florida parks that we've been to. Not only was it beautiful, but we felt that there was so much to see and do. We commented that it was like a theme park; "let's go to this part of the park to see this," "let's go climb the tower," "I think the scenic drive would be nice," etc. There were plenty of huge gators for us to gaze at, alongside nearly endless hiking trails. I was particularly amazed at the biodiversity in Myakka. There is prairie (my favoeite), tree canopy, a river with gators, a lake with a huge variety of birds, and an awesome tower that let's you see it all from above! We only camped for one night but the space was excellent. There was a spigot and power outlet so we could keep our phones charged. Finally, the bathroom at the campsite was huge and very clean. Myakka River State Park is absolutely awesome and Im looking forward to returning!

Really good park for camping and hiking. Love the canopy walk. Parking is free but at entrance have to pay as your vehicle and per head. If u love to hike u can walk on pave road or in dirt road. Personal experience walking is better so on a way walking u can stop n do some bird watching and by the bridge at picture spot took pic of alligator n birds. By canopy Bridge there is two trail, one is nature walk and to canopy trail and good information on little board.

Super park with lots of trails, kayaking, camping, fishing, and nature watching. Great place to see alligators and many birds! They have a little gift shop, restroom, and snack bar facility near the upper lake, and several picnic areas. Lots of parking. Get there at 6am if you want one of the 30 passes issued daily for the south part of the park, and take a trek to Deep Hole to see the alligator disco!

Beautiful park. Great place for camping, hiking biking and sightseeing. Many spots destroyed by hurricanes in the past are now open to public except the Bird walk. The restaurant is under renivation but they have a food truck that sells food and drinks. The boat ride is not operational at the moment. You could spend an entire day here among the trees and the alligators😃. Definitely worth the visit

We had a great drive through the Myakka River State Park today. Lots of alligators 🐊 Myakka River State Park is one of Florida's oldest and largest state parks, offering diverse ecosystems like wetlands, prairies, and pinelands, with the Myakka River flowing through it.

A brilliant place to visit to see alligators in the wild and also lots of bird life. The staff we met were all very friendly and the facilities are great; this place is definitely worth a visit.

Day time is way too busy to enjoy but camping…. Chefs kiss!! The wild life come out and it’s so peaceful and beautiful! Sunrises are even more beautiful!

Came here to hike the nature trail and walk the bridge. It was a nice park. They were working on the boats so there was no boatrides at the time. Lots of grounds to explore.Just wear good shoes because it was quite muddy on the trails.

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!

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!

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.

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

Totally disappointing. Trip was for the boat tour as advertised on the parks website. Phoned ahead. No one answered. Phoned again - same result. As there was no information concerning the cancellation of the boat tours i made the 1 hour each way trip. No boat tour. Park rangers claimed they were not responsible for being knowledgeable about the happenings on their property. This was my second trip with the same result. NOT GOING TO BE A THIRD ATTEMPT

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.

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.

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

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!

It is a beautiful place and gives you a work out if you are used to flat FL trails. There is are Towers connected by a suspension bridge. There is a beautiful view from the top. The boat ride was closed because we went on a holiday but I intend to go back. The food they offer is very pricey. There is also a gift shop. My service dog was welcome.

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.

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.

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!

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

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).

Beautiful state park close to where we were staying. We brought our bikes and were so happy to ride around the park. We rode down all of the paved roads and many of the unpaved roads (not to be confused with hiking trails). We also walked a few hiking trails as well as the nature trail and the canopy walk. The bike ride was great, relaxing, felt very safe, slow speed limit in most areas of the park ensured our safety. We ventured all the way to the north end of the park. Parked the car up there then road all around. We also took a couple of the county roads and power line road. I total we rode a little under 20 miles.

Always a wonderful time when I come here. My favorite nature park in Florida so far. Plenty of area to travel and many fun animals to see

One of our favorite family activities in the area. We were just there again today. We have canoed with the gators, took in the boat tour, enjoyed the tram tour and stayed in the cabins. When we stayed at the cabins we used their charcoal grill, had a bonfire, rode bikes and played board games. There's something about the rustic feel of the 1930's cabin that brings one back to the present moment. My teens didn't love that the cell service was poor at the cabin but that was perfect! They could always ride their bikes to go get service closer to the park store. Each time we've gone, everyone we've taken has had a delightful time. Cabins book out several months in advance. There's a hiking trail across the street to Deep Hole that requires a permit. Arrive at the gate at 8 am to get a permit as they only allow 30 people per day over there. It's about a 2 to 2.5 mile trail back to a water hole that usually has an abundance of gators. There's a gift shop that's getting more and more made in the USA products which is nice. They also sell ice cream! And there's a food truck located in front of the store, across from a picnic area. Bathrooms are upstairs. Everything has always been clean. We've gone probably 10 times or more over the last 10 years. Sometimes we take a volleyball, football or baseball and mitts to pass the time. If you take your own charcoal they provide grills at their picnic tables. Our favorite spot is the quieter Clay Gulley picnic area near the back of the park. This is a fun, relaxing way to see some Florida wildlife, we've seen wild pigs, deer, turkey, turtles, alligators and several species of birds. You can easily spend 4 hours there, all day if you want to do everything including the Canopy Walk which takes you up several Flights of stairs, across a bridge to a viewing platform where your above the trees! Breathtaking!

We had a great time until the storm moved in. We saw some large gators and checked out the bird walk.

Beautiful park. The kids really enjoyed the canopy walkway. We didn't see as many birds at the birdwalk as last time we were here. But we did get to see many alligators by the bridge this time.

Beautiful Park lots of wildlife enjoying their very natural habitats. Great sunsets, clean, and close enough to Sarasota and Siesta Key to get a beach day in.

One of my favorite parks to visit to see/photograph birds and other wildlife! So much biodiversity can be seen from the trails. A good spot to see alligators in their natural habitat. The canopy walk is a lot of fun too, and gives you a bird's-eye view of the park. The education center, ranger station/gift shop, and the amenities by the lake are all clean and I recommend checking each out.

Thought this was a great little park. We even enjoyed riding our electric bikes around..,

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.

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.

My favorite spot in Florida so far! (besides maybe the warm warm ocean waves) A wild Safari like experience, the Myakka River State Park was aaaaaaamazing! Finally got to see my first gator & boy was it no where near disappointing! Can't wait to come back and try out the boat tour and bring my bike to explore the trails! Can you believe people camp out here!? There can be gators wandering about everywhere including bears, panthers, manatees & more! Oh and that tree house canopy walk, what a cute place to dwell, and the tippy top was probably the highest point in all of Florida! Haha So exciting to live so close to such beauty!

Let me start by saying taking any trip requires planning, it is of the utmost importance - I booked the campsite several months before arriving, although the floridastateparks.org website leaves a lot to be desired with a little patience it's navigable. We arrived Saturday afternoon for a 4 night stay at the Palmetto Campground inside the park, the site was beautiful, full hookups with 30 / 50 amp electrical service, water and sewer connections and the site was level. The park is well maintained and I do like that they let nature provide a little privacy between the sites which are spaced out nicely to begin with. We arrive at 2:00 PM with a 3:00 PM check-in we had to wait about 30 minutes in the RV lot located next to the Ranger station while our site was being prepared great spot to disconnect the toad from the RV, I don't like park policies with late check-ins since you lose so much time on the day of arrival but it is what it is. The check-in process was painless since I had booked this specific site online, it's basically a short conversation with a Ranger, we received a set of the dos and don't, a park map and a piece of paper to put on the dash of our tow vehicle with our site number and the after hours gate code and we were on our way to our campsite. One of the things I love about Myakka River S.P. is it's location, it's nearly 40K acres and fairly remote, even over the Fourth of July holiday the park wasn't nearly at capacity and actually surprisingly empty even considering the number of daytime visitors. The park was really quite which provided a nice relaxing atmosphere, even the areas around the park that provided the hiking and sightseeing opportunities had very little people. The neighbors around us were very respectful and friendly, our site was not very far from the camp host Doug, he is just a wonderful person and worked really hard but always took a few minutes out of his day to stop by and check on us and have some good conversation. The entire park staff was helpful and accommodating, this really is the difference between a good stay and a great stay. Although it was hot and humid it was great getting out and enjoying almost everything the park has to offer, of course we chose the times we did our activities and always had plenty of beverages on hand to stay hydrated. The tree canopy walk was fun but disappointingly short at just eighty-five feet long after climbing the tower maybe one day it will be funded and expanded - the boat tour was okay we decided not to do the tram tour being we had the same access to go out and explore, the tribal knowledge of any tram driver is readily available on the internet and likely more factual. I also liked that there are lots of things to see within close proximity of the park and as much as I enjoy camping having an opportunity to explore other things is important. It's a beautiful place to spend a few days just relaxing and enjoying nature. Unfortunately the alligators weren't as plentiful this time of the year but we did see lots of other wildlife; deer, wild hogs, lots of birds, rabbits, squirrels and lots of people watching opportunities. It's worth a day trip if you're in the area and worth the drive if your a camping enthusiast - I'd do it again...

We went 3 times in a week! This place is so great and beautiful. There was so much wildlife. We saw deer, rabbits, birds, turtles, snakes, and lots of alligators! This is a great place to spend a day, whether you're hiking, fishing, or just relaxing at one other the many pull offs in the park. We got to see a baby alligator along with lots of adult ones. The canopy trail was beautiful and fun to walk across. The rangers were very kind and we got to see a little summer camp taking place as well. This is a great state park. 10 out of 10!

I drove 3 1/2 hours but it was worth it. It's an amazing park full of wildlife. I'll recommend you get there early. I arrived approximately 8 AM. I had a great time.

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.

Good times. Not too crowded. Easy to see gators. Some people got too close which was not ok.

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.

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!

I didn't see much of Myakka Park, but I did thoroughly enjoy looking down at the gators from the bridge. My kids also loved seeing them. One was really big and we saw another on the shore with his mouth wide open to cool himself off. Also, there were a bunch of interesting looking large birds. My dad tells me that there is a legendary skunk ape that supposedly inhabits the park. I'm not much of a believer in cryptozoology, but it is interesting nonetheless.

Beautiful no cell service but it adds to the peaceful energy. Everyone was friendly! Saw amazing wildlife and went on a bike ride

We came here to get outside and see something new. I had read on the state park site that they have a canopy walk and I wanted to see it. We walked through the woods at the canopy walk area, and then across the walk that is high up in the trees. It is pretty cool. Afterward, we drove to the end where the boat tours and bike and kayak rentals are. We considered doing a boat tour, but because of social distancing, their capacity is extremely limited and we were not able to get on the boat. The next boat was leaving an hour and a half later and we didn't feel like waiting around that long. There are lots of places to picnic and several families were riding bikes through the park. There is also a campground and people were staying there. I would say this is a nice place to visit for a day, or if you are a camper, a weekend. Lots of shade, lots of nature!

We found it was a wasted day in our short time in Florida. The boat ride does not get you close to wildlife, especially alligators that we were there to see. It was better viewing from shore. If you are there for just a boat ride, I guess it's ok. We thought it was overpriced. The tram was not running that day because the driver was on vacation! Come on, hire a 2nd. driver. The bird walk was closed for maintenance. The gift store was also closed. There is no potable safe drinking water either. I can not recommend visiting Myaka State Park

Ah-mazzing! If you want to see Alligators up close, this is place to be!! The $6.00 admission fee is very reasonable. The price for the boat ride is obscene! $20.00 a person!! But it was pretty impressive! The boat is clean and you really get UP CLOSE to the 'gators! You also get an enjoyable ride on a beautiful lake!! Bring a little cash-"tips are appreciated-but not expected "...so pass the boat capt'n a few bucks!! It was an enjoyable trip! And he had to come up with a large supply of dad jokes!

Offer a reward to find A Lost Cartier ring On Feb. 28, 2023, we visited Myakka river state park and intend to have picnic with my families. But unfortunately, we lost an important stuff, a ring. That's an engagement ring and very important to us. It is Cartier love ring with our name engraved in it, YYC ML. We have returned to park on Mar. 2 trying to find it. But unfortunately, we failed . We stopped the first area is a picnic area close to the north gate , we think we lost there. If someone find it and pick it, please feel free to contact us, we are really appreciate it and we would like to offer a reward. Thank you so so so much. Contact： Chris : 8139194339.

Beautiful park, unfortunately hurricane Ian had a decent impact on the park. The canopy walkway is closed as of 1/25/23. Definitely check what's open before making the trip as the canopy walkway looks epic.

Great camping spot full hook up. Pleasant and informative staff. What's the place you can wait to go back

2nd time here since 2020. We enjoyed ourselves! Lots of gators this time compared to last time! We spent most of our time driving around site-seeing but there are areas where you can walk up close, but I was terrified lol.

This review is written from the perspective of a very active hiker. I prefer long hikes with trails that allow you to meander through nature. Doesnt all parks do that? No. Here are the issues: 1) there is only 1 trailhead. 1 trailhead to access all 39 miles of trails??? That is what the park shows. 2) little trail maintence and zero notices of flooding trails. While we were impressed with no litter, the trails are not maintained. when there is flooding, you walk about a mile down one path, encounter an impassible flooded trail and have to turn back and try another path. We back tracked so much due to flooded trails it was very frustrating. And the rangers at the entrance booth give you zero notice. It would be nice to be told which trails were flooded. 3) there is no trail that takes you around the river. There is a nice lake but no hiking path around it? Weird. We have seen deer, wild pigs and various water fowl which has been a lovely sight but it doesnt make up for the boring trails that at any time may be flooded.

This state park is the bomb! There is camping of all kinds. Hiking trails, bird walk boardwalk, Myakka River boat tour, prairie and wetland tours, outside picnic areas and boat dock. Much more for every adventurous person. It cost $6 per car with two or more people. It's a nice 35 to 15 mph drive to the end where the boat launch area and tours are located. I won't spoil the tours by providing ant details of the tours. You must go on them yourself. Both tours are very informative, yet my favorite is the tram tour lead by the woman who was there on my first trip there in 2019. This trip with my husband, she is still telling the stories about the wetlands and prairies, and any updated info about the surrounding area. I learned in 2019 that she lives in a cabin in the area, on the Northside of the river. She tells very detailed info in her tour. This month of 2021, there was a controlled burn in one of the prairies and she gave a lot of detail about the how, when and why this is being done. This trip I saw a huge gator, birds and a deer. I took a few pics on this recent trip, yet I'll add some from my 2019 trip too. The air plants are different due to the time of year and the amount of rain. The 'brown' air plants aren't dead. Just dehydrated. If it would rain then they would perk up and turn bright green. See my earlier trip pic to see this detail. Also notice one prairie area looks dry while the other looks wet. Again, the time of year and if there has been rainfall. The boat trip was interesting too. We saw many birds and several gators. This is a must see location whenever you travel in the area and want something to do.

Great place to come and see native Floridian wildlife like feral pigs, alligators, manatees, white tail deer, and various birds. I was amazed by how much we saw right from our car as we drove through the park. It almost felt like a drive-thru zoo at times but don't be mistaken, this park is huge and still very, very wild. There are many great walking paths that take you deep into the woods/swamp and there is also a really cool elevated aerial bridge that was really unique to see and walk over. If you are looking to have a picnic, there are various picnic spots close that give great views of the Myakka River and Lake Myakka. If you don't want to haul food in, there is a cafe that serves hot food and ice cream by the lake. Looking to stay the night? Campsites are available onsite. Parking/entrance fees are very affordable (think $6-8 bucks per vehicle) and you can easily spend a couple of hours here. If you are looking for a place to see gators in their native habitat, this is a must stop. We were lucky enough to see a handful including a ten footer close to shore. It was a fun way to spend an afternoon and experience wild Florida at it's most pristine.

Great state park if you live in FL! We wanted to get away and be with nature. This park offers social distancing. It was not crowded and there were many trails to "get lost" in. There is a one time parking fee and cabin rentals. We just did a day trip by driving there in the early morning and brought snacks and water to hydrate. There is a small cafe there if you need to buy food or drinks. There is a place you can rent kayaks, buy boat tours, shuttle tours, and RV camping site too.

We really were glad that we took the 30 minute drive from Sarasota to the park on a Monday morn. There is much to see and do for only $6/car. We got there by 8:30am to take the 9am boat ride since we heard the wildlife viewing is better early and it is more likely to get on the boat. There were only a dozen people on the 9am ride but later in the day the tours were sold out. My only complaint is the $20/person fee for the one hour ride seemed steep. We enjoyed seeing the gators, birds and the other sights and trails especially the canopy walk. Cool! Worth the drive.

Such a beautiful park! I love going here & seeing all of the wildlife. Going when the flowers are blooming is one of my favorite things to do. We have also enjoyed camping here as well!

Great place for lots of fun and walks. Don't miss it or the wildlife. Lake was nice as well