This wonderful natural State Park is found off the S.R.60, 15 miles west of Lake Wales. There are 3 lakes on this park; Kissimmee, Tiger and Rosalie.
It was formerly a cow camp dating back to 1876 and indeed on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays the old Cow Camp is open for visitors. Then they re-create the life of a co hunter in the 19th century.
You can see a host of wildlife at this park including bald eagles, white tailed deer, sandhill cranes, turkeys and bobcats. 13 miles of trails rich in plant life are available for hikers. Among the wild flowers are mosses, lotus pickel weed and butterfly orchids. Six miles of trails can be used by equestrians. Boating, conoeing and fishing are also on offer.
Fish are plentiful and include large mouth bass, crappies, catfish, chain pickerill and bluegill (you will need a licence).
Take a picnic with you and relax in their picnic area that has plenty of shade for those hotter days. There is a full facility camp site there if you should fancy a night away from your villa and the site is popular for stargazing. As with all Florida State Parks it is open from 8am to sundown every day 365 days a year.
You can phone this park on (001) 863 696 1112 and the full address is: Lake Kisimme State Park, 14248 Camp Mack Rd, Camp Mack, Florida 33853 (the managers name is Tony Morell.
One word of warning, we took a handicapped friend with us and it was a bit much for him, so perhaps more suited to the fairly fit As with all Florida State Parks. If you ring the Park direct they will advise you and often make special arrangements for the handicapped.
You could combine your visit with a trip to a nearby Park:
- Allen David Broussard Catfish Creek
- St,Sebastion River Preserve State Park
- Alafia River State Park
- Paynes Creek Historic State Park
- Lake June in Winter Scrub State Park
- Highlands Hammock State Park
SOME FACTS AND FIGURES
- Lake Kissimme is the third largest lake in Kissimmee and the site is 5930 acres
- Florida bought 5030 acres in 1969 and added a further 900 acres in 1997 to bring it up to the present 5930 acres
- The park opened to visitors in 1977 and has been enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of visitors from then to the present day
- The land that it stands on was used by native American Indians for thousands of years because of the abundance of the fish and the game
- During the Civil War cattle was raised which was then shipped to the Confederate Army or traded with Cuba for other goods