While we were planning for our Florida Thanksgiving trip, I had suggested to my family the possibility of driving up to Tampa to see the aquarium, or we could go to the beach, or we could drive down to the Everglades. Once we arrived, though, we were thoroughly sick of the car, and had no desire to spend 2+ hours to go anywhere! My in-laws had heard of a state park that might be up our alley, Highland Hammock State Park, located at 5931 Hammock Rd. in Sebring. We decided to give it a whirl!
Highland Hammock State Park is open 365 days of the year, from 8am to sunset. There is a $6 per vehicle entrance fee. The Park also offers an alligator tram tour, an hour long, and it costs $15 per adult, $10 per child (ages 6-12), and children 5 and under are free. Sadly, due to recent hurricane damage the tram wasn’t running on the day we visited. I kinda wanted to see an alligator, but I think my family was relieved the tour wasn’t available!
Once we had paid the ranger, he gave us a map of the park, and an idea of where to start. The layout of the park was simple, and the majority of the trails were either connected to or just off the road. We parked in a lot shortly before the road divided into a one-way circuit, and crossed the road to the Alexander Blair Big Oak Tree Trail. The old oak tree, what is left of it, is impressive! We didn’t linger long, though, because we discovered that, unlike in Maryland, in Florida the mosquitoes were still alive and well! That helped pick our pace up a bit… Plus, we discovered that all three girls were truly terrified of seeing a gator. My husband and I started referring to the gators as puppies, just to keep the girls calmer.
Leaving the oak tree behind, we wound through the forest on the Hickory Trail, and then crossed the road to the Fern Garden Trail. The Fern Garden Trail was laid out around a swampy area up on a raised boardwalk. The water ranged in color from that of a weak tea to black ink. Nothing was moving, and the girls started whispering to us because it was so quiet, other than the hum of the mosquitoes.
After completing the Fern Garden Trail, we walked the road the short distance back to the car. The girls were still spooked, so I decided to just do one more trail, and then we’d head out. The Cypress Swamp Trail sits at the lowest elevation of the park, where the swamp meets a blackwater stream. The trail is almost entirely on an elevated boardwalk, with the first half being a modernized boardwalk with rails on both sides. Alongside the boardwalk were small plaques to read that presented information on the swamp, cypresses, animals, etc. We didn’t see any “puppies,” aka gators, but my husband did spot a wood stork, which was neat! We also saw a few raccoons. I really wonder how they stay dry in such a wet environment.
The modern boardwalk ended at the blackwater stream, which was beautiful and otherworldly with the Spanish moss, the cypress trees, and the deep dark water. From here, we had a choice. We could turn around and return to our car the way we’d come, or we could continue the loop on the boardwalk built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). This boardwalk was vastly different! There was a rail only on one side, and the boardwalk was only a few boards across. I went first, my husband last, and the girls in between us. I had Pebble close to hand because I didn’t want her falling in the drink. The most nerve-wracking part of this boardwalk was the section that wound around and over the stream because the dark water masked everything! Every bubble that popped up, was it a fish or a “puppy?” Once the boardwalk returned to the swamp, we all relaxed a bit. We never did see any wildlife other than the stork and the raccoons, but it was a unique experience walking above water where an unseen critter might be lurking.
When we were back in the car, I headed toward the area where the CCC museum was located as well as the ranger station. The CCC museum was closed that day, but I don’t think my kiddos would have be all that interested in it anyway, although Stormy does loves history. Next to the ranger station are the restrooms, which we all used. All 3 girls were thrilled when they realized that there was a playground here as well, and we let them play for a while, burning off the nervous tension that had built up while hiking in the swamps. It was an experience we won’t soon forget. If you are looking for something to do in south-central Florida, and you don’t mind seeing a gator or two, then I’d definitely recommend this park. Happy trails!
https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/highlands-hammock-state-park
