Lake Aurbuckle Park is a piece of Central Florida that has been left to its own natural development.
Except for the dirt roads, primitive campground and hunting station, most of the 13,000 acres of the park have been left untouched by any sort of development. The result is a concentration of wildlife and indigenous plants thriving in a variety of terrains.
"It is really pretty out there," says Jean Ferrara, staff assistant of forestry for the Lake Wales Ridge State Forest. "People come out for the serenity. It is peaceful and you can see a lot of different types of birds and animals and some species of endangered plants."
The trail-heads for the walking trails begin with small parking areas. The trails are marked, but there are no information kiosks to interfere with the natural environment. Hikers should be experienced enough to read trail markers and provide for a day in the wilderness.
Lake Arbuckle Park is part of Lake Wales Ridge State Forest and lies adjacent to the Avon Park Air Force Range. The Air Force often uses its bombing range, and the sound of detonated explosives may be heard in the distance.
"It is near enough to hear, but it doesn't shake the ground or anything like that," Ferrara says.
The unexpected bombing practice does not seem to discourage hunters, backpackers, bird-watchers, equestrians or hikers from enjoying the park.
"We love coming here," says Cathy Moore, from Riverview, who with her husband and two horses spent three days at the park. "We come out a couple of times a year to ride. We rode about four and half hours today and saw some wonderful things. There was a hawk in a tree, and we stopped to watch him. He flew down near us, and when he came back up, he had a snake in his talons. He started to eat the snake and then he saw us and flew off with his dinner."
Situated along Lake Arbuckle, the park also includes part of the Lake Wales Ridge, the highest point in Florida. The Lake Arbuckle Trail passes through several points of interest for weekend backpackers. Crossing into Avon Park, the trail passes historic Fort Arbuckle and meanders through cattle pastures.
Birdwatchers often follow the Audubon Society's suggestion and find ospreys, sandhill cranes and eagles along the trail.
"We are a part of the Great Florida Birding Trail," Ferrara says.
Hunting and fishing is allowed in the Arbuckle State park under the regulations of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Permits must be valid and all game must be checked at the check station.
The check station at Arbuckle is a large facility that includes screened areas to work game and running water. It also features the historic cattle cabin used in the 1950s as a way-station for Florida cowboys moving cattle up the state. A large mesh basket hangs from a tree with jaw bones of the numerous deer taken at Arbuckle this past season.
For details about Arbuckle Park, call the Lake Wales Ridge State Forest at 863-635-7801.
Click here for more park pictures.
