Fifteen miles east of Sarasota, Florida, my son Clay, his friend, Abel, and I took a road trip to Myakka River State Park to show me a congregation of alligators. Hurricane Ian in 2023 caused 113 billion dollars’ worth of damages of Florida’s coastline—the worst in history. Recovery of the Park’s damages is still going on; however, most of its beauty was untouched. If you look closely in the thickly forested areas, you can see twisted and felled tall palm trees among torn limbs of the old oaks. Workers certainly have their job cut out for them.

As we enter the state park, we notice lots of oak trees with Spanish Moss hanging from their limbs, swinging in the wind almost to the ground. The trees closest to the narrow, winding, 2-lane road created a canopy for us to drive under. It was beautiful but eerie in a way. This park is one of Florida’s largest, oldest and most diverse natural areas. Located 9 miles east of Interstate 75 in Sarasota County, the area covers over 37,000 acres, making it the largest in Florida. All plant and animal life are protected— including the alligators. We parked near a small bridge and walked to the bridge’s edge to see a half-dozen alligators sunning below, partially covered with sand. Because the river is a haven for alligators, swimming in the river is discouraged. Home of 55 square miles of wetlands, it’s ideal for gator sightings, bird watching, and it also has the first public tree-top trail built in North America.

The river flows through the wetlands, prairies, hammocks, and pinelands. The park’s 7-mile scenic drive winds through shady oakpalm hammocks along the shore of Myakka Lake, which has over 39 miles of hiking trails.

One reason to visit this area is to see lots of deer, wild pigs, bald eagles, wading birds, raptors, and various songbirds. A rare bird, the Roseate Spoonbill, is seen only in this state.

Paved roads allow for biking or skating. The back country dirt roads are ideal for dirt bikes. The terrain differs from sand, mud, and some dug up roads. Also, there are equestrian trails for horseback riding. The best weather for outdoor activities is late fall, winter, or early spring.

A tree-top canopy walkway is not really a trail. The wooden structure is 25’ above the ground and stretches 100’. The walkway is suspended between two wooden structures. Built in 2000, it was the first of its kind in this country. It was modeled after one used by scientists in the rain forests of South America, built to study organisms that live in trees.

Another interest includes boat tours, kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, and pontoon boat tours. Also, there are more than 80 campsites, offering primitive camping, tents, RVs, and cabins. Some provide electricity, bathrooms, laundry facilities, and seven hook-ups and other amenities.

An interesting characteristic of the river is that it has a deep hole, 141’ deep sink hole. It’s located just northwest of the upper Myakka Lake portion of the river. It serves as a refuge for wildlife during the dry seasons.

Even though some fish in the river are used to saltwater, this river is a major source of freshwater, and they tolerate it. They include tarpon, gar, largemouth bass, and a variety of panfish.

As for as walking fish, yes, there is walking catfish, who use their pectoral fins to stay upright and wriggle in a snake-like movements to flop across land, usually during wet weather. They have special gilled structure that allows them to breathe atmospheric air. No, I didn’t see any on this trip.

If one travels much of this beautiful state, one may notice the soil is mostly gray. It’s composed of a type of sand, unique to Florida called Myakka, a fine light gray sand that covers more than 1 ½ million acres of the state. Myakka means Big Waters in the Seminole Indian language.

This is my third trip here, and since Clay is preparing to move to Ft. Lauderdale in a couple of weeks, I’ll soon fly there again to check out his new digs and get acquainted with great new restaurants, parks, museums, and unique bookstores. And, I might start searching for the walking catfish.