Several outdoor activities that promote healthy living and active lifestyles are available year-round from coast to coast across central Florida. Polk County, the Sunshine State's fourth largest county, sits in the heart of central Florida, and the surrounding areas, from Tampa Bay to Cape Canaveral, offer residents and tourists alike an ample array of fun, entertaining and sometimes even educational activities to enjoy all year long.
Bok Tower Gardens
Bok Tower Gardens is located on Iron Mountain, one of the highest elevation points in Florida, and is open every day from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. for nature lovers to traverse acres of trees, flowers and wildlife. The expansive garden, a prized achievement of the famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., is a National Historic Landmark, listed on the Great Florida Birding Trail and offers several tranquil, family-friendly meandering paths of untouched Florida wilderness.
Cape Canaveral
The self-proclaimed "home of sun, space and sea," Cape Canaveral sits on the east coast of central Florida and is the mid-point between Jacksonville and Miami. Seaside activities such as surfing, swimming and long strolls in the sand are just the tip of the iceberg. Also visit the NASA Space Center, Cape Canaveral Lighthouse and the Brevard Zoo, the only zoo in the country to offer kayaking eco-tours.
Disney Wilderness Preserve
The Nature Conservancy's Disney Wilderness Preserve, a 12,000-acre sanctuary to hundreds of plant and animal species located just south of Orlando, offers nature lovers the chance to learn more about our fragile ecosystem, see restoration projects in action and experience Florida's natural outdoor beauty. Independent hikers can enjoy the long trail beginning at the Conservation Learning Center, which runs one mile to the pristine Lake Russell and loops two and a half miles beyond, for a day of observing resident plants and animals.
Fishing
Fishing is a favorite pastime of central Florida residents and visitors alike, as the area provides some of the best salt and freshwater fishing in the country. Polk County offers fishermen 554 freshwater lakes, many connected by a series of canals, that have produced so many prized catches of large-mouth bass that the area has been nicknamed the "Bass Capital of the World." While traversing these freshwater lakes, anglers also catch dinner favorites such as speckled perch, bluegills and catfish. Salt water charters in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area offer great fishing off central Florida's west coast, as well as opportunities for snorkeling, kayaking and diving in the calm, crystal-clear water of the Gulf of Mexico.
Lake Kissimmee State Park
About 15 miles east of the city of Lake Wales sits the Lake Kissimmee State Park, an expansive nature preserve surrounding Florida's third largest lake that offers nature lovers a wide array of outdoor activities. More than 13 miles of trails, six of which also serve as equestrian trails for horseback riders, are open year-round from 8 a.m. to sunset for hikers to enjoy plant and animal life. A ramp offers canoes, kayaks and small motorboats access to Lake Kissimmee, while onshore visitors' activities include camping, picnicking and enjoying the resident Cow Camp, a working ranch that recreates the working life of Florida cowboys in the 1800s.
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