BICYCLING

Hard shell roads suitable for biking, along with 100 miles of trails/service roads for off road bicycling, are shared with hikers, horseback riders and park vehicles. Bike rentals are now available. Please call (954) 868-2580.

 

HIKING/NATURE TRAIL

Hiking through the grasslands of Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park will find you in a place so unique, there is no other place on earth to see the same combination of plants and animals. You may startle white-tailed deer feeding on the tender grasses or send an Indigo Snake slithering off the trail to hide in the wiregrass. Scan the skies and see a Crested Caracara or Bald Eagle soaring overhead; listen carefully and you may hear endangered Florida Grasshopper Sparrows singing in their natural prairie habitat. Wildflowers dot the countryside including Yellow Bachelors Buttons, Pipewort, Blazing Star, Meadow Beauty and the delicate Alligator Lily. Enjoy the prairie by looking into it not at it. Please be aware that trails are shared with horseback riders, bicyclists and park vehicles. Pets must be on a 6 foot hand held leash and well behaved at all times. Pets are allowed on the service roads. Pets are not allowed on the Hammock Trail (orange markers). For your convenience, here is the Kissimmee Prairie Trail Map.

 

HORSE/EQUESTRIAN TRAIL

Riding the trails at Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park on horseback is one of the best ways to see the real Florida. With more than 100 miles of two-trail roads, horseback riders are apt to see an abundance of wildlife. The trails take you through dry prairie, moist wetlands and cool, shady hammocks. Bring your own horses and enjoy a day's ride or stay overnight in our equestrian campground. Please be aware that trails are shared with hikers, bicyclists and park vehicles.

 

Pets

Pets must be on a 6 foot hand held leash and well behaved at all times. Pets are allowed on the service roads. Pets are not allowed on the Hammock Trail (orange markers). PETS Pets are allowed in the preserve. They must be kept on a six-foot, hand held leash and well behaved at all times. Pets may not be left unattended at any time. Pets are permitted on the multi-use trail system (which consists of park service roads), but are not permitted on the Hammock Trail (orange markers). Pets are not allowed in the wilderness primitive campsites.

 

PICNICKING

A small number of picnic tables are available near the park entrance and next to the park office.

 

RESTROOM FACILITIES

All restroom facilities are ADA accessible. Clivus Multrums (large Port-o-lets), are provided at the entrance of the park and at the Equestrian Campground. Additional restrooms are located at the office. A full facility ADA accessible bathhouse is located at the family campground.

 

STAR GAZING

It is difficult to find a location in Florida that is further removed from urban and suburban light pollution than Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park. Campers at the Prairie have the chance to see stars, planets, and other celestial bodies in incomprehensible numbers and unforgettable brilliance. Along with Jupiter and Saturn, both clearly visible in the night sky, the International Space Station and Space Shuttle (when in orbit) can also be seen making their orbits around the Earth. The Kissimmee Prairie Preserve offers the best viewing of the night sky in the region.

 

TOURS

Take a ranger-led prairie buggy tour and see the remote areas of the park. From an elevated seat, one will see spectacular scenery and abundant wildlife. The ride lasts approximately 2 to 3 hours. Bring sunscreen, a hat, drinks and snacks. Tours are offered from the first weekend in November to the last weekend in March and only on weekends and state recognized holidays. Reservations are strongly suggested and can be made up to 60 days in advance by calling the park office at (954) 868-2580. $25.00 (plus tax) for adults, $15.00 (plus tax) for children 17 and under. Please note that tours are contingent on weather and the mechanical conditions of the prairie buggy.

 

WILDLIFE VIEWING

Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park offers excellent seasonal birding opportunities for the nature tourist. The Park offers refuge to six federally threatened and endangered species, and a further six species of special concern. Highlights of a birding trip to Kissimmee Prairie may include the Florida Grasshopper Sparrow, Burrowing Owl, Crested Caracara, Wood Stork and the recently sited White-Tail Kite with many other possibilities. The Park also has enough varied habitats, including wetlands, dry prairie, and hardwood hammocks, to offer the bird watching, nature tourist a full day of recreation. Print a copy of our Butterfly Checklist 2012 and see how many of our beautiful birds you can spot? Kissimmee Prairie is also home to a host of wonderful butterflies for all butterfly watchers.

 

Okeechobee, Florida