On Easter, I got to take both of my kids on a little hiking adventure, complete with alligators, in Myakka River State Park. It was a great day for a hike, not too hot, and there was a great breeze, which kept us cooled.

Our first stop, after paying our entrance fee ($4/Single person in vehicle, $6/2 or more people in car), was to a spot that is one of the most popular ones in the park, a bridge that crosses the river an normally has a number of alligators out, sunning themselves. Boogie was a little apprehensive about seeing alligators, saying that they were dangerous. Once Sissy and I explained to him that they can’t jump, and can’t climb up on to the bridge, he calmed down a little bit.

 

 

 

There was a huge alligator, that was swimming on one side of the bridge, swam underneath and then re-emerged on the other side, that both kids were really excited by.

After spending some time on the bridge, the kids and I decided to see what the hiking trails had to offer, and as it would have it, there was a trail that paralleled the river with all the alligators. Honey, I hope you’re not reading this.

The trail was shaded and really quite pleasant to hike along, and it was great seeing Sissy and Boogie getting along so well, and bonding.

At one point early on, the trail forked and one part of it went down along the river, while the other stayed in the trees. Of course, we had to check out the river, maybe there were more alligators, birds, or both. We weren’t disappointed, as there was an alligator across the river, next to a small island, with only its snout visible.

Boogie kept saying that way was dangerous, so he and I went up to the tree lined path, still clearly able to see Sissy down by the river.

Eventually, the curiosity got the better of him, or he just wanted to be closer to Sissy, because we ended up back along the river, exploring with her.

We saw some birds while we were down there, one of which was feasting on some fish.

 

When we turned around and headed back, Boogie stated he was heavy (his way of saying he’s tired,) so I ended up giving him a piggy back ride back to the Jeep.

Along the way, we saw a huge alligator that hadn’t been there on our way through the first time, it was quite impressive.

When we got back to the Jeep, we turned on the Jeep, we drove through the rest of the park, stopping at the Bird Walk, which is a wooded bridge/walkway, out to a viewing area in the middle of the Myakka River. From there, you can frequently see a multitude of different birds, either with binoculars, a really good camera, or the view finder (not sure what else to call it), that they have there.

Over the years, I’ve had quite a few adventures out at Myakka River State Park. It’s a great place to go and explore.

Other Myakka Adventures.

Myakka River State Park 3 days/2 nights

Myakka River State Park: Hike to Mossy Hammock Campsite