kissimmee prairie preserve state park

The prairie setting does make this park different from others. It was small and quiet with some walking trails (many were impassible after recent rains). There is an equestrain area with paddocks available. The bathrooms were bright and clean.There were spots along the roads where we reoutinely saw alligators very close up. Squirrels, bunnies, and crows were regular visits to the campsites. 4Sites didn't provide a great deal of privacy (welcome to the prairies), but were fine. The gravel road in was fine, but after rain, it was a mess on the way out. We had to dodge pot holes and went through a fair bit of water and mud.Firewood was available for purchase; honour system. Excellent place for star gazing.After 4 nights, I was ready to move on. Might have held my interest longer if so many trails weren't walkable. It was a quiet park. No major complaints, just not wnough to hold my interest.

Camping in Kissimmee Prairie Preserve was a wonderful experience. The campgrounds were very well maintained. Large trees for shade. Exceptional clean rest rooms, in the family camping area.Lots of trails for walking. Bring a bicycle to ride. One moment you are walking thru prairie land, were the Medow Larks are flying and singing. The next you can be in canopy of live oaks were the trees were filled with small migrating birds. Many different types of wood peckers and the list goes on. If you want to be in a place were you will not see high rises, houses, telephone, electric poles etc. If you want to be surrounded with beauty, and quiet....this is the place to be. So glad we have land like this to enjoy. The Ranger was most helpful, and you could tell he loved his job.

This State park is out in the middle of nowhere. . . Bring all your food and drinks. There is a kiosk in the beginning for you to put your $4.00 car donation and port-o-john for your use after the long ride. It is another 5 miles to the park office. Drive slow, there is lots of birds to see along the drive. It is miles and miles of prairie. The park crews do controlled burns in area. It is boarded by a river; we were there after many days of rain, so many trails are wet and that changes the nature you will see. Many guests were riding bikes, (with the fat tires) hard packed sand with crushed shells on top (crushed shells don't produce dust). Side trails all sand. You can cover more area on a bike than walking. Because it has over 55,000 acres, you have the possibility of seeing many birds, but remember the birds have ample opportunity to hide from you also. We were lucky enough to see a CaraCara. We looked for owls but were advised they had moved on because of the excessive water. The bathrooms at the office were clean and the campsites looked neat and clean. There wasn't many sites in the campground so book early. We spent about 3 hours and if it had been nicer weather we would have hiked more. There is not many people visiting the park which is a plus for seeing animals.

This state park is very well run and the facilities are well kept and clean. Campsites are somewhat close together, but there are not that many of them and during our stay it was peaceful and very quiet. We saw many deer and a wide variety of bird species, but the best thing about the park was the dark sky and star gazing. On a clear night the Milky Way is visible, as are many interesting astronomical sights. A park volunteer had a telescope for all campers to use from 7 - 9 pm. Outside of the campground you are in prairie land, so not many trees, but there is a pleasant short hike by the slough where we saw many birds.

A group of us hiked in to the primitive campsite. There are 3 primitive sites that take 4 persons per site. The sites are huge and in a treed area. One of them has a covered shelter. They all have fire pits with grates. The rangers recommend that you carry in all your water. There is water nearby, but it must be filtered, and most certainly, you cannot count on this water being available in the dry season. The rangers and the staff recommend that you take the jeep trail to hike in, stating that the true trail is muddy and thigh deep in water. Honestly, I don't think they've ever even been on the trail. You should disregard this advice and take the shady trail with beautiful views and a little bit of mud instead of the rutted, exposed, and monotonous jeep road. We hiked out to take the ranger led swamp buggy tour, and it was the highlight of our trip. You should make reservations ahead for this, as well as the camping. Within the park, there are 3 options for camping, the primitive sites as well as the full service campground with elec and water at each site, and the equestrian sites. The showers are clean. The campground host takes his job too seriously. He is a busybody and will be in your face as soon as you arrive, questioning what you are doing and when you are doing it, and for how long. I think he is just lonely and bored. the park itself is wonderful...if you love nature! If you don't, you will be bored. There are lots of hiking trails through grasslands, wetlands and hammocks. Bring binoculars and your birdbooks. The park is trying to restore the area to the way it was a few decades ago. So, they are cutting down the beautiful large live oak trees. The trees are lying where they were cut, which was a sad sight to see. I disagree with this restoration and I think what they are doing is ugly and disturbing, but that is just my opinion.

My wife and I camped at this park this Jan 5,6,7. The camp grounds were very well kept and the bathrooms and showers were always clean. This park is out in the middle of nowhere, surounded by nature. There are many trails to walk or bike. Some of the trails can be tough to bike if you are a casual rider, if so the regular dirt road is very well kept and smooth. There is wide open prairie where you can see for miles, but the ground cover is made up of palmetto scrub so you can't just walk where ever you want. Some of the trails will lead you through some tree hammocks. There are some areas of swamp and open water holes to spot some gators. The night sky is beyond amazing, being that it is so dark out there. If you really want to view the stars try to plan your trip opposite the full moon.

If you want to see and explore an untouched 54,000 acres of Florida's prairie landscape, make plans to travel to this state park located north of Okeechobee, and 18 miles from the turnoff at U.S. Hwy 441. The beauty of this spot is that there is nothing to do except hike/bicycle/or horseback ride over 100 miles of trails, and camp in either a fully-equipped campground or tent in a rustic campground. There is also a section for equestrian campers. My husband and I were there for one day only, but will definitely return as we travel through Okeechobee routinely. We hear that the stargazing is outstanding as this is one of the darkest spots in Florida. In fact, beginning in January, there will be an astronomer onsite who will share his telescopic views of sunspots during the day, and star constellations after dark. Camping spaces are limited, so you'll need advance reservations. Well worth a visit. Regular Florida State Park fees apply ($4.00/car) or free if you have purchased a Florida State Park pass. Children who enjoy the out-of-doors will love this place. Bicycles are available for rent. Guided swamp buggy tour.

I reluctantly agreed to go camping here with my husband, sure I would be bored with nothing to do. Was I wrong! Yes, it was peaceful and quiet, which made it prefect to watch deer grazing right from our campsite. We also had six wild turkeys and two crested caracaras walk down the street in the middle of the campground! The trails were beautiful, especially the Hammock Trail. I was awed by how gorgeous the trees and moss and palms were. Stargazing at night was incredible! On the human side, the staff, from rangers to volunteers to campground hosts, were friendly and very helpful. The bathroom was immaculate, must have been cleaned several times a day. We hope to be able to return often to this hidden gem.

Site 15 is nice. This is a great campground to just sit around the fire with friends. Clean park and clean bathrooms :)

We have always been avid campers throughout the years....we live in an urban area and need to escape from the concrete and golf courses once in a while ...to renew our spirits and re-energize for the hard job I have . This State Park is in the middle of NOWHERE !!! YEAH!!! The prairie is a preserved part of Florida that has an unassuming first look....seems to be flat land with no trees...kinda boring at first glance. The campground is clean and neat, and accommodates RV's, tents and horses !!! We have a small pup tent a set up under some beautiful Live Oak trees . There is a guided Swamp Buggy tour that Ranger Frank took us on which was fantastic. Went down unpaved roads and learned about the flora and fauna of the area. So many wildflowers, grasses, birds, deer, snakes , spiders and an amazing quiet that we never get to "hear " where we live.Went for a walk at night and there were TONS of fireflies !!! They created a light show that was incredible, and brought back childhood memories of catching them in jars. The bathrooms were immaculate, and the hiking trails well maintained. Get away from Disney and the fake Florida and experience this park and all its wonder.

We watched Crested Caracaras on the entrance road and more than 300 White Ibis entertained us as they flew in front of us. We couldn't stay until dusk to watch the Burrowing Owls. The prairie is very different from a Missouri tall grass prairie, so there was much to observe new to us. The nature trail through the hammock woods supported several migrant passerines the day we visited.As noted in previous reviews, GPS & phone service not great. Bring your own food. The crows watched us eat, but did not attempt to steal food, approaching the table only after we left it.This is a definite "got to come back" site. Next time, will consider camping here to experience and enjoy a fuller range of the park's offerings.

When you first enter Kissimmee Prairie it looks like a farmers field. The area looks like old pasturelands, but if you look closer you will see more than meets the eye. The dry prairie soon gives way to marshes and sloughs. Home to American Aligators, Bobcats, snakes, deer, and many more. The campground here is small, but nice. To truly enjoy this park one must be willing to leave their cars and explore. Once you do, you'll be smitten by this areas beauty and charm. There truly is more than meets the eye here!

If you call abundant nature "nothing to do", you may not like this place. It is in the middle of nowhere, and the cell service is spotty, but not non-existant - a plus to me. Unfortunately most of the trails were underwater in places, so we weren't able to hike as much as we would have liked, but, that's nature and where a good book and good company comes in handy. Our campsite was beautiful and we had gorgeous sunrises over the prairie. The camp hosts apparently have returned for years and were friendly, accommodating and unobtrusive.

Coming from the prairies of the Midwest, I love to experience prairies in other ecoregions and Kissimmee Prairie is one of my all time favorites. This location is highly secluded; its distance from big cities is a blessing - you can visit the park in peace. On the flip side, make sure you have gas, food, beverages, etc., because there's nowhere to purchase these items nearby. Cell service and GPS give out, too, so bring maps and let loved ones know where you'll be and that you can't be reached. Once in the park, you'll observe an overwhelming array of native flora and fauna. It takes me 3-4 hours just to birdwatch and photograph plants along the 5 mile gravel road into the center of the park. As with all prairies, you need to get out in them to experience their true beauty - look in them not just at them. For those who do so, myriads of hidden wildflowers, butterflies ,dragonflies, reptiles and amphibians suddenly appear. The park has wide, mown grass and gravel walking paths. The wildlife are not skittish, as they typically are in more highly utilized parks. I photographed nonchalant wild turkey, deer, and hawks within 20 feet of my car window. This is a great place!

This is a great prairie preserve. drive slow on the gravel entrance roads and enjoy the view. I saw seven deer. A great storm across the prairie. Had a nice hardwood hammock trail walk. walked by the alligators and birds in a watering hole and off to see burrowing owl nest. Bathhouse was new and clean. Ranger Jen filled me on on everything and showed me the minature trees, quercus minima, several wild flowers, etc. Jen was very helpful about best times to visit. You could tell she truly loved this park. She told me about other state parks to visit too...Before you arrive: Fill up with gas, follow the brown road signs. GPS not accurate. Bring your own food...there is not much around. There were astrology folks there. Awesome open expanse,. I had ATT flip phone cell phone service; no ipad service. There are some shaded spots...but Jen says be prepared to wear hats, to create your own shade etc in the warm summer months. There is one pull through site. Family sites are bigger than equestrian sites. October has great flowers. Lots of Crows. I ate in my car so they would not steal my food. he he. It was a blast. Nice lending library. Washer, dryer, dish cleaning area. They sell firewood.