You know those adventures where you go in expecting one thing and you end up getting something totally different—but somehow, it’s still completely magical? Better than you could've expected, even...
That was our day at Myakka River State Park.
We packed our water bottles, binoculars, and brave faces, fully expecting to see at least one lazy alligator basking in the sun. I mean, it is Florida and we see them almost daily, even in our neighborhood ponds. The whole state is basically a reptile resort, right?
But here's a real plot twist: not a single gator graced us with its scaly presence. We walked the water's edge, looked over bridges and even peered of the end of a pier... and no gators were spotted!
They must have all been off together, plotting— I like to think they were attending a secret swamp meeting. They may have been sitting below the water's edge, lurking in mass quantities. Either way, zero gator sightings.
But before you feel too bad for us, don’t! Because what we did see was a whole cast of nature’s underrated all-stars.
The Wildlife Cameos We Weren’t Expecting:
🦌 Deer, casually strolling through the trees like they were on their afternoon coffee break. One even stopped and looked at us like, “You guys lost or something?” He ran off into the woods, the opposite direction of his mother, so we sat there waiting for mom to pass us as well. She took off running after a moment... and we were left with an amazing little moment, none of us will forget.
🦋 Butterflies, fluttering around like they were auditioning for a Disney movie montage. We saw a variety of butterflies, but loved getting to watch them flutter about with their dragonfly counterparts.
🐦 Birds, chirping, swooping, and generally acting mysterious up in the trees. We heard all kinds of calls and saw lots of pretty varieties...
The Trails, the Bridge, and the Tower (aka: Quad Day)
We took on the trails with energy and ambition—and maybe a few dramatic sighs in the heat—but the real highlights were high in the sky.
The canopy bridge gave us serious jungle explorer vibes, and it does bounce a little when you walk across it, which makes it just the right amount of thrilling. It’s like Florida’s version of an adventure ride, but with better scenery and no admission fee.
From there, we climbed to the top of the observation tower, where we were rewarded with a sweeping view of treetops and marshlands. Honestly, it felt like we were in a different world up there. One with fewer bugs and better breezes.
The One Letdown? The Bird Walk Was Closed. 😢
Yes, sadly, the bird walk was blocked off. We were a little bummed, but we still saw plenty of birds on our journey. Can’t blame them. We hope they enjoyed their acai bowls and worms.
Final Thoughts
Even without any gator drama, Myakka River State Park totally delivered. There’s something extra special about walking through nature with no agenda other than, “Let’s see what shows up.” And while it wasn’t the scaly safari we expected, we ended up with dragonfly zoom-bys, beetle fashion shows, and deer that could win “Most Chill Mammal of the Year.”
Would we go back? Absolutely. Next time, gators—don’t be shy.
Have you ever been to Myakka? Did you see any gators, or were they ghosting you too? Let me know in the comments! 🌿✨
