Thursday, January 8, 2015

Holiday Weekend at Highlands Hammock State Park

As I have mentioned in my two previous posts, we went on our first camping trip of the season over the New Year's weekend at Highlands Hammock State Park.  Located in Sebring, Florida, Highlands Hammock is one of Florida's oldest parks; it opened to the public in 1931.

Cypress swamp at Highlands Hammock State Park

The Park was established when local citizens came together to promote the hammock - a hardwood stand of trees surrounded by wetlands - as a candidate for national park status.  Just prior to World War II, during the Great Depression, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) developed some of the park facilities and the beginnings of a botanical garden.  As of today, the Park has hiking, biking and equestrian trails as well as full facility and primitive campgrounds and a museum showcasing the history of the CCC.

Hardwood hammock at Highlands Hammock State Park

After we set up our campsite, we ventured out on bikes to get familiar with the park.  Ma brought my Solvit Products HoundAbout II Trailer which was perfect for both the paved and off-road bike paths.  The paved path takes you through the different areas of the hammock where you can stop to pick up the hiking trails.  The off-road path lead us alongside the hammock and into the Florida prairie where the primitive campgrounds are located.

Biking paved and off-road trails at Highlands Hammock State Park

Oz the Terrier in his Solvit Products HoundAbout II Bike Trailer in Highlands Hammock State Park

We hiked several of the trails including the Young Hammock Trail and the Virgin Hammock Trail.  It was a bit overcast so when we came upon hidden swamps and Cypress stands the reflections in the water were just perfect.

Trees reflect in the swamp at Highlands Hammock State Park

Hint for hiking in Florida: most hikers look down or at least straight ahead, to see what is coming up next but here in Florida, it pays to look up every once in a while.  If you do, you may find you're in a little, wild orange or grapefruit grove.  We found many orange trees and a few grapefruit trees and we shook each one to see if it would give up its ripe fruit.  We ended up taking a delicious grapefruit and an orange back to camp with us.

Wild oranges grow in Highlands Hammock State Park

And though the hammock and Park are home to many species of wildlife including Gopher Tortoises, Scrub Jays, Bald Eagles, Wild Turkeys, Bobcats, Red Shouldered Hawks, owls, alligators and bears, we didn't see any of them the whole time we were there.  We assumed it was because the Park was packed and all that commotion made the wildlife hide away until the park quieted down.  We did see a few Great Blue Herons, several armadillos (that visited our campsite at night) and one very brave raccoon who tried to steal our Prime Rib dinner.

Oz the Terrier rests in his QuikShade Pet Shade in Highlands  Hammock State Park campground

We had such a great time!  Highlands Hammock State Park is a beautiful park to visit.  Our days were filled with exploring the Park on the biking and hiking trails and our evenings were filled with eating yummy food and relaxing by the campfire.  I would definitely visit Highlands Hammock State Park again.

Would you enjoy an adventure like I had at Highlands Hammock State Park?



30 comments:

  1. Looks like a fun place to go!

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  2. Yikes...yoo hikin in kwite da wild place Oz my pal....i fink i sat at da camp an elp gard da foods...

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  3. What a fantastic place, I am green with jellyness 'cos I can't wait for Spring when we can get out into our (not quite as spectacular) woods. I luffs you hammock Oz, pawfect for an after picnic nap I finks!
    Loves and licky kisses
    Princess Leah xxx

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  4. Looks like you camped in style with your trailer and hammock, Oz! The park looks beautiful.

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  5. WOW.... you are one lucky pup. Campin (wiff you own covered hammock), Hiking in such a cool place, and Biking in your trailer. I'm gonna have to talk to Mom about takin me on more biking trips to cool places. You look pawsome in your trailer. Thanks for takin us on your trip.
    Wags,
    Ranger

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  6. An awesome place for the first camping trip of the season! I bet the fresh oranges and grape fruits were delicious and a treat to bring back to camp.

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  7. That looks so completely different from anywhere we have been. All jungly, and awesome. Fun looking place.

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  8. Wild citrus? We have to plant ours.

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  9. WE would LOVE to go there... esp. if YOU were along... OMD your No Walking Wagon thingy is PAWFECT fur the long haul... and WOW you went to a HAMMOCK and you TOOK your Canopied HAMMOCK, Too? How grrrrreat is THAT? BUTT WAIT... there was MORE???? you gotted FRESH PICKED WILD ORANGE and GRAPEFRUITS ????
    WOW ! ! ! ! THAT is OUTSTANDING... what MORE could a guy ask fur? You are Livin LARGE there OZ... Iivin LARGE ... BIG TIME... THANKS SO MUCH fur sharing this with us... we need to see some GREEN GROWING STUFFS.... here on the Frigid and Snow covered hill, today.

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  10. of coure, it looks like a trip to a land before time... have you seen a cookie saurus there?
    Easy Rider

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  11. Looks like a beautiful place!

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  12. I love that last pic of you snoozin'! That says it all :)

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  13. Oz
    You look adorable peeking out of you trailer! You are one lucky dog!

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  14. What a fun time in the forests of Florida. It looks similar to our bayous. Oz is stylin' in that QuikShade! I love ours too.

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  15. Yes, we would definitely enjoy something like that! It looks like a very cool place with so much to do and beauty to see. I think all that fun wore you right out, Oz, and that's a good thing!
    Lots of wags and woofs from the crew at Wag n Woof Pets

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  16. Raccoons! Once while driving home, this raccoon was just standing against a tree, staring at me, in an old man chewing on some straw in a Western kinda way. It was weird!
    Sounds like you had a lovely adventure! Hope you got a share of those fruits!

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  17. That looks like an awesome adventure! I've never seen an armadillo in real life - so that would be worth it to there just for that!

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  18. Oz, you look so tired out in that last picture. That must mean you had a wonderful time. I really enjoyed the pictures. Looks like a relaxing park. We haven't gone camping in awhile, so I'm jealous. Happy New Year!

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  19. Love that "hound hammock." Brilliant at keeping hot sun off a dark colored pup. :)

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  20. I would just love to bring the huskies out there! WOW! Absolutely beautiful photos!
    ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!

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  21. Looks like lots of fun. Glad you didn't see any gators!

    Your Pals,

    Murphy & Stanley

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  22. Wow!! It's gorgeous there!!

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  23. We would LOVE to visit a park like that! We have quite a few parks here that benefited from the CCC, but they don't seem as exotic as where you were staying! BOL!


    Bunny

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  24. Looks like a great place. My favorite photo is of you popping up and smiling in your trailer.

    Aroo to you,
    Sully

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  25. What a beautiful place and a great time you had. I love cypress trees they are so beautiful

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  26. Looks like a great time as usual! I still can't get over the scenery there. I am just expecting a dinosaur or some prehistoric animal to show up in one of these photos.

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  27. I sure would! Its getting kind of depressing seeing all of the great adventures my blog pals are having, but I'm glad you had a great time. Love Dolly

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  28. I'm such a boob for not thinking about you while we were in south Florida! Next time for sure! Looks like you had a super adventure! We've thought about getting a bike trailer but didn't want to use it on busy streets around here. That looks like a perfect place for it!

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  29. Oh my gosh that looks like a fabulous park. You sure got some wonderful photos.

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  30. Oz looks like a great place for an adventure and glad you got to go out so early in the year. Have a terrific Tuesday.
    Best wishes Molly

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Thank you for stopping by and leaving a pawprint. I enjoy reading each and every one!
Cairn cuddles,
Oz the Terrier