Highlands Hammock State Park

Infobox_protected_area | name = Highlands Hammock State Park
iucn_category = V

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caption =
locator_x = 233
locator_y = 162
location = Highlands County, Florida, USA
nearest_city = Sebring, Florida
lat_degrees = 27
lat_minutes = 28
lat_seconds = 16
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 81
long_minutes = 32
long_seconds = 31
long_direction = W
area = 9,000 acres (36 km²)
established = 1931
visitation_num =
visitation_year =
governing_body = Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Highlands Hammock State Park is a 9,000 acre (36 km²) park four miles (6 km) west of Sebring in Highlands County, Florida, off U.S. 27. The park opened in 1931, four years before the Florida state park system was created.

Ecology

Flora

Elevated boardwalks meander through an old-growth bald cypress swamp with cabbage palmettos, ferns, bromeliads, orchids and other epiphytes. Some trees are believed to be over a thousand years old, and one is possibly the largest oak in Florida, with a girth of over 36 feet (11 m).

Fauna

White-tailed deer, alligators, gopher tortoises, frogs, otters, golden silk spiders, pileated woodpeckers, red-shouldered hawks, barred owls and Florida scrub-jays are common in the park. Black bears, bald eagles, white ibis, bobcats and the rare Florida panther are seen on occasion.

History

Local citizens, concerned about plans to turn the hammock into farmland, acquired the property and promoted it as a candidate for national park status, an early example of grass-roots public support for environmental preservation. One of the prime movers behind the effort was Mrs. Margaret Roebling, daughter-in-law of Washington Augustus Roebling.

The park was taken over by the state when the state park system was created in 1935, as one of the four original state parks. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), established during the Great Depression, built a camp at Highlands Hammock as a headquarters, and developed additional park facilities and the beginnings of a botanical garden.

Recreational activities

The park includes a scenic three-mile loop drive that gives access to the park's nine trails, and can be used for inline skating. An eleven-mile trail can be traversed by bicyclists, horseback riders or wildlife viewers. Birding may also be done, since the park is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail. Ranger-guided tours are scheduled frequently.

Another point of interest is the state’s Civilian Conservation Corps Museum, which contains interactive exhibits about the period of the park's construction, and the history of the CCC in Florida and the United States.

There is a campground with full hookups, and an areas for full, primitive and youth camping. A picnicking area is available with an adjacent playground, as well as a restaurant, called "The Hammock Inn".

Hours

Gallery

References and external links

* [http://www.floridastateparks.org/highlandshammock/default.cfm Highlands Hammock State Park] at [http://www.floridastateparks.org Florida State Parks]
* [http://www.dep.state.fl.us/gwt/guide/regions/south/trails/highlands_hammock.htm Map of Highlands Hammock State Park] at [http://www.dep.state.fl.us Florida's Department of Environmental Protection]
* [http://www.lpfla.com/visit/hhsp.htm Highlands Hammock State Park photos] at [http://www.lpfla.com Greater Lake Placid Florida Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.abrock.com/FloridaParks/Highlands%20Hammock/HighlandsHammockIntro.html Highlands Hammock State Park history]