Myakka River State Park

Let me start by saying that the park itself is very pretty with lots of wildlife. The canopy walk was very enjoyable. The camping was a completely different story. We got there after 5:00 on a Friday and the party was already in full swing. It was completely crowded and all I could see were cars everywhere. We have a pop-up camper and our site was so small that we couldn't even put out our awning...it would have gone over top of the fire ring which was literally 5 feet from our neighbor's tent!! At least we didn't have one of the sites in the middle where it was like camping in an open field. People were up partying in the middle of the night and we were up for the day at 6:30 a.m. due to the loud kids that were allowed to run around the campgrounds screaming and yelling. I will never camp there again!!

Myakka is a huge and beautiful park, but was not my favorite place for camping. It's so big that we had to get in the car and drive 5 min to get to a hiking trail. I was very disapointed by the layout of the campground, as it has no privacy (bushes/plants) between sites, you're all just open and out there looking at everyone. The park was very crowded with visitors at the the Canopy walk and boat rides. I would love to come back to walk the trails/bike/canoe, but not to camp.

This is an absolutely wonderful place to go. We always visit here when we go to Sarasota for our family vacations. The wildlife is unbelievable. We have seen deer, bear, a black panther, armadillos, turtles, birds and of course alligators. As I am a photographer, this is a must for those who love to take pictures. The sunsets are unbelievable. Be sure to take a day and visit, for if you like nature, and just being in God's creation, you will not be disappointed.

We had a fairly large group going and were worried about the size of our spot that we had to share, ended up having plenty of space for our two oversized tents and our 'dining' enclosure. The kids loved the wildlife and riding bikes on trails. Visited by raccoons every night, and up close and personal with alligators on our canoe trip-LOTS OF GATORS, but they do not seem to bother you. Told that it does flood during rainy season in the summer, would not want to go then due to heat and bugs anyway. Was a great experience, the staff was very friendly as well! Be aware that some of the spaces were smaller than others, we made a list of the spaces we liked best for next time.

Neat place to see natural wild Florida. We were able to walk up reasonably close to where gators were doing their thing in the water. Also a lot of different birds to see. Nice drive into the "woods" just to look around. Took the boat ride. Boat captain was informative and fun to listen to. Get there early! If you want to ride the boats, they fill up quickly. Went there on a Wednesday. Quite a few people there at 10AM, place was packed by 1PM. What wildlife you see is pretty much luck of the draw. On the boat ride, we got to see a bald eagle. The captain said that was maybe a once a month occurance for him. Lots of places for good photo ops for the family. Only downsides would be to recommend bringing snacks for the kids if they get hungry at noon. The snack shop/gift store line was L O N G at noon. Also the number of bathrooms for the crowd seemed to be on the small side. Highly recommend a stop out here.

I wouldnt change a thing, was excellent, it was a great time with my 11 children and my wife, i cant wait to come back next year

Trek quietly into this park and you will see an abundance of wildlife. There are boat rides through the river where one can see many alligators sunbathing. There is a canopy walk through the tropical trees. There is hiking, backpacking and camping where one is surrounded by wildlife. This park is a treasure for anyone interested in observing wildlife and enjoying nature.

We had our own kayaks but I think there is a place to rent canoes as well. Within a few moments of putting in to the Myakka river, you paddle around a bend and the road is gone and it feels like you have paddled into jurassic park with fabulous birds like the Anhinga perched in the moss-laden trees. By far the most astounding company we had on the river though were the gators. There were so many, we lost count. Several of the large ones were bigger than our smallest kayak which was 9 feet long. It was disconcerting at times when one of these mammoth reptiles would slowly sink below the surface upon our approach and we would have no idea where they had gone. I strongly encouraged my boys to keep their hands out of the water! A great day on the river!!!!

Myakka is an amazing place. Make sure to check out the canopy walk. If you plan on camping, check out the "primitive camping" - some sites are a 13 mile hike from the nearest road! If you want to see the alligators, forget the airboat. The best way to go is by kayak or canoe. If the water levels are just right, you'll be able to reserve the lower river, a secluded area past the lower lakes only available to a few people each day, so you're gauranteed not to run into any people while you're there. At times trees are down, and there's also a dam that you wouldn't want to go over. There's one section of the river where you can get out and search for ancient sharks' teeth amongst the river bottom. I even found an alligator vertebrae. Truely an amazing experience!

Myakka River is the land that time forgot. It is truly unspoiled. Be sure to take the airboat tour to get up close to the alligators. The canopy walk is also worth the time and effort. We had a great time and would go again!