Deep Hole at Myakka River State Park

We both slept well at our AirBnB and were able to sleep until 6 am, which is an accomplishment for us. We had the raisin bran and yogurt that we bought at the Winn-Dixie last night. We decided to go to Myakka River State Park today since it is less than 10 miles from our apartment.

Birds and gators at Deep Hole

We arrived at the park and paid the $6 per car admission then checked on the trails in the park. The volunteer who checked us into the park suggested that we get a pass through the wilderness area to the area of the park known as “Deep Hole.” We were pleased to get there when we did because the park only permits 30 visitors per day into the wilderness area. After we got our passes there were only 2 passes available for the day, and we were there before 9 am.

Dozing alligator at Deep Hole

We drove the short distance to the parking area for the wilderness trailhead entering the code at the gate to gain entry. We packed cameras, water bottles, binoculars and bird identification guides and started on the walk. Most of the 2.5 mile walk to the deep hole is through a dry prairie that the park burns every two years to replicate the natural conditions of the prairie. There were more black vultures flying and roosting in trees than we have ever seen. We passed a few people on the trail, but with a limit of 30 per day it was not well traveled. After the 2.5 mile walk over the flat terrain, we passed by a small lake that was connected to a water filled sinkhole that is reported to be 140 feet deep. Several people stood near the Deep Hole watching and photographing the wildlife. About 100 alligators there, some swimming and others basking in the warm morning sun. Black vultures walked dangerously close to the snouts of alligators warming on the bank. Although we were hoping to see a scene from Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, the birds appeared to know just how close they could get.

Black vulture playing chicken

We were amazed at the variety of wading birds that were along the shore from several specials of egrets and herons to spoonbills, storks, pelicans, ibis and many others. We chatted with several people watching the birds and alligators then started on the 2.5 mile walk back to the parking area.

Once at the car we drove back to the visitor center, returned the wilderness pass and found a shady spot for a picnic lunch. The temperature was already in the upper 70, and we were both ready for lunch and a bottle of water. Our usual store brand Ritz crackers and creamy peanut butter made a good lunch along with an apple from last night’s shopping.

Mary at the Birdwalk

We drove to the end of the park where there is an area called The Outpost with a restaurant, canoe rentals and a gift shop. We didn’t stop but started driving back to a short trail called The Bird Walk. There were a lot of birds in the shallow marsh, although not as many as in the Deep Hole. However, this area was much more accessible requiring only a short walk on a pier rather than a 5 mile hike. Mary met a lady there from Versailles, Kentucky while I talked with Steve Minor in the cell phone. We hadn’t had a cell signal most of the day, so I took advantage of being able to reach him. We plan to visit them on Sunday. We were happy that we had worn shorts and T-shirts because the temperature seemed very warm.

Large turtle basking on the nature trail

Our last stop in Myakka River State Park was at the William S. Boylston Nature Trail. This nature trail is less than a mile long but has a Canopy Walk with a 76-foot-high tower and a suspended walkway in the palm forest. It was pretty neat. We met a group there from Braxton and Calhoun Counties in West Virginia. Although the trail wasn’t long, we spent some time reading the interpretative signage and generally exploring the area.  On this and most of the other trails in the park, we noticed a great deal of damage from wild hogs.  It is difficult to imagine the extent of the habitat damage these feral hogs are causing in the area.  

We enjoyed the bananas that we packed as we drove out of the park and back toward our apartment. We made a quick stop at a Target along the way to buy some fresh sunscreen.

We crashed at the apartment for a couple of hours before heading to dinner a little before 6 pm. Mary had read a review of J.R.’s Old Packinghouse that their Cuban sandwich was vote the best in the state of Florida. We took the short drive a few blocks to the restaurant and got a table outside on the front porch. Propane heaters were running despite what we believed was a warm evening. I got the special, blackened catfish over jambalaya, and Mary got the Cuban sandwich with tortilla chips. We both enjoyed our meals and shared a little of each other’s plates. The owner, J.R., came over to chat and was very pleasant making sure that we enjoyed our meals and felt welcome. We were pleased that the meal was less than $30.

We returned to the apartment and relaxed after the hikes of nearly 9 miles today and a large dinner. Tomorrow we hope to visit the home of the Ringling Brothers in Sarasota.