The Great Outdoors

Whether you like birding, fishing, cycling, or being out on the water, Polk County's Great Outdoors are beckoning you to explore.

Long before Florida had theme parks, even before humans for that matter, Central Florida’s Lakes Country was mostly an ocean, and the eastern area of our county was its beach. Animals and plants thrived on this sandbar island, growing in unique ecosystems, some of which remain for you to explore. In fact, today there are more rare and endangered species of plants and animals on the Lake Wales Ridge than anywhere else in the United States! Explore our beautiful parks, rivers, swamps and nature areas in every way possible – by motorboat, airboat, hiking trail, cycling path, through the lens of your binoculars . . . you name it. Fish or hunt in our bountiful lands and waters. And expand your horizons by seeking adventure in some of our extreme sports.