I knew as I drove along the long dirt road in the midst of a prairie grassland from the entrance of the Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park to the office and campground that I was in for a peaceful experience with Nature. I stopped my car, rolled down my window, and listened. No sounds of traffic. Perfect.
I arrived on Tuesday with a last minute reservation I was able to grab for just one night. My first stop was the park office where I checked in and checked out trails with a volunteer. My campground, the family campground, had only twenty sites, with several that looked out to the prairie. How beautiful!
After setting up my tent, I started on the Prairie Loop Trail—a recommendation for an afternoon hike from the park volunteer. This trail, about 4.5 miles, was surrounded by live oak covered with moss, saw palmetto, wax myrtle, and tall prairie grasses blowing in the breeze. I returned to the office area a couple hours later to see deer and wild turkeys grazing in the tall grasses.
Evening in the campground was quiet and friendly. In need of a shower, I walked to the bathhouse, and was surprised to see how dark the campground had become when I stepped back out. I had looked forward to some fabulous star gazing, but unfortunately, the clouds kept the stars away. Once I snuggled into my sleeping bag, the nearly full moon appeared and lit up my tent. At 2:00 in the morning, I took a brief stroll through the campground, happy to see the stars had finally made it to the party. At 6:30, I rose to see the sunrise, nearly running into a deer on my way to my viewing spot. I watched as beautiful shades of red, orange, and yellow painted the sky while birds sang their morning songs.
Before leaving on day two, I hiked through the Hammock Trail to the Kilpatrick Prairie Trail and back—about six miles (another recommendation from a park staff member). Such beautiful prairies! With no one on the trail, I enjoyed the peace and serenity that Nature offered. There were some wet areas on the trail, but they were easy to walk around. I passed a couple deer on the side of the trail—no fear, they hardly moved. On my return through the hammock, a small white boar scurried away.
My goal for this trip was to test out my new tent and stove and make certain I could keep a fire going. I made progress! I’ll work on the fire on my next trip. 🙂
(Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park. 33104 NW 192nd Ave, Okeechobee, FL 34972. (863) 462-5360. Website: https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/kissimmee-prairie-preserve-state-park).
Footprints and Ripples 