Last May when we were over in Florida we went to visit Lake Louisa State Park.

Drive 5 miles north on Highway 27 from Highway 192 and you will find this beautiful state park, noted for its six beautiful lakes, rolling hills, and scenic landscapes. Lake Louisa is the largest in a chain of 13 lakes connected by the Palatlakaha River, which is designated as an Outstanding Florida Waterway. Lake Louisa, Dixie Lake, and Hammond Lake, the park’s most accessible lakes, provide access for fishing, canoeing, and kayaking. Anglers can fish in four of the park’s six lakes.

It was comforting to note that Alcohol and Firearms are prohibited, oh well we can’t get drunk or shoot each other.

Camping facilities and more than 15 miles of horse trails are available for equestrians. For hikers and backpackers, the park has over 20 miles of hiking trails with excellent opportunities for wildlife viewing. Dixie Lake has a fishing pier, canoe/kayak launch, and a picnic pavilion. The park also has a full-facility campground, fully furnished cabins for rent, and campsites

The Park provides wonderful outdoor activities for the nature lover in all of us, and there are many wildlife viewing opportunities throughout the park.

The park boasts lots of wildlife, including gopher tortoises, wild turkey and white tailed deer although I must be honest and admit that we did not see any of them. However we did see swallow tailed kites, an osprey and a bald eagle.

As you drive in from our entrance on US 27 you’ll notice hundreds of long leaf pines beginning to mature throughout the sand hills. This is a result of the ongoing restoration efforts to return the sand hills to their former state. These long leaf pines planted in 2002 play an important part in that role as do native ground plants like wiregrass and goldenrod, to be added at a later date. As the native vegetation returns to the hills, so will the animals that once lived there.

Parts of the lake have wonderful sandy beaches, but the water although clean , is bracken and very very cold (maybe because I’m getting old I feel it more).

For a scenic hike, a quiet afternoon fishing or just lying on a quiet beach, horseback or an overnight stay, Lake Louisa State Park offers a relaxing setting for you to enjoy these and many more outdoor activities.