Lakeland Highlands Scrub

I love the scrub, i havnt been there in nearly 5 years and the last time i was there there wasnt as much homes built up on the entrance road! The city is lucky to have auch a magnificent preserved area, would be cool to see it expand and have more wilderness walking areas.

Beautiful secluded and well kept up trails. We got to see Gopher tortoises, a black racer, lizards, squirrels, and a Terrapin turtle! Very nice hike, we didn't do the full loop, we crossed over the middle trail and cut our hike in half.

Love walking here with my dog. Having an unseen handicap and unable to tolerate the direct sunlight and heat of the day for long periods of time, the shaded trails are wonderful in allowing me to still get out and enjoy nature. This is one of my favorite trails in Polk County.

Great place to walk in nature. The boardwalk has a gazebo so you can take a break in the shade. There are several covered picnic tables with grills and a chemical toilet.

We love hiking here and it's only 10 mins from our home. It's so important to preserve Florida's scrub habitats. This Reserve is located on the Lakeland Highlands Ridge. A short trail winds through an oak hammock. The longer trail goes through the scrub habitat. There's also a boardwalk with a covered hut with benches that crosses a small pond/wetlands area. Some of the wildlife we have seen here includes the endangered Gopher Tortoise, rabbits, snakes (including a small coral snake), bull frogs, small gators in the pond, a bobcat, and 2 Great-Horned owls. There used to be a colony of endangered Florida Scrub Jays there, but sadly they are no longer there. Give yourself a couple hours at least to enjoy the longer trail. There's a small parking lot and one or two handicapped spots. Two covered picnic tables are at the trial-head, as well as a Porta-potty. There are no other facilities. It is a minimally maintained Fl State Reserve, and kept as natural as possible. Dogs are welcome on a leash.