Highlands County - Nature-Based Tourism

Located in Central Florida, Highlands County occupies the southern end of the Lake Wales Ridge, a 100-mile-long range of sand hills, scrub and freshwater lakes.

Once a group of prehistoric islands, the County is home to dozens of rare species of plants and animals. www.archbold-station.org

Wildlife, including alligators, deer and wild hogs, can be observed in different parts of the County.

Birds, including scrub jays, swallow-tailed kites, bald eagles, osprey and sandhill cranes, all in their native habitat, can be seen and heard.

The county has extensive bikeways, including several routes through the very beautiful and popular Highlands Hammock State Park, as well as routes from 10 to 100 miles long on other scenic roads. www.ridgetrails.org

There are hiking, canoe and equestrian trails in the State Park and on the grounds of the Southwest Florida Water Management District, the Archbold Biological Station, the Avon Park Air Force Range and the Royce Preserve - all large conservation management areas covering thousands of acres. www.avonparkafr.com

The County's Blueways, Greenways, Trails and Bikeways Comprehensive Master Plan, completed in 2002, calls for expanding and connecting these trails, thus making all of them more accessible to County residents and tourists.