Kissimmee Prairie Preserve is a breathtaking expanse of infinite grassland.

Kissimmee Prairie is a land dominated by the great blue sky. The preserve, part of the Everglades headwaters, protects the largest remaining tract of Florida dry prairie, an ecosystem shaped by cycles of flooding and fire.

Many rare, threatened and endangered species inhabit this place, and the wide-open landscape means that birdwatchers and photographers have ample opportunity to catch sight of a grasshopper sparrow, crested caracara or burrowing owl.

Internationally recognized for its lack of light pollution, the night sky above the prairie is inky black — campers can spot the Milky Way without using telescopes or binoculars. 

Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park

Okeechobee Battlefield is the site of one of Florida’s significant battles during the Second Seminole War.

The Battle of Okeechobee, fought on Christmas Day 1837, involved more than 1,000 U.S. military and volunteer soldiers, fighting against several hundred Seminole and Miccosukee warriors along the northern edge of Lake Okeechobee.

The battle is considered a turning point in the war with full-scale attacks ceasing and the number of smaller skirmishes diminishing after the event.

State Parks Tagged With: Okeechobee