Avon Park Air Force Range
The Avon Park Air Force Range has approximately
78,000 acres of land open to the public for outdoor recreational activities,
which includes hunting, camping, horseback riding and hiking.
Cows! There are plenty of them roaming about on the
range. Most of them seem to hang out along
the entrance road and near the Kissimmee River. Just make sure you watch where you
step. There's plenty of fertilizer out there.
You wouldn't think a bombing range would have a lot
of birds, but this area is home for a number of endangered species, including
the Florida Grasshopper Sparrow, Red-Cockaded Woodpecker and the Florida Scrub
Jay. Red-Shouldered Hawks, like the one shown above, are a common sight
near the river where they can feed on snakes, frogs and large insects.
A cemetery is all that's left of the once thriving
community of Fort Kissimmee. According to the commemorative plaque shown
above, there use to be a church and couple of schools located nearby.
Location
Polk County and Highlands County, Florida
Directions
From I-4 exit 55, go south on US Hwy 27 until you
reach the town of Avon Park (about 47 miles). Turn left (east) onto County
Road 64 and follow road for about 10 miles until you arrive at the Avon Park
AFR security gate. Ask guard for directions to the Outdoor Recreation Office.
It will be about 1 mile further up the road on your left. Look for the brown
sign shown below that says "Outdoor Recreation and Fish & Wildlife Program - Bldg
600".
The Outdoor Recreation Office is located at N27
39.974' and W81° 21.444'.
Hours
The public recreational areas at the Air Force
Range are normally open from noon on Thursday until 8:00 P.M. on Monday. Some
sections of the range may be closed due to military activities, so before
heading out, make sure you check the weekend
forecast on the Avon Park AFS website
or call (863) 452-4119 ext. 5 and listen to the recorded message.
Due to managed hunts and military use, the range
is closed from mid-October to mid-December.
Fees
No fee is required to hike the 16 mile Lake
Arbuckle trail, but hikers must stop by the office and pickup a no-cost
permit and sign a liability release form.
Through-hikers entering the area via the Florida
National Scenic Trail do not have to pay a fee.
See the Avon Park AFS website
for a complete list of permit
fees.
Hiking
The Avon Park AFR has 4 hiking trails: a 16 mile
loop trail east of Lake Arbuckle, a 1/2 mile nature trail with boardwalks and
an observation tower overlooking Lake Arbuckle, a 6.5 mile loop trail in the
Sandy Point Wildlife Refuge, and a 12 mile section of the Florida National
Scenic Trail which runs along the western bank of the Kissimmee River.
Pictured above are some sights you might see on
the Florida National Scenic Trail. These were taken down by southern terminus
before entering Boney Marsh. There is also trail information kiosk at this
location (see picture at the top of this page).
Oranges! Lots of them, including grapefruit,
lemons and tangerines, grow along the trail and around the campsites. You
won't go hungry here, that's for sure.
Camping
There are two places to camp along the Florida
Trail: the Fort Kissimmee Campground and a primitive campsite (shown below)
which just has a bench and a table. If you are looking for a
few more creature comforts, such as a port-o-let or a cold shower, then I
recommend staying at the campground. They have plenty of sites overlooking the
river where you can setup your tent.
The Fort Kissimmee Campground is located at the
end of Kissimmee Road, which is about 18 miles from the Outdoor Recreation
Office, 5 miles from Kicco and 7 miles from Boney Marsh. The coordinates
for it are N27° 35.172' and W81° 09.492'.
The primitive campsite is located about 3.7 miles
south of the Fort Kissimmee Campground and 3.4 miles north of Boney
Marsh. The coordinates for it are N27° 33.914' and W81° 11.923'.
Unusual Sights
Remnants of the old Fort Kissimmee community? I'm
not sure, but it's located next to the Fort Kissimmee Campground only a few
feet from the Florida Trail. The roof is completely caved in so I don't think
anyone will want to stay here for the night.
Toxic waste! This is a strange sight to see:
dozens of barrels lying around with signs warning of contamination in the
area. No need to worry. The park is removing chemicals (pesticides) that were
used back in the 1920's and 30's to rid cows of ticks. An old dipping vat use
to be here.
Hunting
| Hunting
Schedule 2003 - 2004 |
| Archery |
Sep. 20 - Oct. 19 |
| Muzzle Gun |
Oct. 25 - Nov. 2 |
| General Gun |
Nov. 8 - Dec. 28 |
| Small Game |
Dec. 29 - Feb. 29 |
| Spring Turkey |
Mar. 20 - Apr. 25 |
For more hunting
information go to the Avon Park AFR
website.
Maps
Color infrared aerial
maps of the north
and south
sections of the Florida Trail.
An interactive
topographical map of Avon Park AFB from TopoZone.
Map is centered around Fort Kissimmee Campground. Adjust view scale to zoom in
and out of map.
An interactive
aerial map of Avon Park AFB from TerraServer.
The Kissimmee River is located in the middle of the picture with the Air Force
Range to the left (west) of it.
GPS Data
Local Weather
Notes
- 11-Jan-2004: Finished mapping the Florida Trail
from the northern Kicco terminus all the way down to the southern Boney
Marsh trailhead. Total distance was about 12
miles. Trails and bridges were mostly in good condition. Some of the trail
marks were obscured by palm fronds which caused a few missed turns. Saw lots
cows on the trail. Some were actually eating Spanish Moss from the trees.
Very strange.
- 10-Jan-2004: First time here! What a great
place to go hiking. Don't let the idea of this place being an active military
installation worry you. The park rangers out there are very nice and they
encourage the public to come out and enjoy the great outdoors that this
place has to offer.
Contacts
Additional Information
Last updated on 13-Jan-2007 at 10:00 P.M.
