Oscar Scherer State Park

About Oscar Scherer State Park

A large area of crooked, flat forests makes it one of the best places to see Florida bushland. The park protects pine forests that were once widespread in Sarasota County, as well as an endangered species that is unique to Florida.

Offers hiking, biking and wildlife viewing opportunities, as well as scenic views of Lake Okeechobee, the Sarasota River and the Gulf of Mexico.

Canoeists and kayakers can paddle the Sarasota River, a black water river that flows into the Gulf of Mexico. Fishermen can also catch ospreys, which are also a bathing destination within the park, and freshwater and saltwater fish can be caught in the streams. Canoe or kayak rentals are possible, but motorboats are not allowed outside the park boundaries.

The Nature Centre in the park has exhibits and videos about the natural communities within the park. The park has fully equipped campsites, and gazebos can be reserved for a fee, as well as a picnic area along the South Creek with barbecues.

It is located on the south side of South Creek, south of Lake Ontario and north of Oscar Scher State Park in the city of Ottawa.

Florida Scrub Jays are found in the Scrubby Flatwoods Plant Community and other species, including white-tailed deer, can sometimes be seen in different areas of the park. The park is known for its large number of birds, such as the Great Blue Egret and the Florida Blue Egret. Please ask a park ranger for more information about wildlife watching or get a list of animals and a hiking map when entering the park. Remember to protect these animals, it is illegal to hurt, harass or feed them.


After years of preparation, Oscar Scherer State Park opened to the public in 1956, and in 1957 Elsa "Scherer" Burrows (1884-1955) became the first pioneer of shoe leather dyeing to leave the country.

Three decades later, she began campaigning to protect the adjacent Florida Scrub Jay territory, buying 922 acres of adjacent land from Palmer Ranch.

Today, it has preserved more than two square kilometres of nature in this rapidly developing area and offers over 130,000 visitors a year a resource-oriented recreation. An expansion of the park was established in the 1990s as Oscar Scherer National Park as part of Florida's national park system and now offers 130 million acres of natural, natural and resource-oriented recreation to 130 000 visitors annually.

The Nature Center is located on the south side of Lake Okeechobee, north of the main entrance to the park. The Nature Centre is open to visitors and includes interpretative exhibitions. There are no campsites, but there are camping sites for campers during the seasonal camp in this park.

Reservations can be made up to 11 months in advance, but a one-night deposit is required. Only credit cards must be cancelled at least two weeks prior to the date of reservation and reservations cannot be rebooked.

A separate camp area is available for organized youth and adult groups. For more information about camping in the park, please visit the Reserve of America link. You can see a map of each campsite location by clicking on a parking map and selecting one of the links on the parking maps of each campsite. Select the icon to see detailed descriptions of each campsite and its facilities.

Reservations for a group camp, called the Reserve of America, can be made at any of the campsites in the park. These facilities include campsites, picnic areas, showers, laundry facilities and other amenities. There is a separate storage area for organized youth and adult groups of up to 10 people, but reservations for this group are not possible.

Reservations can be made up to 11 months in advance, but a one-night deposit is required. Credit card cancellation must be made at least two weeks prior to the reservation date and reservations cannot be rebooked.

This 3 hectare freshwater lake is located in the picnic area of Lake Osprey and has a sandy beach. Campers up to 1.50 metres in height can be accommodated on the campsites. The lake is also open for fishing, but fishing is only allowed in designated closed bathing areas, such as the swimming hole at the north end of the lake. On a hot summer day, this is the perfect place to cool off and is home to a variety of bird species, reptiles, amphibians, birds of prey and other wildlife.

Canoeing on South Creek is the only public canoeing and kayaking area in OSCAR SCHERER State Park. Visitors can rent a canoe at the ranger station or start their own canoe or kayak from one of the many public canoes.

Canoes can currently be rented that will start at the South Creek Picnic Area. South Creek is a black tidal current that flows through the park and eventually flows into the Gulf of Mexico. The stream starts north of the parks and is formed by rainfall and the outflow of fresh water. It fluctuates with the incoming tide, is brackish with a mixture of fresh and salt water and flows north and south along the coast of OSCAR SCHERER State Park.

Occasionally, alligators and otters are seen taking advantage of the creek's diverse habitat, and some can be eaten in the water while ospreys hover above the water. Almost all plants growing in this stream are native to OSCAR SCHERER State Park and the Gulf of Mexico, as well as other parts of Florida.

The Osprey is a 3 hectare freshwater lake that offers anglers the opportunity to catch bream, bluefish, mullet and catfish. The lake's feline fish are fished through a city-wide fisheries program sponsored by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The park offers both freshwater and saltwater fishing, and on Wednesday there is a canoeing course under the guidance of a ranger.

South Creek offers the opportunity to catch saltwater species, and the fishing pier on Lester Finley Trail is a great place to fish.

Snorkeling is possible in Lake Osprey, a freshwater lake, and for people over 15 years of age, a fishing permit is required. A fishing permit can be purchased at South Creek Pier on Lester Finley Trail or at one of the park's fishing stations.

Bathhouses and cold-water showers are available for visitors at the picnic area by Lake Osprey, and throughout the park there are gazebos available for hire for picnics, meetings or meetings and weddings. The five bathhouses on the family campsite are equipped with toilets and hot showers, but only suitable for registered campers. Non-campers can also use the showers, but must register with the Ranger Station and pay an additional fee.

Pets and service dogs are not allowed in the toilets, nor are pets with service dogs on the beach or in other areas of the park, except the picnic area.

The South Creek Picnic Area has toilets, a small gazebo and a canoe launch, and you can rent a gazebo near the nature center. The Lake Osprey Picnick Area is located at the southern end of the park, south of Lake Estero, on the north side of South Creek. There is a picnic area with toilet, picnic tables and picnic chairs, and a nature centre at Lake Osprey.

The Nature Centre is equipped with picnic tables, folding tables and picnic chairs, and there is a picnic area with toilet, picnic table and a small gazebo near the Nature Centre. It also includes a canoe and kayak launch, two picnic areas and a water park with water slides.

Six marked hiking trails offer visitors the opportunity to explore various remote parts of the park.

Numbered benches conveniently placed along the paths provide rest areas, and visitors can determine their exact location by looking at the numbers on the hiking map. Note: There are no toilets or shelters along this route, please contact the Ranger Station for more information about the nature conservation center, picnic areas and other amenities.

When entering the park, you should request a hiking map and check the Resources for Endangered Habitats section for what you can see along the way. You should wear good walking shoes, a hat, bring drinking water, use sunscreen and insect repellent and wear hats.

The park offers a wide range of marked hiking trails as well as trails for mountain bikers and cross-country skiers. Mountain bikes are not recommended, as large parts of the trails are made of fine, loose sugar sand. The trails are shared by hikers and cyclists, and mountain bikes are not recommended due to the large quantities of sand on the trail.

The trail leads through two different plant communities and is a good opportunity for visitors to get to know the Oscar Scherer Outback. The route is only signposted for foot traffic, no special use is made of the width of this path. You can cycle or cycle from the main parking lot of the park to the hiking trail, but please do not use special uses within the wide width of these paths.

Make sure to visit the Interpretive Nature Center, which is located just behind the picturesque Osprey Lake. The centre presents the park and its dirty, flat forest with a variety of plants and animals, as well as a great view of the lake and the sea.

Dioramas, video screens and touchables brighten the senses and help visitors learn more about the park. To find out if the centre will be open during your visit, call the Ranger Station at 941 - 483 - 5956 and open daily from 10 am to 5 pm.

Pets are not allowed on campsites or recreational areas in the park and you must be well trained and able to keep them on a leash at all times, within six meters of your hand.

For safety reasons, pets are not allowed on rental canoes and may not be left unattended. Pets are also allowed by law, but not on beaches or lakes, and farm animals are welcome in all areas and buildings of the park as required by law.

At Oscar Shearer State Park, camping for pets is possible, but only in the summer months and only on weekends and holidays.

Pets must be kept under the supervision of a park ranger or other qualified animal inspector at all times. Leave a handcuffed pet unattended for no more than 30 minutes or leave it unattended for no more than 30 minutes.

Florida law requires that all pets be vaccinated against rabies, and their owners must pick up their pets and return them to the park for vaccination.

Animals that are noisy, dangerous, intimidating or destructive must not stay in the park and must be locked up.

Animals may not be kept on the grounds of the park and any violation of this rule may result in campers being asked to remove the animal from the park or leave the campsite.

Oscar Scherer State Park is located on the west side of I-75, south of the Indiana State Line. To travel south on I.75, take Exit 200 and head north on Interstate 75, take Exit 195 eastbound and take Exit 195 to the park entrance.