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 Thursday afternoon to Monday morning. Some sections
of the range may be closed due to military activities. For details
check the recreation
schedule on the Avon
Park AFS website or call (863) 452-4119 ext. 5 and listen to
the recorded message.
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
For up-to-date information on regulations and current hunting schedules
go to the Avon Park
AFR website.
| Hunting Schedule 2012 - 2013 |
| Archery |
Sep. 15 - Oct. 14 |
| Muzzle Gun |
Oct. 20 - 29 |
| General Gun - Deer |
Nov. 3 - Dec. 3 |
| General Gun - Hog |
Nov. 3 - Dec. 24 |
| Small Game |
Dec. 28 - Mar. 3 |
| Spring Turkey |
Mar. 9 - 10, 16 - 21 |
Maps
GPS Data
Local Weather
Trail 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
- Outdoor Recreation Office
Building 600
Avon Park Air Force Range, FL 33825
Phone: (863) 452-4254
Voice Recording: (863) 452-4119 ext 5
Website: http://www.avonparkafr.net
More Pictures
Links
Last
updated on 13-Sep-2012
