Going Dark at Kissimmee Prairie Preserve

There are times when everyone needs to escape the hustle and bustle of life. For nature enthusiasts who long to get away, I recommend camping for a few nights at Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park. Located outside of Yeehaw Junction, the park is five miles from the middle of nowhere. Since the phone signal is weak,  you have a really good excuse to not return any texts, calls, or emails. It’s the perfect opportunity to “go dark.”

The preserve protects 54,000 acres of Florida’s dry prairie. Looking out over the sweeping vistas of grassland, I’m reminded of the great plains of the Midwest. In the late 1800’s Florida cowboys, known as crackers, drove herds of cattle through here to markets on the  coast. This rare prairie ecosystem hosts an abundance of wildflowers, birds, and animals.  During our stay, my husband, Herb took some amazing wildlife photos.

 

 

Few roads exist in the preserve, but there are one hundred miles of multi-use trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding.  Visitors can access remote areas of the park on the prairie buggy tour. These tours are conducted during the fall and winter seasons, when the park is more populated. We took the last tour offered on March 31.  Our guide explained that in Florida an extra inch or two of elevation creates the right environment to establish a hammock of palms or oak trees.

And of course, lower, marshy land makes a great home for Great Blue Herons and everyday alligators.

 

When we parked our trailer at campsite five, we noticed a familiar RV at site four. We were surprised to discover our neighbor was someone we camped next to at Highlands Hammock in January. John is a snowbird from Traverse City, Michigan. This winter he camped at numerous parks throughout Florida to escape the ice and snow of the frigid north. His wife Vicki recently joined him for a few weeks. She spent the winter at their home in Michigan. As a quilter, Vicki finds it difficult to work in a trailer. Kissimmee Prairie Preserve is their favorite place to camp. They love it because it’s quiet. With no interstates or airports nearby, one doesn’t hear any traffic.

We met another interesting camper during this trip. Amanda Kincaid pitched her tent before nightfall at site one.

A long distance hiker, Amanda started her trek on March 10. She’s walking from Gainesville to Big Cypress, near the Everglades. By the time she arrived at Kissimmee Prairie Preserve she hiked three hundred fifty miles. She has two hundred miles to go on the Florida Trail to reach her goal. I offered Amanda a cup of coffee which she gladly accepted. She shared that she began backpacking with her dad about five years ago. Her experiences on the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail were cut short at four hundred miles due to injuries. This time she has high hopes of reaching her goal.

Amanda is a member of Trail Angels, an organization that offers advice and provisions to hikers along the trail. She must plan carefully to have access to safe drinking water. Amanda averages between fifteen to twenty miles a day. With spring temperatures climbing, hydration is an issue. The Trail Angels place bottled water at locations she will pass  through.  Even with all of the hardships, Amanda loves backpacking and meeting people.

When the sun goes down, the stars come out at the preserve which is known for it’s “dark skies.” A section of the park is designated as the “red light district.” Here only red lights are used by campers, and no campfires are permitted. There is little or no light pollution at Kissimmee Prairie Preserve and stargazing is superb.

Of course no one can douse the moonlight.