This 525-acre property was purchased by Polk County in 1997. Crooked Lake is designated as an Outstanding Florida Water. Much of the land is open with little shade. Prickly pear cactus is abundant on the property and care must be taken when hiking. The Prairie contains a variety of habitats, including wet and dry prairie, pine flatwoods, marsh, lakeshore and oak scrub. Wildlife that may be observed include bald eagles, deer, gopher tortoises, Florida scrub jays and an array of wading and migratory birds. Do sign in at the information board in the parking lot near the trailhead, and note that you're there to geocache.
Polk County's Environmental Lands Program is receptive to caching. Signing in shows that you appreciate this. Please be respectful of this property, its vegetation & wildlife.
For centuries, the only people who fished Crooked Lake were the American Indians. Over the years, archaeologists have found canoes in Crooked Lake that pre-date Columbus' arrival to the New World. Similar canoes are displayed at The Depot Museum in Lake Wales. Upland resources include 130 acres of scrub on the Lake Wales Ridge, a globally imperiled ecosystem. Previous owners used the property to grow a variety of crops, including tomatoes and pineapples, and as grazing land for cattle. At one time, there was a nine-hole golf course on the north part of the property
Watch out for cactus!
This is a Letterbox Hybrid cache. For anyone not familiar with Letterboxing there is a log in the cache for you to sign and stamp (with your stamp), then you stamp your own log or paper (with stamp that is in the cache). If you do not have your own stamp, then stickers or handrawn artwork is acceptable or if you do not have your own stamp, you can just sign the log. DO NOT TAKE STAMP WITH YOU; IT IS NOT A TRADE ITEM!!!
This geocache is a part of the Trek Ten Trails 2019-2020 program. Participation in that program, while a lot of fun, is not required to log this cache here.
New validation game cards, which participants stamp are available at various locations and are listed on the Friends of the Parks website and OUTPOST 27 CACHE. Trek Ten Trails 2019-2020 program maps, game cards and other information about each of the featured nature trails may be downloaded from the Friends of the Parks website. Check out our Profile for more details.
