Circle B Bar Reserve is named after a cattle ranch that once existed on the 1,267-acres. Purchased to protect the floodplain of Lake Hancock and to restore the Banana Creek marsh system, it also offers large natural communities of oak hammocks and various forested wetlands in the northeast corner of the property. Lake Hancock, Polk County’s 4th largest lake, sits at the headwaters of the Peace River.
THINGS TO SEE: While hiking the trails, you may see a variety of birds, including sandhill cranes, bald eagles, wood storks, great blue herons and many other wading birds, as well as vistas across Lake Hancock and Banana Creek Marsh. Take a walk along the banks of Lake Hancock and you will see many alligators.
POLK’S NATURE DISCOVERY CENTER provides information and many discovery opportunities about the unique water, wildlife and wilderness resources, as well as the associated cultural heritage and nature-based recreation opportunities on environmental lands in Polk County. The Nature Discovery Center includes picnic pavilions, wildlife observation viewing platforms, boardwalks and multi-use trails. The Discovery Center is open Tuesday - Saturday from 9:00am to 4:00pm and Sunday from 12:00pm to 4:00pm.
The Reserve is open daily, year-round, from 6:00am to 6:30pm Standard Time and until 8:00pm during Daylight Savings Time. Dogs are not permitted on the property.
Cache is placed with permission from Tabitha Biehl, Land & Water Natural Areas Manager at Polk County BoCC.
HIKE: 1.3 miles round trip
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 hand drawn artwork are acceptable or if you do not have your own stamp, you can just sign the log. DO NOT TAKE THE STAMP WITH YOU; IT IS NOT A TRADE ITEM!!!
This geocache is a part of the Trek Ten Trails 2022-2023 program. Participation in that program, while a lot of fun, is not required to log this cache.
New validation game cards that participants stamp are available at various locations and are listed on the Friends of the Parks website and OUTPOST 27 CACHE. Trek Ten Trails 2022-2023 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.