The 1,147 acre site was acquired as a gopher tortoise mitigation park under the FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Habitat Program. The property serves to manage the habitat important to the protection of listed wildlife, contribute to attainment of goals of the FWC’s Gopher Tortoise Management Plan, and assist completion of the Lake Wales Ridge Ecosystem Florida Forever Project. The WEA also lies within the Crooked Lake Unit of the Lake Wales Ridge Ecosystem Florida Forever Project.
THINGS TO SEE: The WEA boasts 13 different natural communities including uplands such as dry prairies, upland mixed forest and scrubs, as well as wetland communities lie basin marsh and cypress swamps. It is home to two imperiled plant species, cutthroat grass and Britton’s beargrass, as well as several imperiled animal species including the gopher tortoise, wood stork, and sandhill crane.
The park is open 8:00am to sunset, 365 days a year. Please note that dogs are not permitted on the property.
Cache is placed with permission from Tom Matthews, Public Access Planner for FWC.
Permit # GEO-53609
HIKE: 1.6 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.