Photograph the wildlife at Circle B Ranch BRING FRIENDS & FAMILY EVENT

Meet at the park at 7:00 AM or Call to car pool. Leaving "Diva Central" 5140 New Savannah Circle, Wesley Chapel around 6:00 AM.

Ok to bring the family or a friends as the park is to good not to share!

This event CAN be repeated on a Sat or Sun if there is an interest. Please let me know (with dates) so I can add it to our calendar.

Location: Lakeland - Length: 3.5 miles (up to 6 miles possible) - Type: loops

Fees / Permits: none - Difficulty: easy to moderate
Bug factor: moderate to annoying - Restroom: At the Nature Discovery Center, plus portable toilets for when the center is closed on Mondays.

Open 5 AM – 8:30 PM. Dogs are not permitted, with good reason – gator bait! Bicycles are permitted on any of the trails, although I wouldn’t risk riding one down Alligator Alley myself. Numerous benches are available along the trails.

Be very, very, very watchful of small children along the causeway trails through the swamps and do not let them anywhere near the water. They’ll love the Nature Discovery Center, with its treehouse to climb and fox den to burrow into. The center is open Tue-Sat 9-4 and Sun 12-4.

Directions - From Interstate 4, take the Polk Parkway (east or west) to SR 540 (Winter Lake Road). Follow it west. It zigzags and makes a turn near the municipal dump before entering a tunnel of forests and swamps. Watch for the park entrance on the left. For my hike, I parked at a picnic spot directly inside the gate, but if you want to skip that section of the Shady Oak Trail (0.7 mile each way), keep driving and you can park near the Nature Discovery Center, from which the trail system radiates.

History of Circle B Bar Reserve As one of Central Florida's best places to enjoy our great weather while birding, hiking or searching for alligators, Circle B offers six miles of marked trails throughout the 1,267-acre preserve.

There was a time when cattle and cowboys roamed Circle B Bar Reserve, but what was once a functioning cattle ranch is now recognized by USA Today Travel as one of the 51 Great Places to See Wildlife.

It is considered one of the best places for birding during a Central Florida vacation as a result of the Banana Creek marsh system. Don’t visit the reserve without your camera; your Instagram followers will thank you.

Remnants of the cattle ranch days, such as pens and barns, still remain on the property and serve as a rustic backdrop for many a family and senior portraits.

Birding at Circle B Don’t forget your logbook and binoculars - it’s nothing to spot an osprey feeding its young, eagle soaring, or Anhinga dive-bombing a fish when out and about at Circle B Bar Reserve. The 1,267-acre property features several diverse Central Florida habitats including freshwater marshes, hardwood swamps, oak hammocks, creeks and lakes, which are home to a wide variety of ducks, shorebirds, wading birds, native and migrant land birds, ospreys, bald eagles, and to more than 45-species of butterflies. Tram Tours of Circle B

There is no shame in not having the desire to hike the beautiful, wilderness of Circle B Bar Reserve during your Central Florida vacation. Whether it be a physical disability, the summer heat, or the day after your trip, Circle B has an option for visitors who want to take it easy: free tram tours. Yep, you can sit while a staff member discusses the unique habitats you encounter, and still get ample wildlife sightings and photo opportunities. As a bonus, the moving tram provides a gentle breeze that is oh, so relaxing.

Call 863-668-4673 ext. 205 for the tram tour schedule. Nature Discovery Center at Circle B Bar Reserve

Polk Nature Discovery Center Circle B Bar Reserve isn’t your run-of-the-mill reserve. The air-conditioned Polk Nature Discovery Center is loaded with a life-size ecosystem and animal reproductions that entertain, educate, and engage young minds.

The Discovery Center is also the hub for information about the preserve. Stop in for trail maps and information about the best wildlife viewing areas before heading out for your adventure, and you'll be sure to impress your friends and family.

Important Note: Circle B Bar Reserve is a nature reserve. Please help protect the resident wildlife by following some basic rules while visiting. NO pets, NO Balloons and NO Music. Enjoy what nature has to offer on its own.