MYAKKA RIVER STATE PARK, Fla. — Old Florida still exists for travelers who are willing to veer a bit off the interstate and away from the beach resorts, marina restaurants and city lights. One of ...

Step aboard either the Gator Gal or the Myakka Maiden, the world’s two largest passenger airboats, for a one-hour cruise round the Upper Myakka Lake. You’ll spot plenty of gators and wading birds, and ...

It’s barely 8 a.m., and the sting of disappointment has already deflated whatever high spirits we woke up with. The ranger says this year’s El Niño, a periodic weather event that can disrupt an area’s ...

Visiting a Florida state park is the perfect getaway. For this nature-loving day trip, I chose Myakka River State Park in Sarasota County on the west side of Florida. As you enter the park’s dense ...

Myakka River State Park draws tourists from all over the world to ogle alligators sunning on its riverbanks. But now, visitors peering down into the coffee-colored waters can sometimes get a bonus, a ...

Hankering to visit a Florida state park? Give in to the urge. Our state parks promise to show the real Florida, and generally deliver on that promise. I’ve found the real magic often kicks in when I’m ...

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Alligators sunning is a common site in Florida but not usually by dozens. There is one place at a lake in Myakka River State Park in Sarasota County. Only 30 people make it through ...

SARASOTA, Fla. - This gator decided to act as the gatekeeper to one local state park. Michelle Riddle captured photos of the large alligator laying down in the middle of the road in Myakka River State ...

SARASOTA HAS LONG BEEN DEFINED by its ultra-white sandy beaches and glittering sunsets. But just nine miles east of I-75, you’ll find an environment just as beautiful, an enormous swath of primal ...

When most people think of the Sarasota, Florida area, beaches usually come to mind—the beautiful white-sand variety, lined with warm, clear water. Most visitors don’t explore beyond the shore—or their ...

Visiting a Florida state park is the perfect getaway. For this nature-loving day trip, I chose Myakka River State Park in Sarasota County on the west side of Florida. As you enter the park’s dense ...

Visiting a Florida state park is the perfect getaway. For this nature-loving day trip, I chose Myakka River State Park in Sarasota County on the west side of Florida. As you enter the park’s dense ...