Myakka River State Park: Biking and Camping
Myakka River State Park is located just east of Sarasota, this huge 58-square-mile park (37,120 acres) is a haven for road, mountain bikers, bass fishermen, and photographers, offering beautiful landscapes, lots of wildlife, and countless ways to enjoy yourself outdoors. On our past visit, we brought our Thor Compass and hit the park’s biking trails.
The park offers three well-maintained campgrounds with large sites perfect for RVs, tents, or in our case, our trusty camper van. We parked under a shady canopy of live oaks draped in Spanish moss, giving us a comfortable, secluded vibe while still having easy access to amenities like clean restrooms, electricity, and water hookups.
Our Compass is our home away from home, equipped with all the essentials: A/C, heat, comfortable, bed, kitchen, head, inside and outside hot showers, grill, TV, and plenty of storage for our bikes and gear. Having everything self-contained meant we could relax, recharge, and even watch the Super Bowl after a long day exploring the park.
This Park is a biker’s paradise with an extensive network of trails ranging from easy paved routes to more rugged off-road paths. Whether you’re a casual rider or a seasoned mountain biker, there’s something for everyone on and off the pavement.
Our favorites are the Myakka Island Trail, a multi-use path stretching over 12 miles. It winds through open prairies, hammocks, wetlands, and the Powerline Trail. The scenery is beautiful, with sweeping prairies dotted with wildflowers and occasional glimpses of deer, wild turkeys, wild hogs, and gators along the riverbanks. The ‘weir’ is also another great spot and so is the food truck located by the canoe rentals and boat ramp.
Although we have yet to fish there, the fishing in Lake Myakka, located within the Park is for anglers seeking a mix of tranquility, terror, and excitement. Spanning approximately 2,300 acres, the shallow, fishy-looking lake is an integral part of the Myakka River, one of Florida’s designated Wild and Scenic Rivers – and loaded with large gators, and I mean loaded. Aside from the gators The lake is well-known for its largemouth bass fishing.
Speaking of wildlife, Myakka River State Park is full of it; countless birds, including herons, egrets, wood storks, sandhill cranes, whooping cranes, ospreys, and even caracaras. The park is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail, making it a hotspot for birdwatchers. Take a break from biking and visit the Canopy Walkway. This elevated bridge gives you a view of the forest and surrounding wetlands.
Camping and biking in Myakka River State Park is excellent – one of our favorites. The quiet, peaceful campgrounds, the river, the lake, and miles of biking trails, without vehicles, make it one of our favorite trips in Florida.