Manager's Message Myakka River State Park needs volunteers to help out in Myakka Friends Gallery & Gifts, to work on the Friends web page, and to help with the Friends newsletter. Our AmeriCorps Ranger is also looking for teen volunteers to help out with land management projects in the wilds of the park. - Jon Robinson, Park Manager Welcome to Myakka River State Park One of the oldest and largest state parks, Myakka protects one of the state´s most diverse natural areas. The Myakka River, designated as a Florida Wild and Scenic River, flows through 58 square miles of wetlands, prairies, hammocks, and pinelands. Visitors can enjoy wildlife viewing from a boardwalk that stretches out over the Upper Myakka Lake, then take to the treetops with a stroll along the canopy walkway. The park´s river and two lakes provide ample opportunities for boating, freshwater fishing, canoeing, and kayaking; a boat ramp provides access to Upper Myakka Lake. Hikers can explore trails that cross large expanses of rare Florida dry prairie. Scenic lake tours are offered daily on the world´s two largest airboats. Safari tram tours of the park´s backcountry are offered from mid-December through May. Full-facility campgrounds and primitive campsites are available. Five palm log cabins, built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, have been modernized for comfortable lodging. Located nine miles east of Sarasota on State Road 72. Contact the Florida Park Service Information Center for general inquiries. For Information about Myakka River State Park, please call 941-361-6511.