Myakka Wildlife Tours: Tram Safari

Sarasota, Florida: Hop aboard a safari tram for a trip into the wilderness of Myakka River State Park. Learn about the history, ecosystems and residents that make up one of Florida’s last few remaining true wilderness experiences.

The one hour tram rides takes you into some of the backcountry of the park. You depart the paved road at the Power Line Trail and begin your off-road adventure. Here you will travel along the old rail bed that was once a main line into Sarasota. It is along here that you witness first hand the importance of prescribed burning on maintaining the growth of plants. It is hard to believe that at one time, this thick field was once a vast wide open prairie.

As you turn onto the next trail, the ecosystem continues to change. Gone are the wet floodplains of the river. We are now in an ecosystem of pine trees, oak trees and the animals that call this area home. This is the part of Florida that was the hunting ground for the Florida Native American tribes.

The final leg of the tour goes through Ranch House Road. This was once the stretch of land where Sarasota pioneer Bertha Palmer had her two story ranch house. Palmer is influential in the early pioneer days of what is now Sarasota County. Her vast cattle farm was based here. While the original home is no longer here, there are foundation remnants that show where the house once stood.

As you exit Ranch House Road, you are back on the main park drive and at the conclusion to the tour. Myakka Wildlife Tours also operates a one hour airboat tour along the Upper Manatee Lake if you wish to resume your day via an escorted tour. Otherwise you are free to explore the park on any of the parks many wonderful tours.

Click on the photo above to view photos from Myakka State Park.

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