Oscar Scherer State Park: Tram Tour

Osprey, Florida: On select days, Oscar Scherer State Park operates a tram tour, taking guest on a ride through the park to take a closer look at some of the hidden gems. At 1,500 acres and 15 miles of trail, its hard to see it all but the tram makes it easier to take a look into park.

Today we decided to take a ride on the tram. We have been to Oscar Scherer on many occasions in the past. We have hiked the trail and the camped at the campground, but today we were going to get a guided tour of the park. We have taken these guided tours before at Myakka River and Higland Hammocks State Parks and they are a great way to get an inside look into the park.  The rangers do a great job telling the story of the park and its residents.

The tour begins at the Nature Center where you board the tram. From there the tour departed for the Green Trail. Ironically enough, we just completed hiking a portion of the Green Trail waiting for the tram tour to begin. But there is a much different experience when you are being led by a ranger and being able to ride and not have to hike.

The first stop of the tour was at the Eagle Nest along the trail. Due to federal regulations, we had to watch the nest from a distance. The nest is occupied by a nesting pair of eagles and two off-spring. Also flying nearby were two juvenile eagles from a previous year’s hatching.

Our next stop was in the middle of the scrubby flatwoods where we observed a group of Florida Scrub Jays. Because of development, the Scrub Jay population is listed as vulnerable. Oscar Scherer is one of the few places where you can see large numbers of these colorful native Floridians.

On the way back to the Nature Center we even saw a very photogenic Gopher Tortoise. In all we got to see bald eagles, scrub jays, a wood stork, warblers, black vultures, turkey vultures and the gopher tortoise.

The tram tour is operated on select days at Oscar Scherer State Park and it costs $5.

Click on the photo above to view my Oscar Scherer State Park photo gallery.

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