The Wandering Disciple

A family of baby gators hitch a ride on their mama's back as swims across a stream at Highlands Hammocks State Park. It is a tough life for a baby gator. On average, gators lay 38 eggs in one clutch. Of the 38, only about 24 will hatch. About 10 of them will survive the first year and by the time they reach adult, the clutch is down to about 8.  This family of gators was found in a stream along the main park road at Highlands Hammock State Park near Sebring. Established in 1937, the park predates the Florida State Park system and is a product of the Civilian Conservation Corps. The park features a three mile scenic drive as well as nine hiking trails that traverses unique Florida ecosystems.  Taken: February 27, 2011 at Highlands Hammock State Park (Sebring, FL)

When you think of recognizable trees most people think of icons like the tall redwoods and the expansive banyan, but the cypress tree is just as majestic. The centerpiece of the cypress swamp, the cypress tree towers from the the water and provides a canopy over the swamp. One place to see these trees in all their glory is the Cypress Swamp Trail at Highland Hammocks State Park outside of Sebring. The twenty minute walk takes you through the heart of a cypress swamp. (Photo: February 28, 2016)

A mama gator gives her bay a piggy-back ride through the swamp at Highlands Hammock State Park outside of Sebring. The care provided by a momma gator is pretty intensive for the animal world, especially when it comes to reptiles. Mom's care begins from in the egg up until a year after being born. The young gators can be heard vocalizing for mom right before they hatch and then they form pods and stick with mom until they are large enough to fend for themselves at around a year old. (Photo: February 27, 2011)

The large oak tree that marks the beginning of the Richard Leiber trail at Highlands Hammock State Park is believed to be the oldest living thing in the park. History books date this oak as being over 1,000 years old. While it is no longer growing green leaves, the park has gone through great conservation efforts to ensure that this natural wonder is available for visitors to observe for years to come. (Photo: February 28, 2016)

Large strands of cypress trees rise above the swamp, touching the skies and providing a majestic sight.  The Cypress Swamp trail at Highlands Hammock State Park takes hikers on a trip through these large trees on a boardwalk elevated above the swamp.  (Photo: February 28, 2016)

Cypress trees tower out of the Bald swamp at Highland Hammocks State Park. There are several miles of hiking trails to take park guests into the 9,000 acre state park. (Photo: Febrary 26, 2011)

Cypress trees rise out of the swamp at Highlands Hammock State Park.  The popular Cypress Swamp trail is one of several hiking trails in the park and provides great views into the swamp. (Photo: February 26, 2011)

A mother and baby American Alligator enjoy the cool waters at Highland Hammocks State Park. The alligators aren't the only ones to call the park home, the park is also home to many other animals such as bobcats, Florida Panther, black bears, owls, hawks, Florida Scrub Jay and many more. The 9,000 acre park opened in 1931 was one of the state’s first parks. (Photo: February 27, 2011)

A group of baby gators huddle together at Highlands Hammock State Park. Highlands Hammock State Park is a 9,000 acre state park in Sebring, Florida. The park opened in 1931 and is one of Florida's original state parks. (Photo: February 26, 2011)

Sebring, Florida: A short drive outside of downtown Sebring will take you to a place that will make you feel like you are in the middle of the wilderness. With over 9,000 acres of native vegetation, Highlands Hammock State Park is a haven for those looking for an escape to the great outdoors. Created in 1931, the park is an early example of nature conservation. During this time, the agriculture industry was at its peak and expanding rapidly. As the farms started inching closer towards the hammock, a grass roots effort to save the hammock led by Margaret Roebling began. As a result, the citizens group purchased the property in hopes to have it become a national park. Although it never became a national park, it became one of the original Florida State Parks in 1935 when the state park system was created. During the Great Depression, the Civilian Conservation Corps were assigned to the park and helped to develop the park into much of what visitors see today when they tour the park. They...

Sebring, Florida: With the baseball season fast approaching and the heat and humidity starting to return to Florida, we decided to squeeze in one more camping trip. We have been watching Highland Hammocks State Park for availability and it has been booked each time we checked. However when we returned home from our last trip to Lake Manatee, we checked the website and were lucky enough to learn that a spot had become available at Highlands, so we quickly booked it. So within a month, we went from never going camping to going back-to-back weekends. Although Highland Hammocks is a pet friendly campground, we decided to board the dogs for the weekend so we could enjoy some of the parts of the part that were restricted to the dogs like the boardwalks and tram tour. So after we dropped the dogs off at the kennel, we hit the road towards Sebring. Sebring is located about an 80 mile drive north east of our home in North Port. But to make the trip a little more interesting, we tried to s...