Lake Apopka, Florida 🇺🇸

Part of my Real Florida Guide

Nature and ecotourism are really popular pastimes in Florida right now. So if you love wildlife, conservation projects and taking a walk on the wild side, you’ll love this!

We recently discovered the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive (with thanks to our boat tour guide at Mount Dora) – and honestly, it’s one of the best places that we have visited in Florida!

And guess what – it’s entirely free!

Lake Apopka is at the headwaters of the Harris Chain of Lakes, just east of Orlando. At approximately 48 square miles in size, Lake Apopka is the fourth largest lake in Florida and receives water from spring flow, rainfall and stormwater.

The best drive of your holiday…

The Wildlife Drive is a one-way, 11-mile route that begins at Lust Road and ends on Jones Road in Orange County. Depending on how much you stop, or how many cars you are behind, you’re looking at somewhere between 1 and 3 hours to complete it. That may sound like a long time to travel 11 miles, but it will fly by! In fact, you’ll be sorry when you reach the exit.

Make sure that you stick to the strictly imposed speed limit of 10 mph as this protects you, the wildlife and the hikers, bikers and runners that are also in the area! Some of the roads (especially the canal ones) can narrow quite significantly in parts and the last thing you want to do is drive into a ditch – or knock a cyclist into one for that matter!

There are a several ‘pull over’ areas that give you chance to stop along the drive so that you can get out and have a better look (or eat your packed lunch). It should be noted that there are no cafes or toilets along the route – this is wild Florida, remember – so having a toilet stop before you start the drive and taking your own refreshments is well advised.

So, what can you expect to see along the drive?

Well, for a start – alligators – and blooming hundreds of them! If you’ve read the section of the guide yet that talks about spotting gators on airboat rides, well let’s just say, you don’t have to look nearly as hard here! I stopped counting after 20….

And they are not small gators in Apopka either – many sizing somewhere between 11 and 14 foot long! Take a look at them in my video!

Twitchers rejoice! The Lake Apopka North Shore is widely known for its bird population too, with a reported 369 species seen on the property! This includes storks, falcons, osprey, bald eagles, golden eagles and all manner of herons, hawks and wood warblers.

Other wildlife include turtles, butterflies, bobcats, snakes, coyotes, swamp hares and foxes. We saw a number of turtles, but missed the others.

Don’t forget to respect all wildlife – big and small – these are wild animals and you’re in their habitat. Do not approach or feed any wild animal, which should go without saying.

A number of plant species can also be found in the upland portions of the North Shore drive too. These include Florida bonamia, pygmy fringe tree, scrub buckwheat, Britton’s beargrass, scrub
plum and clasping ware (all federally listed plants).

Opening hours

The drive is only open on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and on federal holidays, due to ongoing restoration and conservation work. The first entrance is usually 07:00 and the last 15:00 (with all visitors out by 17:00). I wouldn’t want you to get there only to find it’s shut!

If you do decide to make the trip to Apopka, let me know how it was by leaving a comments below 👇🏻