Lake Louisa State Park

ABOUT THIS PLACE

Five named lakes sit inside it, Lake Louisa, Hammond, Dixie, Dude and Bear, with smaller ones besides, and Lake Louisa itself is where the Palatlakaha River starts. The ground is rolling by Florida standards, sand hills dropping to water, with bald cypress, live oak and saw palmetto through it. There are twenty miles of hiking trail and sixteen miles of equestrian trail, plus a nature trail of half a mile for people who want the short version, and a primitive equestrian campground for riders who bring their own horses. Being at the head of the Green Swamp matters beyond the scenery: this is recharge ground for the Floridan aquifer, and what falls here ends up in wells a long way south. The gate opens at eight in the morning and closes at sundown, all year. Orlando and the theme parks are close enough that people use this park as the quiet half of a trip