Lake Wales Ridge Wildlife and Environmental Area - Lake Placid Scrub 5339 Placid View Drive, Lake Placid, FL 33852

"An amazing place to see scrub and adjacent ecotones! We’ve spotted a lot of endemic species here! Keep in mind that the bridge to cross into the deeper scrub has been demolished and is no longer cross able. Additionally, the scrub has recently been burned, so don’t expect it to be as dense…it will return! The spider pictured is the Lake Placid Funnel Wolf Spider (Sosippus placidus)."

"Beautiful scrub trails. Plenty of wildlife tracks. Tough hiking in the sand. Lookout tower closed - disappointing. Trail not maintained by the lake so couldn't go through. But it was a good hike for exercise. We came across at least 3 armadillos."

"Nice hiking trails. Been here several times so far and really enjoy it."

"Very nice sandy trails, scrub vegetation, and even a few bald eagles."

"The Lake Placid Scrub Tract is a beautiful example of the Lake Wales Ridge, encompassing many different scrub habitats. The preserve has a viewing tower on top of a tall sand hill and a trail skirts part of the shore of Lake Placid. There is a map on the kiosk of the trails but no paper ones at the times we visited. Be aware that it can be confusing hiking here since there are trails and fire breaks that are not on the map. It may be a good idea to take a photo of the map and consult Google Maps before you visit. There are no bathrooms or picnic tables so bring a compass and plenty of water."