Address:
4399 Winter Lake Road
Lakeland
33803
Details:
A portion of the Alligator Alley trail at Circle B Bar Reserve will be closed beginning Friday, July 11, until further notice due to active alligator nesting sites. A portion of the trail was previously closed on June 23 for the same reason.
The trail will be closed to public access at its intersection with the Marsh Rabbit Run and Heron Hideout trails. Visitors can still access the open portion of Alligator Alley up to the dock on Lake Hancock by taking the Shady Oak trail.
Circle B Bar Reserve, on the northwest shore of Lake Hancock, is a former cattle ranch that today boasts a wide variety of plants and animals. You can see several distinct ecosystems in this reserve of 1,267 acres. You’re almost guaranteed to see alligators in Lake Hancock, often considered the headwaters of the Peace River, which flows more than 100 miles from Polk County southwest to the Gulf of Mexico.
Circle B Bar Reserve is a nature reserve; please help protect the resident wildlife by following some basic rules while visiting, which include:
- No pets
- No balloons
- No music
We want everyone to enjoy what nature has to offer on its own.
Polk County and the Southwest Florida Water Management District acquired Circle B Bar Reserve in December 2000 to protect the valuable water and wildlife resources and to restore the Banana Creek marsh system.
Hours:
Monday through Sunday
6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. (Standard Time)
5:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Daylight Savings Time)
Gallery:
It is important to note some trails may be periodically closed on any environmental land site for management and safety reasons. For a location map and additional information on Polk County Environmental lands, visit polknature.com. Those interested in obtaining additional information on trail closures should contact the Polk County Parks and Natural Resources Division at 863-668-4673.
Map: