The Greater Kissimmee Prairie includes the Kissimmee River basin, the Butler Chain of Lakes, the upper Kissimmee Chain of Lakes, the Alligator Chain and the lower Kissimmee Chain of Lakes, combined with the Osceola Plain encompasses an area of approximately 4 million acres. It stretches across Central Florida from the Atlantic Ocean westward to the backbone of the state known as the Lake Wales Ridge. State Route 27 extends north and south along this ridge. The watershed continues from Orlando in the north to the area of State Route 60 in the south.

WHERE TO GO…

· Shingle Creek is a beautiful, canopied waterway flowing south to Lake Tohopekaliga. Airboat Rental U-Drive, located along Hwy 192 in Kissimmee is the ideal location to begin your exploration. Take your own canoe or kayak or rent a canoe or airboat to experience the winding, deepwater creek. Call 407-847-3672.

· The Nature Conservancy’s Disney Wilderness Preserve is a 12,000-acre restoration and mitigation site located in Poinciana. Hiking trails through pine flatwoods and oak hammocks and a boardwalk into a hardwood hammock to an overlook of Lake Russell are highlights. Call 407-935-0000.

· For an exhilarating experience, discover central Florida on an airboat. Boggy Creek Airboats offers day and night group rides on East Lake Toho and Boggy Creek. They also offer swamp buggy tours to see wildlife while exploring a working cattle ranch south of Kissimmee. www.boggycreekairboats.com .

· Forever Florida near Holopaw is truly a hidden gem. Offering diverse wildlife, interpretive buggy tours, hiking trails, horseback riding and a full-service restaurant, this 1,300-acre private preserve is a must for family outings. Call 407-957-9794.

· The more than 60,000 acres of Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area is a great destination. Sunset Ranch Interpretive Trail (a designated no hunting area) leads to an overlook on Lake Jackson. For information and directions, contact the regional FFWCC office at 352-732-1255.