Oscar Sherer SP

Birding / Hiking / Adventuring Roadtrip Info

ROUGH DRAFT

Andrew Thoreson
Jan 2019

What's It Like
Kind of Birds
Wildlife
Ammenities
Time Needs
Experience

Typical view [?]

Photo Galleries

Typical View (15)

Snapshots! (3)

GRADES: Click each for info, = Note*
How Big	Not Rated
Importance	Not Rated
Revisit?	B
Birding	C *
Wildlife	C *
Summer Heat	F
Terrain	B
Fun Hike	Not Rated
Maintained	A
Mosquitos	B *
Biting Files	A *
Ticks	B

NOTE: C+ B-, much more than expected.

NOTE: Good for the size but not part of larger wilderness

NOTE: Mosquittos like shade - not much here.

NOTE: Possible but saw none.

LOCATION: Accuracy: Read me

On Big Map: Click map (or on google maps). Address: 1843 S. Tamiami Trail, Osprey, FL, Sarasota, USA, 34229

5 CLOSEST (Map)

Miles	Location
7.1	Venice Fishing Pier
8	Myakka River SP
9.9	Lake Palmer Area
10.4	Pinecraft Park
10.5	Celery Fields

OFFICIAL INFO:

It's hard to believe since it's so close to/in Sarasota but it's 1400 acres with ~11 miles of trails. I haven't hiked most of it but it's generally scrubby or dry pine forest. Short trails by entrance are hardwoods. There's a sort of artificial spring that's safe to swim in.

2) Kinds of Birds

Florida Scrub Jays are here though I didn't see any. The terrain made me expect not to see much but ended up being wrong - northern flicker, hawks, various forest birds here and there.

3) Wildlife

We saw six lined race runners and deer tracks - so not bad.

4) Amenities

Typical smaller state park amenities.

5) Time Requirements

You could spend all day here or zip in for 15 minutes and head back to Sarasota.

Experience

We stopped in summer so we were limited in how much we could hike - very hot scrubby sandy trails. The seem like many of these lake-wales-ridge type environments with six lined race runners, lots of sand, very hot and dry.

The lake at the end of the entrance road,lake osprey, is interesting. You don't see people swimming in lakes very often in Florida because microorganisms in them can kill you. I don't know how likely because people used to swim here but it does happen. This lake however is fed with aquifer water (so an artificial spring) and aerators (mixes air into the water) help kill off the bad stuff with oxygen. Other than Warm Mineral Springs in Northport (bit further south) springs in Florida end around Tampa.

Would definitely like to see more of this park as winter kicks in!

Myakka River State Park is not far and is incredible - that's probably why we keep missing coming back here.

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