Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
Outdoors<br />
A<br />
high quality of life enjoyed are all on private property or part of<br />
in the Greater <strong>Sebring</strong> government lands. The biggest is the<br />
area and all of Highlands Avon Park Bombing Range, northeast<br />
of Avon Park (actually in Polk<br />
County is due, in part, to the seemingly<br />
endless opportunities for recreational<br />
activities. The mild climate lation, the Range boasts 106,000<br />
County). An active military instal-<br />
invites residents and visitors to enjoy acres, giving plenty of room for military<br />
maneuvers and hunting camps<br />
a wide variety of outdoor activities<br />
on a year-round basis.<br />
to co-exist. The Range annually gives<br />
out passes to hunt deer, turkey, hogs<br />
and quail and is also a great place for<br />
camping and fishing.<br />
The county has numerous lakes —<br />
more than 100 in all, but 87 with<br />
names — most with access for fishing,<br />
boating, swimming, water skiing<br />
and newer trends such as tubing.<br />
Famed for its largemouth bass fishing,<br />
sprawling Lake Istokpoga is just<br />
south of the <strong>Sebring</strong> area and boasts<br />
several fish camps and numerous<br />
fishing guides.<br />
<strong>Sebring</strong>’s gem is Lake Jackson, which<br />
is also known for its share of big<br />
bass. City owned and maintained<br />
beaches on Lake Jackson are popular<br />
spots for family recreation. Arbuckle<br />
Creek to the north and the Kissimmee<br />
River to the east, along with 19<br />
county parks and 44 county-maintained<br />
boat ramps, provide residents<br />
and guests with diverse opportunities<br />
to enjoy water sports.<br />
Besides golf, fishing may be the<br />
biggest draw to the <strong>Sebring</strong> area.<br />
Largemouth bass are the most<br />
popular target, but our lakes, ponds<br />
and creeks, as well as the Kissimmee<br />
River, are teeming with all kinds<br />
of fish. Crappies (locals call them<br />
specks) are the most popular panfish<br />
sought by anglers and almost every<br />
body of water has a catfish or two<br />
swimming in it.<br />
Hunters also have plenty of opportunities,<br />
although the hunting sites<br />
24 Welcome to <strong>Sebring</strong><br />
Highlands Hammock State Park<br />
features exciting and informative<br />
hiking trails and boardwalks — some<br />
of which are wheelchair accessible.<br />
The state park — the first in Florida<br />
— covers 9,000-plus acres and offers<br />
camping and picnic areas, as well as<br />
miles of walking and biking trails<br />
and narrated tram tours through<br />
miles of well-preserved wilderness.<br />
Birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts<br />
will be pleased with the abundance<br />
of opportunities in the area. The<br />
Great Florida Birding Trail runs<br />
through the county and in our parks<br />
and wildlands, residents and visitors<br />
can see alligators, deer, otters,<br />
armadillos, bears, dozens of varieties<br />
of birds, as well as other wildlife.<br />
In and around <strong>Sebring</strong> and Highlands<br />
County, observers can see the<br />
endangered Florida scrub jay, along<br />
with the swallow-tail kite, sandhill<br />
crane, osprey and bald eagle.<br />
South Florida State College’s Wayside<br />
Shrine Trail offers a walk<br />
through a patch of the scrub, with<br />
signposts pointing out some of the<br />
unique plants along the way. You<br />
can also bike and hike the trails in<br />
the Preserve area of the Sun ’n Lake<br />
Improvement District.<br />
Highlands Hammock<br />
State Park<br />
Kile Brewer
Change language