Like all my posts, I guess I have to start by saying Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive is amazing. It’s hard because all the things you can do in Florida are amazing. There is something for everyone but if you love wildlife and nature you’ll find the loop trail amazing! Best of all its completely free!
In the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive tour, you can see alligators, snakes, wild cats, brown bears, turtles as well as a wild range of birds and other wildlife. How cool is that?!
The drive (which you can also walk or cycle is around 15 miles long, so anticipate that if you get caught up looking at the wildlife and trying to spot various inhabitants that the whole drive should take you between 1-2 hours.
I’ve seen some information that suggests the Wildlife Drive is open 24 hours but this was not our experience and the gates were locked when we tried to go on Thursday. This sign is from Deb Campbell Photography.
No, you do have to keep your eyes peeled as you can easily miss the creatures hidden all around you. A few early spots will get your party excited and before you know it you’ve got people looking left and right trying to spot all manner of things. Keep in mind that the Loop is only open Friday through Sunday.
Who is Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive suitable for?
Earlier this year we did the drive with our 4-year-old, a 13-year-old and an 8-year-old and they all loved it, as did the mums and us dads so it was a really pleasant experience for all of us. We love Disney and Universal but the Wildlife Drive is just something a bit different and really makes you feel like you’re seeing the real Florida.
It takes around 30-45 minutes to get there depending on which part of Orlando you are traveling from and you can go via toll roads to make it a bit quicker.
Well, there is not much more to say. I hope that you enjoy it as much as we all did and I hope you’re lucky enough to see a wild cat or a brown bear, unfortunately, these have eluded us so far, maybe next year.
If you enjoyed this overview why not have a look at our guide to Orlando Lake Tours.
Thank you for reading my article on Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive.