Emeralda Marsh Conservation Area — Attraction in Lady Lake

Pleasant small Fish and Wildlife conservation area. The trail on the north side looks nice and has shady parking. The boat ramps at area 3 are small and probably mostly for paddle craft. There is motor boat access from Lake Griffin. It was very windy the morning I fished there and I didn't have much luck. The bird life is abundant. There is a trail to the south from the boat ramps that leads to a covered fishing and viewing area. There is also a self-guided driving tour that is seasonal and wasn't open when...

First visit. Auto accessible, better in SUV. Drove through marshes on a raised washboard wilderness dirt trail. Bring camera with zoom lens to capture nature views and feel of early 20th century Florida. Leads to open marshes with lots of waterfowl with obvious fishing opportunities. Rustic boat "ramps" for very light crafts such as Canoes, kayaks, pond prowlers... Nothing heavy! Great place to visit and enjoy the wilderness...

I went here for hiking, altho my GPS couldn't find it and I ended up using the map from the website. So, I didn't have time to go to the hiking trail. I just walked down the wildlife drive road. And sure enough, within about a mile there was a gator sunning himself on the road. I probably could have stepped on him. I did 5 miles, and it was a nice walk; mostly thru thick canopy. I'm going back to hike...