Allen David Broussard Catfish Creek Preserve State Park — Attraction in Lake Wales

Omg. The trails are all loose sugar sand! I camped at the primitive site. The site itself was fine, but it was such a hassle to get there! The person we booked with (can only do via phone/email; not the park site — that’s only for regular campsites) didn’t know where the actual campsite was nor informed how far the campsite was from parking lot. Imagine my surprise traversing 1.5 miles in loose sand up hills and curves.... plus, the first day, we walked for almost 2.5 miles because the actual location of the site does NOT match the site’s location on the park’s posted map! They’re on different trails! So we had to backtrack. As others have said.... the super loose sand makes lengthy trips increasingly difficult. Tack on carrying pounds of camping gear, trail colors that don’t match the maps, etc.... I would only visit again for hikes into the unmarked paths (which are packed sand and plants — much easier to walk in). On a positive note, the ranger, Patrick, was super nice and helpful. Also, Diane (office manager?) was super helpful as well. We had to call for assistance in finding the site (due to the aforementioned map issues). I would Mark this as 3 stars but will give 4 for service. Also, I at least always had 1-2 bars of cell phone service consistently...

This hike is kind of the in the middle of nowhere as far as Florida is concerned. The access road is narrow and about 2 miles down and you have to drive a few miles from that road to get back to any sort of main road. There is no restroom or trash on site. You pack it in and pack it out. The trail itself is very well marked. You will not get lost if you take one is the maps from the mailbox. Make sure you return it before you leave and make sure the box is closed tight. We didn’t see another soul on this hike. It’s challenging with the loose sand and hills. Full sun as well so be prepared for that. Lots and lots of raccoon and deer prints. Only saw one deer and 3 scrub jays. Not a lot to visible wildlife and it wasn’t hot or cold out. Weather was...

Not for the inexperienced hiker. So first I land in an area full of pygmy rattle snakes...This is also the spot where a Florida panther almost ate me after I was told they were gone from this area. But there I was about a mile and a half away from my parking spot deep deep in sugar sand,in the middle of summer, when a full grown Florida panther starts growling actually so close I could feel it breathing on me and it continued to follow me almost until I get to the parking area when a full grown Florida deer comes running in front of us, so the Florida panther suddenly changes it's mind and goes after the deer instead. Definitely not for the inexperienced. Did you know a full grown Florida panther is a so hunter and larger than a full grown...