1/24 Kirby Storter Roadside Park

This is a roadside park on the Tamiami Trail about 10 miles west of my campground.  If you have never stopped, you might easily drive past because you did not need to use the restrooms.  However, this is a LOT more than just a parking lot, picnic area, and restrooms!

First, there is a terrific one-mile roundtrip boardwalk that goes through a bald cypress area to a pond area at the end.  Depending on the time of year, there may not be much water in the pond, but there are a lot of things to see regardless.  

Today, there was a school group from the local Miccosukee Indian School.  The students had finished their walk and were eating a picnic lunch before heading back to school.  I really liked that many of the girls were wearing native skirts.  

I found this place several years ago when I was staying at Midway Campground and could not get cell service for an internet connection.  I was having to drive out every day, and used to alternate between this place and the Oasis Visitor Center.  I could get work done and go for a walk to check out the wildlife afterwards.  The school buses were taking up my usual spot, but I found this place to park in. 

The boardwalk begins in a grassy area, with only a few dwarf bald cypress.  They are dwarfed because there is very little soil here, which means few nutrients available to them. 

This photo shows how the limestone base is very close to the surface here.  Places with more water, in other words, places that are lower, tend to accumulate more soil over time, but this area is only a couple of feet above sea level.  Florida, by the way, is almost entirely built on limestone, which is very old sea floor.  Tree roots have difficulty burrowing into limestone, so they tend to be dwarfed. 

Not too far from the highway,  but you really feel isolated and can enjoy the quiet here. 

Here is a closeup of a dwarf bald cypress that is about 12' high.  This one has not lost all of its leaves, but it will regrow a new set starting in March or April.    

It was warm today, in high 70s, but at least ten degrees cooler in this little hut. 

As it gets wetter and lower, the trees get bigger. 

Nice little patch of ferns. 

Some kind of a snake hiding in the plants in the wettest area.  I think he was a brown water snake, but mostly he was snoozing.

This young alligator was hard to find, but he was only about 2' long, and maybe one of last year's babies. 

Can you see the tiny lizard on the branch in the middle.  He did not like his picture taken. 

And this dried stuff on the tree is resurrection fern.  It looks dead most of the year, but perks up and looks alive with just a little rain.