Southern Camping Trip 2024 / Day 20

 Highlands Hammock State Park

Sebring, Florida

February 19, 2024

Wood Stock in cypress swamp Highlands Hammock.

Marc- A hammock is a closed canopy forest.  It consists of large trees whose leaves filter out much of the light, making the inside of the forest dark, shady and cool.  In Highlands Hammock there are many hardwood species such as Oak, Elm, Hickory, Red maple, Sweet gum, Sugar hackberry and Bald Cypress.  The Sabal palm and many ferns are also abundant.  We saw and heard fewer birds than we saw last year during our visit here.  Of note today were the Barred Owl,  Yellow Rumped Warbler, Carolina Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Blue Vireo and Pileated Woodpeckers.

Giant oak tree with Sue for size.

The same giant oak tree reaching high up in the forest.

Cypress

More Cypress

The Catwalk Trail (partially closed for repairs).

Pileated Woodpecker

We also visited the CCC Museum here in the Park.  In fact it was the CCC that built the Florida State Parks.  This means a lot to me since my father and his older brother were in the CCC during the Great Depression and spoke well of the experience.  Although they were not in Florida their experience was similar.

The CCC recruits did everything from planting trees to building structures, roads, bridges and trails that have lasted to this day.