Outdoor Adventures You'll Love

• Lido Mangrove Tunnels: narrow, twisting channels through red mangroves off Lido Key. Best at high tide.
• South Lido Park: calm bay waters and a beginner-friendly launch area with winter manatee sightings.
• Robinson Preserve: more than 600 acres of restored coastal wetland and marked paddling trails.
• Myakka River State Park: a wilder paddle with alligators, turtles, and wading birds.

• Myakka River State Park: 39+ miles of trails and the Canopy Walkway.
• Oscar Scherer State Park: 15 miles of trails through Florida scrub habitat.
• Celery Fields: four miles of trails, a rare Sarasota hill, and excellent birding.
• Red Bug Slough Preserve: a quick 70-acre nature fix near Southside Village.

The Legacy Trail offers more than 20 paved miles from Sarasota to Venice, passing through Palmer Ranch, Oscar Scherer State Park, and the Venetian Waterway Park. Siesta Key, Lido Key, and Longboat Key also offer dedicated bike lanes and island routes for recreational rides.

• Celery Fields is one of Florida's top birding hotspots, with sandhill cranes, roseate spoonbills, herons, and migrating warblers.
• Myakka River State Park is famous for alligators, turtles, and bird viewing from the lake platform.
• De Soto National Memorial offers coastal mangrove trails along the Manatee River and winter manatee sightings.

Local options include fishing piers, charter boats from Sarasota, Bradenton, and Cortez, and surf fishing at Siesta Beach, Lido Beach, and Coquina Beach. Inshore trips are strong for redfish, snook, and trout; offshore trips target grouper and snapper.

• Bring sun protection even on cloudy days.
• Check tides before paddling mangrove tunnels or shallow launches.
• Pack water and snacks because many trails have no services once you are out.
• Respect wildlife and keep distance from alligators, manatees, and nesting birds.
• November through April is the best season for cooler, lower-humidity adventures.