West Volusia's Wildlife and Parks: The Best of Florida's Great Outdoors
WEST VOLUSIA, Fla., April 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The winter doldrums are gone, replaced by the pleasant temperatures offered by Central Florida's Great Outdoors. Each year, guests from all over the world flock to the West Volusia area, experiencing the area's abundant wildlife, tropical plants, natural springs and unique eco-environments and habitats. To help you enjoy the new season, here are just a few of West Volusia's top spots.
St. Johns River Eco Boat Tours
The St. Johns River was once the area's main source for commerce and trade with paddlewheel boats regularly bringing goods and people to the region. Today, the St. Johns River, designated an "American Heritage River", is an idyllic respite, teeming with abundant and varied wildlife and tropical plants. These boat tours offer the perfect opportunity for close-up views to enjoy the great beauty of this unspoiled paradise.
Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge
The Refuge is bordered by the magnificent St. Johns River and the Ocala National Forest, and spans more than 20,000 acres. Lake Woodruff is a birder's paradise where enthusiasts come for a glimpse of over 230 bird species and a variety of native wildlife.
Lyonia Preserve is a 360-acre scrub habitat established to restore and preserve sandy soil plants and small animal life. The conservation effort removed overgrown sand pines to re-establish bare sand areas with low-growing scrub plant species. The preserve has 3.5 miles of sugar-sand hiking trails where you'll meet the resident star, the Florida Scrub Jay, an inquisitive, friendly bird known to land on a visitor's head for a closer look.
Canoes, kayaks and paddleboats are available to explore wildlife along the spring run. Enjoy hiking trails leading through various terrains – home to over 125 species of birds and the famous Old Spanish Sugar Mill Restaurant, where diners cook their own pancakes at their table.
Home to the largest spring on the St. Johns River, the park is a well-known winter refuge to hundreds of West Indian manatees. Boardwalk strolls showcase the spring run teeming with turtles, numerous fish and elusive migratory birds.
West Volusia Tourism Advertising Authority's mission is to develop and support marketing and advertising programs that bring increased tourism to the area, and to demonstrate the desirability of West Volusia as a tourism destination. It works with area hoteliers, tour providers, attractions and event promoters to represent the area to vacationers, tour operators, travel and meeting planners, and the media.
SOURCE West Volusia Tourism Advertising Authority
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