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Things to Do
Things to Do
Known as “Speckled Perch Capital of the World” and “Bass Capital of the World,” Lake Okeechobee is renowned to anglers around the world for its ample fishing opportunities, hosting several professional fishing tournaments each year. You'll enjoy plentiful access to the lake from our recreation areas, parks, and fish camps, with opportunities for guided bass fishing, airboating, sightseeing, and birding.
But Lake Okeechobee is only one part of our outdoor recreation charm. Fisheating Creek is a top destination for paddlers seeking an "original Florida" experience, and the Florida Trail around Lake Okeechobee - part of the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail - is a major destination for backpackers looking for a good week-long trip in South Florida. Whether motorbikes or horses, golfing or hunting, are more your speed, we have plenty of outdoor activities for you to savor.
Shallow marshes are all along the western shore of Lake Okeechobee, where airboats can glide across the grasses with ease. Call Chappy's Outfitters in Lakeport to arrange a guided ecotour out into the marshlands for a unique twist on wildlife watching, or put your own airboat in at popular launch points like the Harney Pond Canal, Old Sportsman's Village, and Uncle Joe's Fish Camp.
It's 40 miles along the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail in Glades County if you're up to the challenge, and it's a challenge indeed as you ride above Indian Prairie between Buckhead Ridge and Lakeport.
The marshes and open prairies along the western shore of Lake Okeechobee and our other waterways provide ample opportunities for birders to view a variety of native and migrating birds.
Boating across South Florida? Glades County has two protected ports where you can come ashore and resupply or just relax as you're traversing coast-to-coast along the St. Lucie Canal and the Caloosahatchee River on the Okeechobee Waterway.
With more than 42 miles of shoreline on Lake Okeechobee, Glades County is a prime destination for fishing. We have fishing guides to get you out with the big bass, and anglers can also hook speckled perch (crappy), catfish, and bream.
Marinas, bait and tackle shops, boat ramps, and shoreline opportunities await all along the big lake from Buckhead Ridge to Moore Haven. If you've brought your own boat, or connect with one of our guides, you can spend a day on the Kissimmee and Caloosahatchee rivers, or in the vast marshes at the mouth of Fisheating Creek.
Head for the greens in Glades County! At The Glades, west of Moore Haven along the Caloosahatchee River, take on a 9-hole par 36 designed by Mark Sauger, marrying natural landscaping and native trees with smooth Bermuda grass fairways and interesting water features.
Take a hike! Glades County has many miles to meander on developed trails, including 40 miles of the Florida Trail, the National Scenic Trail in Florida, atop the Herbert Hoover Dike. This segment of the Florida Trail is home to one of the few annual hiking events in Florida, the Big O Hike, an outdoor challenge held each November during Thanksgiving Week.
Thanks to the extensive marshlands along the shallow west rim of Lake Okeechobee, Glades County is a popular destination for duck hunters during the winter months, when the migratory birds settle in. Most head for Lakeport, where you’ll find hunters swapping stories at the Lakeport Lodge and the Duck Pub Restaurant.
It's no secret: Fisheating Creek is one of the top paddlesports destinations in Florida, thanks to its haunting cypress-lined banks and extensive run, long enough for a weekend trip. Long a favorite for family canoe and kayaking trips, it can be extremely busy on weekends, but a mid-week visit will have you savoring the wilderness to yourself.
