Lake Louisa State Park is a
Florida State Park
There are 175 state parks and 9 state trails in the U.S. state of Florida which encompass more than , providing recreational opportunities for both residents and tourists.
Almost half of the state parks have an associated local 501(c)(3) non-pr ...
located south of
Clermont, in the northeast corner of the
Green Swamp and the southwestern shore of Lake Louisa. It is made up of
bald cypress
''Taxodium distichum'' (bald cypress, swamp cypress; french: cyprès chauve;
''cipre'' in Louisiana) is a deciduous conifer in the family Cupressaceae. It is native to the southeastern United States. Hardy and tough, this tree adapts to a wide ...
,
live oak
Live oak or evergreen oak is any of a number of oaks in several different sections of the genus ''Quercus'' that share the characteristic of evergreen foliage. These oaks are not more closely related to each other than they are to other oaks. ...
, and
saw palmetto
''Serenoa repens'', commonly known as saw palmetto, is the sole species currently classified in the genus ''Serenoa''. It is a small palm, growing to a maximum height around . It is endemic to the subtropical and tropical Southeastern United S ...
s. In addition to Lake Louisa, the park contains Hammond Lake, Dixie Lake, Dude Lake, and Bear Lake, along with several smaller lakes.
Two small streams, Big Creek and Little Creek, flow north from the Green Swamp through the park into Lake Louisa. Lake Louisa is the source of the
Palatlakaha River, one of the headwaters of the
Ocklawaha River
The U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed April 21, 2011 Ocklawaha River flows north from central Florida until it joins the St. Johns River near Palatka. Its name is derive ...
.
The main entrance to the park is on
U.S. 27 south of
State Road 50. An entrance on the western side of the park, off
County Route 561 on Lake Nellie Road, gives access only to the horse trails.
Activities include swimming, picnicking, horseback riding, hiking, camping, fishing, and canoeing. Amenities include a canoe/kayak ramp, of equestrian trails, and a primitive equestrian campground, as well as a nature trail, of hiking trails, fishing pier, canoe/kayak launch, and a picnic pavilion. The park is open from 8:00 am till sundown year-round.
The property was purchased by the state in 1973 and opened to the public in 1977.
Gallery
File:Lake Louisa State Park.jpg, Bald Cypress
''Taxodium distichum'' (bald cypress, swamp cypress; french: cyprès chauve;
''cipre'' in Louisiana) is a deciduous conifer in the family Cupressaceae. It is native to the southeastern United States. Hardy and tough, this tree adapts to a wide ...
in Lake Louisa
File:Osprey nests.jpg, Osprey
The osprey (''Pandion haliaetus''), , also called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor reaching more than in length and across the wings. It is brown o ...
s are common in the park's lakes
File:FL Lake Louisa SP west01.jpg,
References
External links
Lake Louisa State Parka
Florida State Parksa
Absolutely FloridaLake Louisa State Parka
Wildernet
Parks in Lake County, Florida
State parks of Florida
{{LakeCountyFL-geo-stub