About
Shingle Creek is a small waterway in central
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
that is generally considered to be the northernmost headwaters of the
Everglades
The Everglades is a natural region of tropical wetlands in the southern portion of the U.S. state of Florida, comprising the southern half of a large drainage basin within the Neotropical realm. The system begins near Orlando with the Kissim ...
watershed. It is named after the
cypress trees that lined the bank in the late 19th century, which were used to make
wood
Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin ...
shingles. The
stream and surrounding areas are protected
wetland
A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The p ...
s.
The creek begins in a
swamp area in southern
Orange County
Orange County most commonly refers to:
*Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Orange County may also refer to:
U.S. counties
*Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando
*Orange County, Indiana
*Orange County, New ...
, a few miles east of the
International Drive
International Drive, commonly known as I-Drive, is a major thoroughfare in Orlando, Florida, United States, and is the city's main tourist strip. I-Drive is located several miles southwest of proper Downtown Orlando in the southernmost limits ...
tourist corridor and west of
John Young Parkway
State Road 423 (SR 423), known for most of its length as John Young Parkway, and Lee Road east of Orange Blossom Trail, is a four- and six-lane surface road in the U.S. state of Florida. SR 423 runs from SR 408 north to U.S. Routes 17/ 92 (US ...
. From there, it flows south under the
Beachline Expressway,
Central Florida GreeneWay and
Osceola Parkway
Osceola Parkway, signed as County Road 522 (CR 522) since around 2003 (and originally planned as State Road 424), is a , partially tolled arterial road extending east–west across the northern boundary of Osceola County, Florida, roughly p ...
to
Kissimmee
Kissimmee ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Osceola County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 79,226. It is a Principal City of the Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida, Metropolitan Statistical Area, wh ...
in
Osceola County, where it turns directly east and flows into
Lake Tohopekaliga
Lake Tohopekaliga, Tohopeka (from tohopke meaning fence, fort); Tohopekaliga (from tohopke meaning fence, fort + likv meaning site), also referred to as Lake Toho, West Lake, or simply Toho, is the
largest lake in Osceola County, Flori ...
, then into the
Kissimmee River
The Kissimmee River is a river in south-central Florida, United States that forms the north part of the Everglades wetlands area. The river begins at East Lake Tohopekaliga south of Orlando, flowing south through Lake Kissimmee into the large, s ...
system to south Florida and the Everglades.
Name associations include the Shingle Creek Fishing, Shingle Creek Resort, Shingle Creek Elementary School, and the
Shingle Creek Toll Plaza on
Osceola Parkway
Osceola Parkway, signed as County Road 522 (CR 522) since around 2003 (and originally planned as State Road 424), is a , partially tolled arterial road extending east–west across the northern boundary of Osceola County, Florida, roughly p ...
.
Shingle Creek Regional Park
Shingle Creek Regional Park, 456-acres, includes several old homes from the historic Shingle Creek community. The park includes fishing, hiking trails, picnicking, play area, and restrooms. Stefee Landing has a launch onto the Designated Paddling Trail, outfitter, boardwalk and bridge. The Shingle Creek Regional Trail runs through the park, when complete it will run 32 miles from Kissimmee to Wekiwa Springs State Park in Seminole County.
Paddling Trail
Shingle Creek is a newly (2015) Florida Designated Paddling Trail. The trail totals about 7 miles from Babb Landing to Lake Tohopekaliga.
References
South Florida Water Management District, Shingle Creek
External links
Osceola County, Shingle Creek Regional Park
See also
*
List of rivers of Florida
This is a list of streams and rivers in the U.S. state of Florida. With one exception, the streams and rivers of Florida all originate on the Coastal plain. That exception is the Apalachicola River, which is formed by the merger of the Chattaho ...
Rivers of Florida
Geography of Orlando, Florida
Rivers of Orange County, Florida
Rivers of Osceola County, Florida
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