Lake Wales Ridge facts for kids
The Lake Wales Ridge is a long, sandy hill that stretches for about 150 miles through Central Florida. You can even see its white sands from space! This ridge runs through Highlands, Polk, Osceola, Orange, and Lake Counties.
It gets its name from the city of Lake Wales, which is located right in the middle of the ridge. The highest natural spot on the ridge is Sugarloaf Mountain. It stands tall at 312 feet (95 meters), making it the highest natural point in all of peninsular Florida. Another well-known high spot is Iron Mountain, home to Bok Tower, which reaches 295 feet (90 meters) high. There's also a smaller part of the ridge further north in Putnam County, near Grandin.
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How the Lake Wales Ridge Formed
Imagine Florida millions of years ago! The Lake Wales Ridge is made of ancient sand islands that once stretched over 100 miles down the middle of Florida.
Over a very long time, the Earth's climate changed a lot. Glaciers grew and melted, causing ocean levels to rise and fall dramatically. About two million years ago, most of Florida was covered by water. Only a few small islands poked out from the sea. These islands are what we now call the Lake Wales Ridge. Even though the water is gone, the ridge still has unique plants and animals that you won't find anywhere else. Today, many towns and neighborhoods are built right on these bright white sands.
Amazing Animals and Plants
These old sand dunes were created over thousands of years by the ocean, ice, and wind. Now, they are a safe home for many rare and endangered plants and animals. The ridge has different types of habitats, from wet, low areas to high, dry sandhills. But it's most famous for its "scrub" habitat.
The scrub is like a miniature forest. It has groups of shrubs scattered between patches of open sand. Because there aren't many tall trees and the sand is very deep and porous, the scrub is a hot, dry place. It's almost like a desert! Plants and animals here have learned special ways to live in this harsh environment.
Animals of the Scrub
One of the most famous animals living in the scrub is the Florida scrub-jay. It's the only bird that lives only in Florida! If you walk through the scrub, you might see small scrub lizards quickly darting away. They move fast to cross the hot sand.
Many scrub animals spend a lot of their time underground. This helps them escape the hot Florida sun and hide from predators.
- The gopher tortoise is a master digger. It can dig burrows up to ten feet deep and 30 feet long! More than 360 other types of animals might share a gopher tortoise's burrow.
- Another interesting animal is the sand skink. This small lizard "swims" just beneath the surface of the sand, leaving "S"-shaped tracks. It's the only known sand-swimming skink in North America and lives in only seven counties in Florida.
Plants of the Scrub
Most of the plants on the Lake Wales Ridge are "scrub plants." They have thick, waxy leaves that help them survive without much water. For example, the leaves of the sand live oak are thick and leathery. Their edges are rolled inward to help the plant hold onto as much water as possible during hot summer days.
You'll also see plants like prickly pear cactus, Yucca, scrub plum, and scrub saw palmetto dotting the landscape. These plants are perfectly suited for the hot sun and sandy soil that drains water quickly.
In the early 1900s, some parts of the ridge were turned into citrus groves where oranges and grapefruits grew. More recently, some of these groves, especially in the northern part of the ridge, have been developed for homes. Luckily, several areas of the Lake Wales Ridge are now protected as National Wildlife Refuges and State Forests.
Protected Areas
Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge
This refuge helps protect the natural habitat in four separate parts of the ridge. It is not open to the public.
Lake Wales Ridge State Forest
This state forest is located east of Frostproof. It has hiking trails and other fun activities for visitors.
