Skip to main content
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Youtube
  • ASK US
Home South Florida Water Management District
  • Who We Are
    • Governing Board Chairman
    • Open Government
    • Governing Board
    • Budget & Finance Reports
    • Careers
    • Contact Us
  • Our Work
    • Flood Control
    • Water Supply Planning
    • Water Quality Improvement
    • Ecosystem Restoration
    • Python Elimination Program
    • Addressing Blue-Green Algae
    • Resiliency
  • Doing Business with Us
    • Permits
    • Right of Way Permits
    • Procurement
    • Real Estate
    • Grants/Funding Opportunities
  • Community & Residents
    • Water Conservation
    • Recreation
    • Navigation
    • Education Center
    • Everglades License Plate
  • Science & Data
    • Real-Time Data
    • Scientific Publications & SFER
    • DBHYDRO
    • Weather
    • Operational Planning
    • GIS
    • Survey Data
    • Modeling
  • News & Meetings
    • News Releases
    • Public Meetings
    • Calendar
    • Speakers Bureau
    • Photo & Video
    • Fact Sheets
  • Contact Us
  • Careers
  • Locations
  1. Home
  2. lake kissimmee kissimmee chain lakes bird island drasdo gardner cobb marsh 3
  • Water Conservation
    • Overview
    • Homeowners
    • Multi-Family Residences and Commercial Buildings
    • Lawn Watering Restrictions
    • Local Government Model Ordinances and Codes
    • District Programs and Partnerships
    • Florida-Friendly Landscaping
    • Water Use Calculator
  • Recreation
    • Overview
    • Recreation Sites
    • Special Use License (SUL)
    • Navigation
    • Geocaching
  • Education Center
  • What You Can Do
    • Prepare for Flooding
    • Your Impact on the Environment
    • Volunteering
    • License Plate
Activities
Airboating
Bicycling
Boating
Camping (Tent)
Canoeing
Fishing
Hiking
Kayaking
Hunting
Lake Kissimmee (Kissimmee Chain of Lakes): Bird Island, Drasdo, Gardner-Cobb Marsh, Lightsey, Rabbit Island and Strum Island

Accessible only by boat or airboat, Gardner-Cobb Marsh is the largest District property in the Upper Chain of Lakes region. Gentle slopes in elevation by only a few inches or feet result in a rolling landscape that produces a contrast in natural communities. Swamps, pine flatwoods and wet prairie, which burst forth in the fall and spring with an abundance of wildflowers, dominate the landscape. Rest in the shady oak hammock, explore the property or set up camp at the primitive campsite after you park your boat along the sandy shoreline. Among airboaters, the landing there is known as "The Yacht Club." The land is productive and is a good place to hunt deer and turkey.

You can walk along the oak and cypress-lined berm just landward from the lake's edge to the neighboring Drasdo property, or arrive there by boat, as well. A small area at the southeast corner is very high ground where a special resident lives. The scrub jay, a listed species, forages there in rare scrub habitat. A more common habitat is "prairie hammock." This classic Florida landscape sports cabbage palms and live oak trees among grassy prairies and marshes. Enjoy fishing at the lake's edge or anywhere else on the property that's fishable.

Other popular destinations on Lake Kissimmee include Eastshore, Westshore, Bird Island and Sturm Island. Johnson Island is accessible from Lake Hatchineha.

For More Information:
Orlando Service Center FL WATS 1-800-250-4250 or (407) 858-6100.

Activities by Site

  • Bird Island: airboating, boating, canoeing, fishing, hiking, hunting, kayaking
  • Gardner-Cobb Marsh and Drasdo: airboating, boating, camping (tent), canoeing, fishing, hiking, hunting, kayaking
  • Lightsey: airboating, bicycling, boating, camping (tent), canoeing, equestrian trails, fishing, hiking, hunting, kayaking
  • Rabbit Island: airboating, boating, canoeing, fishing, hiking, kayaking
  • Strum Island: boating, canoeing, fishing, hiking, hunting, kayaking

Directions

  • Access is by airboat or boat from private launches on the C-37 canal and at Port Hatchineha. Osceola County maintains two boat ramps at Lake Cypress and Lake Kissimmee.
  • Port Hatchineha: From Lake Wales, travel north on U.S. 27 approximately eight miles and turn left on C.R. 542 in Dundee. C.R. 542 turns left in Dundee. Go approximately 1.5 miles and turn right onto Lake Hatchineha Road. Travel to the end.
  • C-37 Canal at Camp Mack: From Lake Wales, travel east on S.R. 60 from the intersection with U.S. 27 approximately seven miles and turn left onto Boy Scout Camp Road. The road ends at Camp Mack Road. Turn right and follow to the end.
  • Lake Cypress and Lake Kissimmee: From St. Cloud, travel south on Canoe Creek Road approximately 10 miles to Lake Cypress Road and 20 miles to Joe Overstreet Road for Lake Kissimmee access.

Maps and Related Links

Maps

  • Recreation Area Map [PDF]
  • Camping Areas – Kissimmee Chain of Lakes (KCOL) North [PDF]
  • Camping Areas – Kissimmee Chain of Lakes (KCOL) South [PDF]

Related Links

  • Brochure: Guide to the Kissimmee Waterway [PDF]
  • FWC Hunting Information
  • FWC Hunting Brochure [PDF]
  • ASK US
  • Who We Are
    • Governing Board
    • Big Cypress Basin Board
    • Open Government
    • Public Records Request
  • Our Work
    • Flood Control
    • Resiliency
    • Emergency Management
    • Water Supply Planning
    • Water Quality Improvement
    • Ecosystem Restoration
    • Land Management
  • Community and Residents
    • Water Conservation
    • Year-Round Rule
    • Recreation
    • Educational Center
    • Volunteering
  • Doing Business with Us
    • Permits
    • ePermitting
    • Procurement
    • Real Estate
    • Cooperative Funding
    • Agriculture
    • AVATAR
  • Science and Information/Data
    • Real-Time Data
    • Water Levels
    • Scientific Publications & SFER
    • DBHYDRO
    • Weather
    • Operational Planning
    • Environmental Monitoring
    • Modeling
  • News and Events
    • News Releases
    • Meeting Agendas & Minutes
    • Calendar
    • Photo and Video Resources
South Florida Water Management District

Contact Information

3301 Gun Club Road
West Palm Beach, FL 33406

561-686-8800

800-432-2045 (Florida Only)

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • Linkedin
  • Youtube
  • ASK US
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Accessibility
  • Login
  • Contact Us
  • Locations
  • Careers