Manager's Message

Alex Creager, Park Manager

Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park is the perfect embodiment of wild Florida in all its untrammeled splendor. Your experience begins even before you arrive with a long journey into the heart of the Florida peninsula, far from the encumbrances of civilization.

You won’t need the entrance sign to tell you that you’ve arrived when the last of the buildings, power lines, and pavement gives way to the arresting vista of a boundless ocean of grassland, the largest remaining tract of Florida dry prairie still in existence. 

One of my favorite things about Kissimmee Prairie is that it consistently delivers a pinnacle experience to members of a wide range of outdoor recreation and conservation interest groups. The astounding biodiversity of this ecosystem makes it a prime destination for those pursuing an encounter with a rare and spectacular species of bird, butterfly or flower.

Being so far from bright city lights makes Kissimmee Prairie one of the last remaining places in Florida where you can marvel at the full beauty of the night sky. Those looking only for a respite from the hectic pace of life will also find what they seek here. 

This amazing place has been the setting of some key chapters in my life and career. In January 2011 this place became my first home outside of the city of my birth when I relocated here to serve an eleven-month term of public service as the resident AmeriCorps member. I quickly fell in love with the prairie and the Florida State Parks' lifestyle and promptly signed up for a second term. 

In those first years, I learned all I could about managing this complex ecosystem, from the science of conducting population surveys of the critically endangered Florida grasshopper sparrow to the art of utilizing prescribed fire as a tool for restoration and renewal. 

After a short career elsewhere in the Florida State Park system, I happily accepted the opportunity to return home as the park manager in October 2018. 

I invite you to come discover for yourself what makes Kissimmee Prairie such a treasure.