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🔓11-mile drive offers up-close look at Florida wildlife

Gators, birds, turtles, oh my!

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(Credit: Stacy Shanks)

Want to get an up-close view of Florida’s wildlife without leaving your car? This hidden gem is for you.

The Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive certainly won't disappoint if you're looking for a way to enjoy Florida's great weather while taking in views of wildlife, including more than 360 species of birds.

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Pack your family and friends into your car and head off on this one-way, 11-mile drive that takes you around the Lake Apopka North Shore, where a former muck farm was transformed into a haven for wildlife, according to its website.

(Credit: Stacy Shanks)

Cars can drive along and stop periodically to take in the views and snap photos and videos of what they see. You're bound to see several alligators swimming or sunning on the bank during your trip.

If the pace is moving too fast for you, simply pull over at the designated pull-outs. The speed limit is 10 mph.

The trip can last anywhere from one to three hours depending on how fast you want to take in the sights and how much wildlife you stop to observe.

(Credit: Stacy Shanks)

The drive is open Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and on 11 different federal holidays from sunrise to sunset. The entrance starts at 2850 Lust Road, Apopka, and closes one hour before sunset.

And the best news of all is it’s free.

For directions and to find out what else this area offers, click here.