Oakland Nature Preserve

A 128-acre preserve offering environmental education and ecotourism activities for visitors of all ages. Enjoy hiking the upland trails or the boardwalk to lake Apopka, visit the Jim Thomas Environmental Education Center and Museum or just sit and relax with a good book on the Serenity Porch. ONP Kids Exploration Packs are available on the porch of our Education Center, a perfect companion pack for your trail exploration here at the Preserve! Boardwalk Trail - By far our most popular trail, the Boardwalk is 2/3 mile long through mostly shaded wetlands, to a large, covered pavilion overlooking Lake Apopka. The boardwalk features interpretive signage along the way to identify plants and trees, and offers many opportunities to see alligators, wading birds and turtles.

Field Trips: We make learning fun in the great outdoors! Our curricula not only meet the state standards for K-8, but provide students with a hands-on, fun, and exciting opportunity to learn about nature, the environment and our ecosystems. Pick Your Topic(s) - Field trips can be scheduled for any type of group or organization, for any duration between 2 to 6 hours. Classes can be customized to focus on grade-level curricula or meet your specific objectives.