FIELD TRIP: Lake Jackson at Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area

Date: Tuesday, 6 January 2026

Location: Lake Jackson at Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area, near Kenansville

Leader Name: Ricky Ray

Leader Contact Information: (928) 853-9654

Trip/area Description: Lake Jackson is a 1,500 acre-lake in Osceola County, central Florida. The Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area surrounds lake Jackson. This 63,000-acre Wildlife Management Area was formerly a cattle ranch with large prairie and longleaf pine stands. Birds and butterflies are abundant in the fall and winter, including the federally endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker and the Florida Grasshopper Sparrow which live in a mosaic of dry and wet prairie, flatwoods, hammocks, cypress ponds and patches of scrub. Other birds of interest in the Longleaf Pine woods include Brown-headed Nuthatches and Bachman’s Sparrow.

Duration of trip in hours: 4-5 hours

Walking distance: 3-4 miles

Degree of difficulty: May be wet in spots. Easy hike through pine flatwoods and prairie habitat to Lake Jackson.

Where to meet: IHOP parking lot at 8800 20th St. in Vero Beach.

Time of meeting: 7:00 am.

Number of participants: No limit.

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Host or Publisher Pelican Island Audubon Society