Why This Florida State Park Is a Must-visit for Stargazing Enthusiasts

Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park in central Florida is often overlooked but boasts some of the state's last remaining dark skies.

Florida is a state with many gems. Some are well-known, like Cocoa Beach, Walt Disney World, and the Everglades, while others fly under the radar, waiting to be discovered.

One of the latter is Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park, a giant expanse of dry prairie land set under blue skies. The landscape feels more like Montana than Florida, with grasslands and hiking trails set under unobstructed sky.

And like Montana’s remote grasslands, Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park has very little light pollution, making it one of the last places in Florida boasting inky black skies full of stars. The internationally recognized Dark Sky Place is a whopping 40-minute drive from any light pollution (the neighboring town of Okeechobee, Florida — population 5,432) and several hours from the nearest major cities of Orlando and Tampa.

The skies above Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park are so dark you can see the Milky Way without the use of a telescope or binoculars.

The best way to see the night sky is to stay the night in the park. And for that, Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park has several options. There are 35 campsites (tent and RV) at the park’s Kilpatrick Hammock Campground, which is outfitted with water, electricity, and an accessible restroom with showers and laundry.

For truly unaffected night skies, the best option is to camp at one of the park’s primitive campsites, which are around 2.5 miles from the central office and can only be accessed via hiking or biking. These more remote sites have a picnic table and fire ring, but no water and electricity. The stargazing more than makes up for the lack of amenities — especially if you only plan to spend a night or two.

If packing your food and water in and taking your trash out isn’t your style, you might want to try camping’s luxurious sister: glamping. Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park operates a series of deluxe safari tents that are outfitted with mini-fridges, a coffee maker, and air-conditioning and heating. The tents have either two queen beds or a king and two sets of bunk beds. The glamping tents also have hammocks, a fire pit, an outdoor grill, a picnic table, and camping chairs.

In addition to camping and stargazing, Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park is a popular destination for birdwatchers and photographers as it is home to a handful of rare birds, including the grasshopper sparrow, the crested caracara, and the burrowing owl. The park is also known for its trails for hikers, bikers, and horseback riders.

Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park is open from 8 a.m. to sundown 365 days a year. The cost to enter the park is $4 per vehicle, while camping costs $5 per person, per night for primitive camping, and $16 a night for a standard campground tent site. Guests with an RV must pay an additional $7 nightly utility fee.

Reservations for all overnight lodging can be made on the state park booking site at floridastateparks.org, or by calling 800-326-3521. There is an additional, nonrefundable $6.70 reservation fee for all campground reservations.