I took my 2, 5, and 8 year old girls on their first camping trip earlier this year. We went to Myakka River State Park which has always been one of my favorite parks. I love how much wildlife you can see. There are also a bunch of short trails and some amenities which make it easier to visit with kids. I only got one of the kids to go up to the top of the Canopy Walk Tower to see the view. We all got to see a family of Sandhill Cranes including a young colt. We also saw quite a few gators including this large one which was hanging out right underneath the pier where the lake flows out into the river.