See wildlife and ride an airboat at Black Hammock Adventures

A woman nestles a baby gator on her arm. Photo by NathanF

If you want to take a break from the theme parks and strip malls to experience the real Florida on your trip to Orlando, your place is Black Hammock Adventures.

Just a 20 minute drive from downtown Orlando and 45 minutes from Disney World, Black Hammock is situated on Lake Jesup, well-known for having the largest gator population in the country with over 10,000 living in the lake.

The main draw at Black Hammock is its airboat rides, which take visitors through scenic coastal marshlands to find native wildlife, including turtles, bald eagles, and of course, alligators. During this half-hour trip, airboats stop at swampy areas where gators are anything but in short supply. Shortly before the boat returns to the docks, it stops at Bird Island, a haven for birds during the summer months.

The half-hour airboat rides are offered every day from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tickets cost $23.95 for adults and $19.95 for children 10 and under. Black Hammock also offers special arrangements such as VIP rides and night rides, but reservations must be made ahead of time for these arrangements.

After the ride, visitors can dine on gator at the Black Hammock Restaurant, or enjoy a drink at the Lazy Gator Bar. Both offer live entertainment on the weekends.

A stop at Black Hammock's gator exhibits on Sunday afternoons from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. gives visitors the opportunity to see trainers feed Hammy, their 12-foot, 650-pound resident gator.

Black Hammock Adventures is located at 2356 Black Hammock Fish Camp Road in Oviedo. To buy tickets for a ride longer than 30 minutes, click here. If you want to contact Black Hammock for additional information or book a large group or party, click here.

If you're looking for other outdoor activities in the Orlando area, you might be interested in my article about the Central Florida Zoo.