Myakka River State Park (Fla.)

Myakka River State Park is a Florida State Park, that is located nine miles (14 km) east of Interstate 75 in Sarasota County and a portion of southeastern Manatee County on the Atlantic coastal plain. This state park consists of 37,000 acres (150 km2), making it one of the state's largest parks. It is also one of the oldest parks in the state. It was delineated in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. A small portion (1,920 acres or 7.8 km2) of the park was the gift of the family of Bertha Palmer to the state. The park is managed and maintained by the Florida Department of Environment Protection's Division of Recreation and Parks, with help from the Friends of Myakka River. The park is named after the Myakka River, Florida's first "Wild and Scenic River."