Trout Lake Nature Center

Yes. ..on leash & pickup after. Many trails..very clean.

No we weren't open for Thanksgiving but were open the rest of the week including Sunday. We will be closed on Christmas and New Years but open on Christmas Eve and New Years Eve.

No, we don't have a gift shop at TLNC at this time. We do have a few tlnc tshirts for sale.

It is free. Donations are accepted but not required.

Yes

Our trails are fairly wide and mulched but the ground is uneven but we had had others running our trails. You are welcome to.

We have a golf cart that will get a person down to our boardwalk and along some of our trails. We have a wheelchair but it is a smaller size for a child, teenager or slender adult. Sorry we don't have better accessibility but as a donation-based nonprofit our funds are very limited. We keep adding when we can. Both the golf cart and wheelchair were donations that are much appreciated and used.

Yes, our trails can be fun to walk along and are mostly shaded. Unfortunately, for the next approximately 30 days we will be under construction so our parking areas and buildings are a mess. I would bring them on the weekend when no construction will be ongoing.

There are actually no trout in Trout Lake. Trout are a cold-water fish and can't survive in Florida's warm waters. But early settlers called any fish they caught and could eat trout, hence the name Trout Lake. There are large bass and crappie in the lake.

No, horses and bikes can't go on our trails. We are mainly a wetland and our trails won't handle this sort of use. Check out the water management districts properties, state and national forest and other public properties. There are quite a few areas with great horse riding trails. We do allow dogs on a leash.

Our trails are very easy to walk on and depending on the time of day, weather, etc. you could see alligators in the lake. You will probably not see a bear although some of our visitors have. Bears are usually active in the earlier morning or evenings not so much during the middle of the day. Gators are out more in the evening right now because of the very hot weather conditions. They can also be see in the mornings. The quieter you are on the trails, the more likely you are to see wildlife. Our critter cameras regular photograph bobcats, opossums, raccoons, armadillos, hawks, osprey, eagles, fox squirrel, bear and sometimes feral hogs or deer. Because of wet conditions, our turkeys have moved across the street to dryer ground but I'm sure they will once again return with drier conditions.

No, We don't take domestic or farm animals. You could check with the Lake County Extension Service to see if there is a 4Her who might want to rehome the animals.

You can fish in Trout Lake but not from the Nature Center. There is a small county park found behind the Dollar Store where you can fish from the banks of the lake. Or, you can put a boat in at the Lake Eustis boat ramp and go under the bridges to access Trout Lake. It is my understanding that there is good bass and crappie fishing in the lake along with good catfish too.

We have mulched trails so it would depend on the wheels on your scooter. One trail goes down to a boardwalk which might work for your husband. We do have a golf cart that could take him down to the boardwalk and depending on how busy we are, we could take him around some of our other trails. We try to accommodate all physically challenged folks the best we can. Our buildings are accessible. Also, keep in mind that we are in Florida and it may be hot and buggy during the summertime.