Wild Hiking Within Earshot of the Magic Kingdom

Visiting Disney but looking for a wild escape? Check out Tibet-Butler Nature Preserve, an oasis of wilderness within earshot of the train at Magic Kingdom.

This county park is small but mighty, with an excellent nature center for families (when I visited, there were two baby alligators to observe), a viewing garden with gopher tortoises and a Sulcata tortoise, rocking chairs for chilling on the porch, and easy hikes through longleaf pine, bayhead swamp, and along the cypress shore of Lake Tibet.

The Palmetto Passage trail is recommended for experienced hikers only due to sporadic flooding and some wayfinding required, but the rest of the network is within reach of the most casual hikers, with no elevation gain and lots to see.

Tibet-Butler is free to explore with easy (though limited) parking. No dogs or bikes. Grab your family and your sneakers, and check this park out on your next trip to Orlando.