Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge

Lake Wales Ridge National Wildlife Refuge is a protected area in Polk County comprising four separate tracts of Florida scrub and sandhill ecosystems. The refuge preserves a distinctive habitat home to many rare plant and animal species found nowhere else in the region.

The refuge was established in 1990 by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as the first designated area specifically for protecting endangered and threatened plant species. This creation represented a shift in conservation strategy toward protecting distinctive habitats.

Scientists from Archbold Biological Station conduct research studies in this refuge to understand the Florida scrub habitat and its endemic species.

The refuge is closed to public access to protect the sensitive ecosystems and rare species within its boundaries. Visitors can view the area from outside and learn about its role in broader conservation efforts.

The refuge contains one of only twelve remaining populations of Ziziphus celata, one of Florida's most critically endangered plants, concentrated in the Carter Creek tract. This species survives in just a handful of locations worldwide, making its protection here especially important.