Hardee County: A Quirky Castle, Peaceful Paddling, and History You Can Dig

By Lauren Tjaden

Nestled deep in Florida’s Heartland in Central Florida, Hardee County is home to the cities of Zolfo Springs, Wauchula, and Bowling Green, delivering a getaway where you can escape the crowds, unplug from the noise, and reconnect with nature, family and friends.

Adventures include paddling a pristine river, discovering a wildlife refuge, and exploring what might be the most unique castle on the entire planet. Read on to check out what awaits visitors to this under-the-radar gem.

A Royal Treat in Ona

At last count, the speck-in-the-road-city known as Ona had a population of 658. Here, you’ll find a Chevron Food Mart, a post office, and a church -- as well as Solomon’s Castle, the utterly unique, spellbinding creation of the late Howard Solomon.

Billed as a sculptor, painter, author, and builder of dreams, Solomon arrived in the area’s swampy backwoods decades ago and, bit by bit, constructed a gigantic castle from the shimmering, reflective printing plates once used by a nearby newspaper. The fortress boasts more than 80 interpretive stained-glass windows, and its rooms are brimming with artwork and countless metal sculptures- serious pieces as well as humorous ones, of cars, people, and creatures of all sorts– most fashioned out of thrown-away materials such as oil drums or engine gears.

You can take a tour of the castle in addition to Solomon’s home, galleries and workshop, 45-minute affairs that are full of puns and laughter.

When it’s time to refuel, just head for the 60 foot-long, three-masted replica of a 16^th century Portuguese Galleon, another mind-blowing Solomon creation that houses what’s indisputably the finest (and only) eatery in Ona, the Boat-in-the-Moat Restaurant. It serves up fare like sandwiches, meatloaf and taco salads, either in the boat’s (air-conditioned) dining room belly or on the oak-shaded deck adjacent to the boat. There’s more: “Lily Life House” is a lighthouse by the moat that boasts, “We’ve never lost a ship!”

When you go…
Solomon’s Castle
Address: 4533 Solomon Road, Ona, FL 33865
Phone: (863) 494-6077
Email: alanesolomon@yahoo.com
Note: You must pay the castle entry fee in cash or by check. While you can’t use your credit card, there’s an ATM available.

Park Yourself in Hardee County

Lush, tranquil, and beloved by wildlife, Hardee County promises an array of outdoor experiences and adventures. Here are some parks where nature takes center stage.

Paynes Creek Historic State Park

This now-serene park has a tumultuous past. During the 1840s, after the Second Seminole War, the government constructed a store at the junction of Paynes Creek and the Peace River to trade with the Seminoles. Rogue Seminoles attacked the store shortly after it was built, killing Captain George Payne and Dempsey Whiddon.

In spite of assurances from the Seminoles that it wouldn’t happen a second time, the area’s settlers were moved into a series of fortified settlements, including Fort Chokonikla. In 1895, a monument was placed by the graves of Payne and Whiddon, and though the store and the fort are long gone, you can still see the monument.

Take a peek at the museum at the visitor center, which tells the park’s story and showcases the lives of Florida's Seminole Indians and pioneers during the 19th century. The visitor center is open daily during park hours of operation.  

But it’s not all about history. Today, you can explore trails that wind through the park's stunning natural vistas, and Paynes Creek and the neighboring Peace River provide a pristine wonderland for canoeing, kayaking and fishing.

When you go…
Paynes Creek Historic State Park
Address: 888 Lake Branch Rd Bowling Green, FL 33834
Phone: 863-375-4717

Pioneer Park

Pioneer Park offers camping, fishing and canoeing, and two other separate county attractions.

It contains Hardee County Wildlife Refuge, which invites you to stroll at treetop height on an elevated boardwalk to see native Florida wildlife that includes alligators, bobcats, and black bears, as well as some exotic species, in habitats designed to be natural. All the animals here have one thing in common: each arrived with no chance of survival in the wild, and the refuge became their “forever home,” providing them with food, shelter and space. If you’re in need of a story with a happy ending, you’ll want to learn more about the animals here.
An adjacent 65-space campground provides a place to pull up the covers for the night, and the experience takes on special meaning when you learn that famed Seminole chief Billie Bowlegs camped on this exact spot.

The nearby Cracker Trail Museum & Village contains historic structures that include the old Cracker cabin, post office, and blacksmith shop. On request, and during special events, a docent will open the doors of each and offer history about the structure, its owners, and its purpose. The most prominent display in the village is 1904 Baldwin steam locomotive #3, nicknamed the “Loping Gopher,” a workhorse for a Live Oak lumber mill.
Open Monday-Friday from 9 to 5, the Cracker Trail Museum provides a fascinating glimpse into the past, with over 4,500 artifacts and memorabilia donated by locals. Displays and exhibits run the gamut, showcasing fossils; pioneer tools; citrus labels; farming equipment; medical instruments; and mementos from the Civil War, World Wars I and II; as well as a video of oral histories. This conglomeration of memorabilia preserves and pays tribute to the pioneer men and women who homesteaded the land and created the area’s cattle and agricultural industries; the area’s natural history; and to the Indians, who owned the land before being forced off of it.

When you go…
Pioneer Park
Park Office Address: 231 Wilbur C King Blvd., Zolfo Springs, FL 33890
Phone: 863-473-5078

Hardee County Wildlife Refuge
RoseMarie Kerth - Animal Refuge Manager
Address: 650 Animal Way, Zolfo Springs, FL 33890
Phone: 863-473-4892

Cracker Trail Museum
Tracy Duncan- Museum Coordinator
Address: 2822 Museum Dr, Zolfo Springs, FL 33890
Phone: 863-473-5076

Hardee Lakes

Horse trails! Hiking trails! Handicap-accessible hiking trails! Bike trails! Camping! Fishing! Containing a whopping 1,200 acres, this park promises restrooms, picnic areas, a picnic pavilion, and a playground as well as a boardwalk that curves around the lakes and woods, complete with an observation tower where you can try to spot wildlife.
You can fish in all of the four lakes, which are: Lake Hardee (120 acres); Deer Lake (110 acres); Lake Firefly (97 acres); and Gator Lake (47 acres).

When you go…
Hardee Lakes
Address: 5502 Ollie Roberts Road, Bowling Green, FL 33834
Phone: (863) 767-1100
Contact: Ben Willis - Park Manager

And there’s more!

Check out a variety of recreation services provided by Hardee County, including other parks, golfing, boat ramps and even a library.

Get Spoiled and Hit Little White Balls

The Hardee County area isn’t the first place you’d expect to find an eclectic castle, and likewise, you probably wouldn’t count on finding a ritzy resort and globally acclaimed golf here. But you. can.

Sited on 16,000 stunning, secluded acres, Streamsong Resort is a unique golf destination that aims at staying in harmony with nature—and it succeeds. While its address is in Bowling Green, the resort proper is located a smidge north of Hardee’s County line. It encompasses three golf courses, all ranked in the Top 50 in the U.S.; a contemporary lakeside lodge with generous, luxe accommodations; superb dining; an indulgent spa; and outdoor adventures that includes bass fishing, archery and sporting clays. For more information, check out this article, Streamsong Resort: Play, Dine, Relax and Enjoy Nature in Bowling Green, Fla.

When you go…
Streamsong Resort
Address: 1000 Streamsong Drive, Streamsong, Florida 33834
Phone: 863-428-1000

Digging the Past and Peaceful Paddling

The aptly-named Peace River flows 105 miles, rising in Polk County and flowing south through Hardee County, turning southwest at Arcadia in DeSoto County, to Charlotte Harbor, where its fresh waters join the rich estuary.

The river reveals a pristine world far from the hustle and bustle of civilization, with cypress and oaks stretching over its waters, and deer, otters, eagles, osprey and alligators frequenting its woods and waters. You can paddle it in a canoe or kayak, or even camp on its shores.

And it’s a hotbed for fossils.

Dr. Richard C. Hulbert Jr. of the University of Florida’s Museum of Natural History explains that Florida can credit its abundance of fossils to layers of rock and sediments that lie at or near the surface—fossil that range from a few thousand to 30 million years old. The Peace River continuously rinses away sediments and rocks, exposing its fossils. Most common are shark teeth, eagle ray teeth, porcupine fish jaws and dugong ribs.

Springtime is the best for fossil hunting, as that’s when the river is clearest, but you can hunt year-round.

To search, use a short-handled shovel or scoop to lift sediment and filter it through floating screens. If you’d like help, professional guides can lead you to known fossil spots and aid your efforts. To collect any animal fossils but shark’s teeth from Florida-owned lands or any river, you need to obtain a $5 permit and file an annual report of what you’ve found and where. The state has first shot at your finds, otherwise, they’re yours to keep.

For an easy way to explore, check in with Canoe Outpost, Inc, sited south of Hardee County in
Arcadia. Their shuttle drivers will take you upstream and drop you and your canoe off in the river, where you can float downstream and breathe in the serenity.

For more information, check out this article, Peace River Florida: Paddling Through Prehistory.

When you go…

A useful map of the river and paddling trail, with access info, is available here.

In Hardee County, you can access the river from north to south at CR 664-A Bridge (N: 27.6246 W: -81.8027); Paynes Creek State Park (N: 27.6209 W: -81.803); Lower CR 664-A Bridge (N: 27.5760 W: -81.8045); Crews Park (N: 27.5507 W: -81.7936); CR 652 Bridge (N: 27.5405 W: -81.7919); Pioneer Park (N: 27.5037 W: -81.8057); and Gardner Boat Ramp (N: 27.3465 W: -81.8264).

Area rentals and guides include:

Peace River Kayak Rentals, 3448 N Nursery Rd, Zolfo Springs, FL 33890, Phone: 863-381-0194

Canoe Outpost Gardner, 885 River Rd SW, Zolfo Springs, FL 33890

Canoe Outpost, Inc, 2816 NW County Rd. 661, Arcadia, FL 34266, Phone: 863-494-1215, 800-268-0083, Email: Info@CanoeOutpost.com

Call of the Sandhill Crane

Set amidst sprawling acres of orange groves and pastures of grazing cattle, you’ll find Hardee County’s seat, the charming city of Wauchula. This Main Street Community is centered around Heritage Park, which boasts a bandstand; a mural illustrating the town’s pioneer history; a fountain; and the sculptures of two Sandhill cranes—a tribute to Wauchula’s name, since the moniker comes from a Miccosukee Indian word meaning “call of the Sandhill crane.”

Next door to the park, Giovanni's Main Street Kitchen gets rave reviews for its handmade pizzas and calzones, concocted in the eatery’s authentic, wood burning brick oven. If you’re not craving Italian, Tacos Isabel serves up outstanding, authentic Mexican food, including homemade corn tortillas and green salsa. And the Java Cafe delivers southern favorites like shrimp and grits, plus eclectic specials like pressed boom boom fried chicken wrap and sweet potato fries.

Scoop up treasures at The Classy Cactus Boutique, filled with clothes, beauty supplies and accessories; Heritage Park Antiques & Treasures, where you can explore shabby chic furniture and everything vintage and unusual; and Cat’s on Main, a one-of-a-kind gift shop offering Vera Bradley, Wilton-Armetale, Spartina, Bourbon and Boweties.

Take a stroll through downtown to discover the City Hall and train depot, in addition to historic markers giving details about and recognizing the city’s greatest treasures.

When you go:

Heritage Park, 209 W. Main St, Wauchula, FL 33873

Giovanni's Main Street Kitchen, 221 W Main St, Wauchula, FL 33873, Phone 863-767-5300

Tacos Isabel, 104 Hancock Rd, Wauchula, FL 33873, Phone: 863-444-0843

Java Cafe, 202 W Main St Ste 101, Wauchula, FL 33873, Phone: 863-767-9004

The Classy Cactus Boutique, 110 N 6th Ave Wauchula, FL 33873, Phone: 863-767-1818

Heritage Park Antiques & Treasures, 210 W Main St, Wauchula, FL 33873, Phone: 863-773-0057

Cat’s on Main, 117 E Main St, Wauchula, FL 33873, Phone: 863-773-6565

Current Events

Whether it’s holiday activities, baseball games, ghost tours, open mic nights, theater performances, or events like the annual Pioneer Festival – a blockbuster affair that spans several days in March-- Hardee County always has something going on. To check what will be happening when you’re in town, check out Hardee County’s Facebook page, the Hardee County website, Main Street Wauchula’s website; or Main Street Wauchula’s Facebook page.