Anyone who’s spent twelve hours next to a racetrack knows what it does to your ears. By the time the checkered flag drops at Sebring, you’re either craving total silence or a different kind of loud. Grape Hammock Airboat Tours, near Lake Wales, is the second option, and honestly it’s a good one. Instead of watching from the grandstand, take an airboat ride through the marsh and spot alligators basking in the sun.
Quick facts
- About 90 minutes from Sebring Raceway, on the south end of Lake Kissimmee
- Tours run 1 to 1 hour 15 min, captains are USCG-licensed and local
- Dec–April is gator season, cooler weather gets them out sunning
- Open 7 days in season, 6 days the rest of the year, weather depending
Why it’s a good pairing for race fans
There’s something that clicks about putting these two together. Racing and airboats both run on horsepower and reward whoever’s actually good behind the wheel (or the throttle). But a race car needs a track. An airboat doesn’t need anything, it’ll go straight over mud, sawgrass, lily pads, whatever’s in the way. If you just spent a weekend geeking out over lap times, watching one of these things spin across open water on a caged V8 hits kind of the same spot. No parking lot traffic jam afterward either.
Finding Grape Hammock
The office is at 1400 Grape Hammock Road. It’s about 25 miles east of Lake Wales and 23 miles west of Yeehaw Junction, right off Highway 60. From Sebring, the drive takes about an hour and a half. That’s enough time to relax and change pace before your next stop. It makes a great half-day trip on a day off, or a nice morning stop on your way home from the race.
On the water
Boats leave from the south end of Lake Kissimmee, where the Everglades begin. Kevin and Barrett have run this lake most of their lives, and it shows. They know where the gators hide, where the birds gather, and how to pass Brahma Island without missing the deer on the shore. Everyone gets a headset, so you can hear the commentary clearly, along with your own yelp when the boat takes a sharp turn.
What you’ll actually see
Trips run 60–75 minutes, and they’re never quite the same twice. Gators get top billing, but you’ll also run into eagles, snail kites, wood storks, herons, egrets, deer, wild hogs, turtles, turkeys, and sometimes a snake stretched out on a log. Best time for gators is December through April; cold weather pushes them out of the water to warm up, so they’re much easier to spot than in summer when most of them are submerged and hiding.
What to bring
- Sunglasses as open air plus wind makes sunny days feel brighter
- Light jacket for the morning, sunscreen for later
- Phone or camera, the wildlife isn’t going to pose twice
- Binoculars if you want a better look at the birds
Planning around the race schedule
Race weekends bring extra visitors, so Grape Hammock’s tour slots fill up fast. Call ahead to book a time and check timing, since tours shift with season and weather. Mornings are calmer and cooler. Afternoons offer more sun for better photos.
Two very different kinds of adrenaline, sitting about 25 miles apart on either side of Lake Wales. One runs on race fuel. The other runs on swamp water and a big engine bolted onto a flat hull. Sebring gives you the roar. Make your trip even more exciting with an airboat ride at Grape Hammock, where you can explore the marsh and see alligators in the wild.
Our Service Area: Lake Wales, Sebring, Frostproof, Dundee, Bartow, Babson Park, Haines City, Cypress Gardens, Lake Kissimmee, Avon Park, Highland Park, Davenport
