Lake Tohopekaliga — "Lake Toho" to locals — is one of the largest lakes in Florida and one of the best bass fishing destinations in the southeastern United States. The lake covers roughly 18,000 acres on the western edge of Kissimmee and is a legitimate natural draw rather than a consolation prize for those who can't afford Disney.
Airboat tours run from the lakefront and push into the reedy marshes around the southern shore, where you can see alligators basking on mud banks, great blue herons fishing in the shallows, and ospreys overhead. Kissimmee Lakefront Park on the north shore provides access, picnic areas, and a boat launch. The lake also connects southward through a chain of lakes toward the Everglades drainage system, making it part of one of Florida's most significant freshwater ecosystems.