Conservation Florida and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection Expand Price’s Scrub State Park to 1,000+ Acres
Nearly 70 acres added to popular state park, safeguarding wildlife habitat, wetlands and public access in Marion County
ORLANDO, Fla. (May. 20, 2026) — Conservation Florida, in partnership with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), has officially expanded Price’s Scrub State Park, increasing the park’s footprint to more than 1,000 acres.
The nonprofit land conservancy’s 68.5-acre addition to the state park builds upon a history of conservation in Price’s Scrub State Park. In 2002, the nonprofit conserved the initial 952 acres of what would eventually become Price's Scrub State Park.
“We are so happy to announce the addition of Price’s Scrub, and to continue to collaborate to add to our award-winning state park system,” said Conservation Florida CEO Traci Deen. “We are grateful to partner with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, landowner Michelle Reller, and our philanthropic supporters who make this work possible.”
Florida’s 176 state parks span more than 800,000 acres and draw visitors from all around the world. In 2025 alone, Florida’s state parks welcomed more than 28 million visitors and contributed an estimated $3.6 billion in statewide economic impact.
For Nature, For People
Officially opened to the public in 2003, Price’s Scrub features a 9.5-mile trail system where hikers, bikers, and equestrians may spot an array of plants and wildlife, including gopher tortoises, bald eagles, swallow-tailed kites, and blue flower butterwort. It is one of Marion County’s highest-ranked sites for biodiversity, and the park protects a rare and endangered scrub habitat found in few places across the state.
Price’s Scrub State Park serves as an important corridor linkage between Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park and Goethe State Forest. Wide-roaming mammals like the Florida black bear rely on protected connected land such as this to survive.
Price’s Scrub State Park, located in Marion County, serves as an important corridor linkage between Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park and Goethe State Forest. This 68.5-acre addition expands the west side of the park and brings the park’s total footprint to 1,000 acres.
The state park also lies within the Marion County Farmland Preservation Area, a nearly 200,000-acre network established to keep agriculture alive while protecting the region’s resources and character. Marion County is known as the horse capital of the world, and lands like these ensure that legacy lives on.
“Horse Farms Forever is proud to celebrate Conservation Florida’s addition to Price’s Scrub State Park,” said Horse Farms Forever Director of Conservation Strategies Busy Shires. “This is a meaningful step forward in protecting land within the Marion County Farmland Preservation Area. By conserving these acres, we preserve the very character of Marion County. We are honored to work alongside partners like Conservation Florida to ensure this legacy endures for generations to come.”
Conserving this land also means protecting Florida's water. The park safeguards more than 1,000 acres of groundwater and surface water priority areas that filter and replenish springs, sinks, aquifers, and other natural systems, supporting long-term water quality and quantity for both people and animals alike.
Forever
This state park expansion by Conservation Florida was made possible by landowner Michelle Reller, who worked with the nonprofit over several years to grant a portion of her property to FDEP to permanently protect the land and the wildlife who rely upon it.
“I am ever so grateful to Conservation Florida,” said landowner Michelle Reller. “They were instrumental in securing a contract to sell a portion of my property to become a state park. They were a pleasure to work with, and I can't thank them enough.”
The funding for this acquisition came from the Florida Forever Program through the Division of State Lands at the Department of Environmental Protection. The program funds projects that aim to conserve, protect and restore environmentally endangered lands and ecosystems.
“This was a truly poignant moment for our organization,” added Deen.
“After celebrating our 25th anniversary last year, we were honored to return to our roots and the very first landscape we protected as a land conservancy.”
Conservation Florida has conserved more than 45,000 acres across the state, including expansions to other state parks like Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, providing critical habitat to the endangered Florida panther.
To learn more about Conservation Florida’s work to conserve places like Price’s Scrub State Park, visit conservationfla.org.
About Conservation Florida
Conservation Florida is an accredited, nonprofit land conservancy dedicated to conserving the Sunshine State’s water, wildlife, wild places — the places that make Florida home. Since its founding in 1999, Conservation Florida has saved roughly 45,000 acres, serving all 67 counties in Florida, by prioritizing strategic and evidence-based land protection, education, and advocacy.
Visit www.conservationflorida.org and follow on social media @conservationflorida to learn more.