Shingle Creek Regional Park at Steffee Landing recently opened a newly constructed kayak, canoe and paddle board rental facility called The Paddling Center at Shingle Creek. The creek and surrounding area, to include West Lake Tohopekaliga (Lake Toho for short), has a rich history and cultural heritage reaching back to the 1800s. Shortly after the United States Civil War, Shingle Creek became home to those seeking a new life in a warmer climate. With plenty of available resources such as food, water, and timber, as well as easy access to the trade hub that was West Lake Toho, Shingle Creek was among the earliest settlements in the greater Kissimmee area. At the turn of the 20^th century, the creek’s abundant Bald Cypress trees provided timber for settlers’ houses, as well as shingles for their roofs, thus inspiring the creek’s name. Steffee Landing is uniquely situated at the confluence of the original “water highway” used by the Seminole Indians and the modern “land highway” (Hwy 192), which is a well-known tourist corridor linking Disney World to the City of Kissimmee, 10 miles away. Paddling Center visitors on canoes and kayaks passing under Highway 192 quickly become immersed in the ecological diversity and natural beauty that is Shingle Creek, experiencing what the Seminole Indians may have experienced 200 years ago.