“West of Orlando, just 30 minutes from the attractions and nestled between Winter Garden and Clermont in the beautiful Town of Oakland, lies a “hidden gem.” A 128-acre preserve offering environmental education and ecotourism activities for visitors of all ages.” Visit the official Oakland Nature Preserve website for more information.
Florida Hiking Trails
Lake May Reserve, Eustis
If you’re looking for a short and scenic hike (2.4 miles) in Lake County, check out the Lake May Reserve in Eustis. There’s even a slight elevation change!
Highlands Hammock State Park
Address: 5931 Hammock Road, Sebring, Florida 33872
Phone: (863) 386-6094
Hours: Daily, 8 AM to Sunset
Admission: $6 per vehicle; $4 per single occupant vehicle; $2 for pedestrians & bicyclists
History: First opened in 1931, the site of a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp in 1934 and became one of Florida’s first state parks in 1935. Today, the park encompasses more than 9,000 acres
Hiking Trails:
- Alexander Blair Big Oak Trail (home to one of the park’s 1,000-year-old oak trees pictured above)
- Allen Altvater Trail
- Ancient Hammock Trail
- Cypress Swamp Trail (scenic catwalk and most popular trail in park)
- Fern Garden Trail
- Hickory Trail (features a narrow catwalk)
- Richard Lieber Memorial Trail (boardwalk)
- Wild Orange Grove Trail
- Young Hammock Trail
Other Park Activities:
- Bicycling
- Birding (part of Great Florida Birding & Wildlife Trail)
- Camping
- Geo-Seeking
- Picnicking
- Tram Tours
- Wildlife Viewing
Lake Ashby Park, New Smyrna Beach
Last Saturday, I hiked three trails in three hours: Lake Ashby Park in New Smyrna Beach, as well as Palm Bluff Conservation Area and Hickory Bluff Preserve, both in Osteen. Lake Ashby offers an extensive boardwalk that is very cool. I really enjoyed this hike! Highly recommended!
Hickory Bluff Preserve
I arrived at 135-acre Hickory Bluff Preserve in Osteen at around 10 AM on a Saturday and had the place to myself. It’s actually two short hiking trails that total about 1.5 miles with the highlight being a great view of the scenic St. Johns River. I saw a white-tailed deer very briefly on the Red Trail. It’s a nice hike and I will definitely be back!
Lake Runnymede Conservation Area
I decided to check out Lake Runnymede Conservation Area because the Florida Hikes! website claimed it was home to “one of the most spectacular stands of ancient live oaks in Central Florida.” As you can see from the above images, they were right on target! I enjoyed a truly fascinating stroll through this tiny, 43-acre preserve, which lies near Lake Tohopekaliga in St. Cloud. The trails are very short – Lake Trail (0.6 mile) and Lake Oak Trail (0.21 mile), so you can knock the place out in about 30 minutes. Don’t miss it!
Riverbend Park, Jupiter
We set out from Pompano Beach for Riverbend Park in Jupiter early on Good Friday and it was a dismal, rainy morning. However, the rains subsided by the time we arrived and so we embarked on a three-hour hike through the myriad of limestone hiking, biking and equestrian trails that make up Riverbend Park. We viewed a lot of wildlife such as six deer (including a fawn!), marsh rabbit, raccoon and wood stork. The next morning, we set out for Riverbend Park again to explore the more rugged trails on the other side of the park. We enjoyed a great view of the wild and scenic Loxahatchee River from a kayak outpost and then reached the far end of the park, which was populated with cypress knees. We made our way back to the other side of the park for a quick loop and saw five more deer. All in all, a great time and next visit we are definitely going to do some kayaking here.
Black Hammock Wilderness Area
I finally got the chance to explore 700-acre Black Hammock Wilderness Area in Seminole County (near Geneva) and I was not disappointed. The 4.5-mile hiking trail (part of which is a 1.4-mile loop at the end) features diverse terrain, including Mixed Hardwood Swamp, Pine Flatwoods and Sand Pine Scrub. The first section of the trail includes two scenic boardwalks. I had the place pretty much to myself, although I did chat with another hiker and a couple heading out as I was making my way back. Oh yeah, the parking lot is extremely small (enough for maybe five cars at the most) and so I recommend arriving no later than 8 AM or so on a weekend. Bottom line: It was simply one of the best hikes I’ve taken so far in Central Florida!
Hike #39: Enchanted Forest Sanctuary
Hike #39: 52 Hike Challenge: Enchanted Forest Sanctuary, Titusville. A well-maintained and diverse trail system winds its way through the immensely popular Enchanted Forest Sanctuary. That is why we got there right before the Sanctuary opened at 9 AM. However, there was already a group of Boy Scouts gathering in the parking lot, so we signed in quickly and headed on our way so we could have the trails to ourselves for a little while. The Enchanted Forest Sanctuary encompasses five basic habitat types: pine flatwood, prairie, oak, scrub, and mesic and hydric hammock. Our favorite trail was the Magnolia Loop, which features some majestic live oaks. The tail end of the Coquina Trail is also very cool. Also, don’t miss the chance to see the gopher tortoises at the entrance to the Sanctuary. All in all, a great hike! Distance: 3.1 miles.
