We had planned to start the New Year off right with a nice hike at Lake Jesup Wilderness Area in Sanford, but it was partially flooded and muddy. So we headed to Big Tree Park in Longwood instead. I will be back!
Lake Jesup Wilderness Area
Florida Hiking Trails
Hike #35: Lake Harney Wilderness Area
Hike #35: 52 Hike Challenge: Lake Harney Wilderness Area, Geneva. A hidden gem, the Lake Harney Wilderness Area is way off the beaten path, but well worth a visit. It was a foggy day, but I took the Flagler Trail to the River Loop, which took me up to the St. Johns River. Then I walked back to the parking lot and found the Floodplain Loop Trail, which took me to a very cool observation tower overlooking Lake Harney (which I could barely see due to the fog). Unfortunately, I took photos with my new camera and I have yet to figure out to transfer them, but will add some images soon. Wildlife Sighting: Bald Eagle. Distance: 2.4 miles.
Hike #32: Lighthouse Point Park, Ponce Inlet
Hike #32, 52 Hike Challenge: Lighthouse Point Park, Ponce Inlet. The perfect day trip for hikers, Lighthouse Point Park ($10 entrance fee) lies at the southern end of Ponce Inlet. I wandered around the beach, jetty and boardwalk of Lighthouse Point Park, then headed toward the Marine Science Center and Ponce de Leon Lighthouse. Both Lighthouse Point Park and the Marine Science Center offer short nature trails, the latter which leads to an observation tower. We topped the day off with a visit to DJ’s Deck in Port Orange for a later lunch and viewed some dolphins frolicking in the distance. Distance: 2 miles.
Hike #31 Econlockhatchee Sandhills Conservation Area
Hike #31, 52 Hike Challenge: Econlockhatchee Sandhills Conservation Area, Orlando. When I arrived at the parking area, I noticed a beaten-up car that looked like it had been abandoned. So I was a little apprehensive about entering the Econlockhatchee Sandhills Conservation Area, but glad I went ahead with the hike. The 706-acre conservation area features a diverse terrain – from sandhills to pine flatwoods to swamp. To reach Econlockhatchee Sandhills Conservation Area, take the 408 East to State Road 50 and turn left onto Lake Pickett Road (County Road 420). Econlockhatchee Sandhills Conservation Area will be about 2.5 miles ahead on your left-hand side. Distance: 3.2 miles.
Hike #30: Lake Proctor Wilderness Area
Hike #30, 52 Hike Challenge: Lake Proctor Wilderness Area, Geneva. I arrived at Lake Proctor Wilderness Area before 8 AM yesterday and I had the entire place to myself! The trail system is very diverse and I enjoyed hiking through pine flatwoods, sand pine scrub, sandhill and bayhead swamp. The Blue trail takes you right next to Lake Proctor. It’s a very peaceful location and I will be back soon to hike the Yellow trail. Distance: 3.6 miles.
Hike #26: Spring Hammock Preserve
Hike #26, 52 Hike Challenge: Spring Hammock Preserve, Longwood. Spring Hammock Preserve is a great place to hike around – if you can find it! In fact, I got totally lost on the way to the preserve and when I finally found the entrance, the gate was closed. It turns out that the Environmental Studies Center is closed on weekends, but the trail is still open. So I parked across the street at Soldier’s Creek Park and then took the Cross Seminole Trail until I came upon the trailhead for Spring Hammock Preserve, which is described as “a unique assemblage of floodplain forest, hydric hammock, upland mixed hardwoods and pine flatwoods.” It was definitely one of the coolest hikes I’ve been on in Central Florida so far! Several smaller trails branch off from the main trail. Don’t miss a photo op at colorful Question Pond. Unfortunately, the boardwalk leading to Lake Jesup was closed off (looks like it suffered some severe storm damage). If you want a nice little escape into nature (especially as we enter our brief phase of cooler weather), I definitely recommend Spring Hammock Preserve! Distance: 3 miles.
Central Florida Hiking Trails
As the cold weather finally arrives, it’s the ideal time to get outdoors and hit some of the hiking trails throughout Central Florida. Note: This is by no means an exhaustive list of Central Florida hiking trails, but just a representative sample of trails that I either have hiked recently (highlighted in red) or plan to hike in the near future. For more information about Florida hiking trails, visit the definitive online Florida hiking guide at Florida Hikes!
Bear Creek Nature Trail (Winter Springs)
0.9 miles 0.3 miles
Big Tree Park (Longwood)
0.3 miles
Bill Frederick Park at Turkey Lake (Orlando)
2.4 miles
Black Bear Wilderness Area (Sanford)
Black Bear Wilderness Loop Trail – 7.1 miles
Black Hammock Wilderness Area (Oviedo)
4.5 miles
Blue Spring State Park (Orange City)
Boardwalk – 1.3 miles
Pine Island Trail – 7.3 miles
Bluffton Nature Trail (Lake George State Forest)
1.2 miles
Circle B Bar Reserve (Lakeland)
3.5 miles
Crooked River Preserve (Clermont)
1.7 miles
De Leon Springs State Park (De Leon Springs)
Wild Persimmon Trail (4.5 miles)
Disney Wilderness Preserve (Poinciana)
White Trail – 0.5 miles
Red Trail – 2.5 miles
Yellow Trail – 3.6 miles
Econ River Wilderness Area (Oviedo)
3.2 miles
Econlockhatchee Sandhills Conservation Area (Orlando)
3.2 miles
Ferndale Preserve (Ferndale)
2.1 miles
Flat Island Preserve (Leesburg)
3.7 miles
Gemini Springs Park (DeBary)
2.2 miles
Geneva Wilderness Area (Geneva)
1.8 miles
Green Springs Park (Deltona)
1.2 miles
Hal Scott Preserve (Orlando)
White Trail Loop – 4.3 miles
Red Trail Loop – 6.1 miles
Yellow Trail Loop – 6.3 miles
Hickory Bluff Preserve (Osteen)
1.5 miles
Hickory Point Recreational Park (Tavares)
1 mile
Hidden Waters Preserve (Eustis)
Lake Alfred Trail – 0.6 miles
Hammock Trail – 0.2 miles
Ravine Trail – 0.4 miles
Gopher Tortoise Trail – 0.2 miles
Prickly Pear Trail – 0.3 miles
Longleaf Pine Trail – 1.5 miles
Hontoon Island State Park (DeLand)
Indian Mound Nature Trail (3.3 miles)
Isle of Pine Preserve (Orlando)
1.8 miles
Kelly Park (Apopka)
Kelly Park Loop Trail – 2.4 miles
Lake Griffin State Park (Fruitland Park)
2 miles
Lake Harney Wilderness Area (Geneva)
2.4 miles
Lake Jesup Wilderness Area (Sanford)
2.7 miles
Lake Lotus Park (Altamonte Springs)
1.7 miles
Lake Louisa State Park (Clermont)
4.1 miles
Lake May Reserve (Eustis)
2.4 miles
Lake Mills Park (Chuluota)
0.8 miles
Lake Monroe Conservation Area (Osteen)
White Trail Loop – 1.4 miles
Yellow Trail Loop – 5.6 miles
Red Trail Loop – 1.9 miles
Lake Proctor Wilderness Area (Geneva)
4 miles
Little Big Econ State Forest (Geneva)
Kolokee Loop – 4.7 miles
Lyonia Preserve (Deltona)
2.1 miles
Oakland Nature Preserve (Oakland)
2.1 miles
Orlando Wetlands Park (Christmas)
5 miles
Palm Island Park (Mount Dora)
1 mile
Pine Lily Preserve (Orlando)
4.3 miles
Ponce Preserve (Ponce Inlet)
1.6 miles
Rock Springs Run State Reserve (Sorrento)
17 miles of trails
Sara Maude Mason Nature Preserve (Howey-in-the-Hills)
0.6 miles
Savage Christmas Creek Preserve (Christmas)
4.8 miles
Shingle Creek Regional Park (Kissimmee)
Steffee Homestead – 1.3 miles
Historic Babb Landing – 1.8 miles
Smyrna Dunes Park (New Smyrna Beach)
2.4 miles
Split Oak Forest (Orlando)
6.4 miles
Spring Hammock Preserve (Sanford)
3 miles
Tibet-Butler Preserve (Orlando)
Fallen Log Crossing – 0.54 miles
Osprey Overlook – 0.13 miles
Pine Circle – 0.86 miles
Screech Owl Trail – 0.11 miles
Tarflower Loop Trail – 0.49 miles
Trimble Park (Mount Dora)
1.3 miles
Trout Lake Nature Center (Eustis)
1.4 miles
Twin Oaks Conservation Area (Kissimmee)
1.9 miles
Wekiwa Springs State Park (Apopka)
10.2 miles
Lake Griffin State Park
Encompassing 620 acres just north of Leesburg, Lake Griffin State Park is home to the second-largest oak tree in Florida! A short trail leads off a small parking lot to the right just after the ranger station to this massive live oak tree. The sign in front of the live oak tree reads, “This live oak tree is the second largest oak tree in the state of Florida and is estimated to be between 300-500 years old. It serves as a home for many species of mammals and birds and may even have been a landmark for the Timuca Indians who frequented the area before settlement and later the Seminole Indians. The first settlers discovered the tree in 1811, since then it has attracted tourists from the entire nation.” In addition, the park features two hiking trails, campground, canoe/kayak rentals and guided pontoon boat tours. Lake Griffin State Park is located at 3089 U.S. 441-27 in Fruitland Park.
Hike #23: Hal Scott Preserve
Hike #23, 52 Hike Challenge: Hal Scott Preserve, Orlando. The Hal Scott Regional Preserve and Park encompasses more than 9,500 acres and features three loop trails: White Trail (4.3 miles), Red Trail (6.1 miles) and Yellow Trail (6.3 miles). I took the White Trail and enjoyed one of my first truly fall hikes of the season. Note that you will share the trail with cyclists, hikers with dogs and sometimes cyclists with dogs. I will definitely be back to hike the other two trails down the line. Distance: 4.3 miles.
Hike #22: Lake Lotus Park
Hike #22, 52 Hike Challenge: Lake Lotus Park, Altamonte Springs. Lake Lotus Park lies just off bustling Maitland Boulevard, so my expectations were rather low for an escape into nature. However, I was totally impressed with the 150-acre nature preserve as I strolled along the lengthy boardwalk, which I had pretty much to myself on a quiet Friday afternoon. Although I didn’t see any alligators on this visit, I did view what I believe to be a Florida redbelly turtle (see above). I will definitely be back! Note that there is tram service available from an off-site parking area across the street during weekends since parking inside Lake Lotus Park is very limited. Distance: 1.3 miles.
