Florida Preserves

Hiking at Spring Hammock Preserve

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The great thing about hiking during times such as these is that it is essentially a solitary pursuit. Of course, more and more people are discovering the awesome wonders of hiking these days, but if you get out there a little in the wilderness you will usually have acres and acres to explore by yourself. Therefore, I’ve been seeking out great places to hike such as Spring Hammock Preserve in Longwood. It’s an amazing place if you can find it!

Oakland Nature Preserve

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“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.

Hike #51: Isle of Pine Preserve, Orlando

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Hike #51: 52 Hike Challenge: Isle of Pine Preserve, Orlando. I’ve been wanting to head out to Isle of Pine Preserve for several weeks and finally made it last Saturday. The parking lot was located within a neighborhood, but luckily there were several signs leading the way. Isle of Pine Preserve is the kind of place where you expect to see some deer and gopher tortoises, but I had no luck today. Although I hiked mainly on the Blue Trail, I also sampled portions of the Orange and Red trails as well. I will come back another time to hike the remainder of the trails. Distance: 2.5 miles.

Gopher Tortoise, Oakland Nature Preserve

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One of our favorite hikes is taking a stroll along the boardwalk to Lake Apopka at Oakland Nature Preserve. This time out we saw a rat snake slithering down a tree, a baby alligator unsuccessfully attempting to eat a baby turtle and this friendly gopher tortoise trying to get some sun. Nice outing!

Hike #42: Captain Forster Hammock Preserve

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Hike #42: 52 Hike Challenge: Captain Forster Hammock Preserve, Vero Beach. During a seven-mile bike ride that started at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort and took us along the scenic Historic Jungle Trail, we made a pit stop at the delightful, 110-acre Captain Forster Hammock Preserve (named after an early settler to the area) and hiked to the beach and back (along with sampling some of the rather overgrown side trails along the way). Distance: 2 miles.

 

Hike #38: Pine Lily Preserve, Orlando

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Hike #38: 52 Hike Challenge: Pine Lily Preserve, Orlando. The weather was perfect although a little chilly (48 degrees!) as I headed out to 409-acre Pine Lily Preserve near the community of Bithlo. If you are driving from western Orange County like me, simply take the 408 to 50 East and turn right onto County Road 13. I actually missed it and ended up turning around at the Orlando Speed World Dragway. As usual, I had the entire preserve to myself and the wildlife that call it home (I spotted a total of seven deer during the hike, a record for me!). The trail itself was mostly dry except for one area that was slightly flooded. I recommend taking the entire red trail (although the small loop at the end of the trail is kind of rough) and the short blue loop as well. Hal Scott Preserve lies just to the south. Distance: 3.5 miles.