A visit to Lake Lotus Park in Altamonte Springs can be tricky, but it’s definitely worth the effort! For example, it’s only open Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On weekends, you will have to park at the offsite parking lot and take the tram over to the park. Highlights of Lake Lotus Park include 120 acres of woods and wetlands, one mile of raised boardwalk, playground, education center, picnic pavilions, barbecue grills and a fishing pier.
The perfect spot for a little extreme social distancing, Spring Hammock Preserve is located off-the-beaten path in Longwood, Florida. On this visit, I took the main trail up to the scenic Question Pond. I also explored an area of the Preserve that I had never seen before by heading up the Cross Seminole Trail and taking a little dirt path on the left just before I got to the first little bridge. It opened up to a very scenic area that I hope to explore next visit when I have more time. Don’t miss it!
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!
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!
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:
Other Park Activities:
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
Wandering Florida 