Over the next few months I will be doing a “greatest hits” tour of my favorite Central Florida hikes. I started with Econ River Wilderness Area in Oviedo a couple of weeks ago. Last weekend I hiked Spring Hammock Preserve in Longwood. Both are very scenic and not too strenuous.
Spring Hammock Preserve
Top 10 Hikes in 2020
Black Bear Wilderness Area, Sanford
Circle B Bar Reserve, Lakeland
Enchanted Forest Sanctuary, Titusville
Lake May Reserve, Eustis
Little Big Econ State Forest, Geneva
Oakland Nature Preserve, Oakland
Riverbend Park, Jupiter
Split Oak Forest, Orlando
Spring Hammock Preserve, Longwood
Withlacoochee River Park, Dade City
Spring Hammock Preserve Revisited
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!
Hiking at Spring Hammock Preserve
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!
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.
Wandering Florida 