50 Hikes in Central Florida

by Sandra Friend

  A series of cascades leads to the bottom of the Eichelberger Sink

  Wetlands at the bottom of the Eichelberger Sink

  These splashing waters are a delight for waterfall-starved Florida residents, as the steady, clear flow meanders down a series of deep ravines edged by a dense growth of ferns. Sinkholes provide a cooler environment for plants than the surrounding forest, encouraging a unique habitat. The broad leaves of elephant ears bow their heads over the water. As you descend, thickets of sword fern give way to a mix of bracken, netted chain, and cinnamon fern. Royal fern and elderberries grow under a canopy of water oak. You reach the Lake Alfred Trail again at a bridge. Turn left before the bridge to follow that trail deeper into the sinkhole, enjoying the stairstep of cascades that parallel the footpath.

  As the elevation evens out, the splashing stream spreads out across the sand, accelerating downhill until it reaches the marshy edge of Lake Alfred. Perpetual dampness along the eastern edge of the lake encourages sundew, a tiny carnivorous plant, to flourish. Home to a variety of turtles and small fish, these wetlands attract passing waterfowl like great egrets, little blue herons, and cattle egrets. A short side trail provides a closer view of the wetland.

  At the junction with the purple-blazed Hammock Trail at 0.7 mile, keep right along the wetland to stay with the blue blazes. The area opens into the edge of the upland forest. Local birders have spotted a Cooper’s hawk here, a threatened species in Florida. The Cooper’s hawk has short wings and a long gray-and-white striped tail, with a red-brown breast and wingtips in black and white.

  As you loop around the wetland, you return to the mixed forest of live oak, laurel oak, and open areas with prickly pear cactus. The Lake Alfred Trail steers you up the steep hill out of the sinkhole. Your legs will notice the climb of more than 100 feet of elevation to the trailhead kiosk as you finish the mile-long circuit. Sign out of the trail register before leaving.

  OTHER HIKING OPTIONS

  1. Perimeter Walk. Since this preserve offers a network of hiking trails, use those trails to expand upon the scenic circuit we described. If you want to more than double your mileage, the 1.5-mile Longleaf Pine Trail, blazed green, provides a walk around the perimeter, hugging the fence in most spots.

  2. Open Space. Add an extra loop of almost a mile—in the open meadow above the sinkhole before you plunge down the Ravine Trail—by following the Prickly Pear Trail to the Longleaf Pine Trail. Turn left and take that perimeter trail back to the Gopher Tortoise Trail, which merges back into the Prickly Pear Trail and leads you back to the junction with the Ravine Trail.

  3. Palm Island Park (28.793528, -81.642427). In nearby Mount Dora, go birding along a mile of boardwalks along Lake Dora under ancient cypress trees.

  4. Trimble Park (28.765101, -81.651324). On a breezy peninsula between lakes south of Mount Dora, enjoy a nicely shaded 1.2-mile loop with great views and a campground.

  CAMPING AND LODGING

  Trimble Park, 5802 Trimble Park Road, Mt. Dora, FL 32757 (407-254-1982, ocfl.net), tent and RV.

  Woods-N-Water Trails, 1325 Bay Road, Mt. Dora, FL 32757 (352-735-1009, woods-n-watertrails.com), no tents.

  Lakeside Inn, 100 Alexander Street, Mt. Dora, FL 32757 (352-383-4101, lakeside-inn.com)

  Flat Island Preserve

  Total distance: 3.7-mile loop along a trail system

  Hiking time: 2 hours

  Difficulty: Easy to moderate

  Usage: Free. Open 8 AM to sunset. No pets or bicycles permitted.

  Trailhead GPS Coordinates: 28.778544, -81.900365

  Contact Information: Flat Island Preserve, 2388 Owens Road, Leesburg FL 34748 (352-324-6141, lcwa.org/open-preserves)

  Surrounded by the vast Okahumpa Marsh, the forests of Flat Island shelter an interesting mix of flora—more than 110 species, including rare trees, unusual wildflowers, and colorful mushrooms. Dedicated to Rexford and Jean Daubenmire, botanists who retired to Leesburg and fought for the preservation of this land, the well-engineered trail follows a circuit around the edge of the island’s high ground. Built and maintained by the local Highlanders Chapter of the Florida Trail Association, the trail is clearly blazed and signposted at every cross-trail.

  For avid canoeists who want to try the canoe trail—a series of narrow old canals through the Okahumpa Marsh—the Lake County Water Authority provides canoes. Call ahead and plunk down a refundable deposit to pick up your paddles and safety gear before you start hiking to the canoes, which are stored along this hiking loop. If you’d like to stay overnight along the trail—an easy backpacking trip for newbies—call the number above in advance of your hike for a free camping permit.

  GETTING THERE

  From the junction of US 441 and US 27 in Leesburg, follow US 27 south for 2.3 miles. Turn right onto CR 25A and follow it 1.1 miles. Turn right onto Owens Road, a narrow dirt road. After 0.6 mile, it ends at the parking area, with its large trail kiosk and restrooms.

  THE HIKE

  Unless you’re hiking after the first winter frost, apply your strongest insect repellent before setting out on the trail. Okahumpa Marsh is a breeding ground for insects, so clouds of mosquitoes will dog your steps most of the year. Starting your hike at the trail kiosk, sign in and follow the orange blazes. A large group campsite sits under the oaks, beyond the picnic table. Fresh water is available from a spigot behind the kiosk. Past the memorial to the Daubenmires, these trappings of civilization fall behind as you enter the deep shade of an oak hammock beneath a tall canopy of oaks and cabbage palms. Monkeyflowers crowd the sides of the footpath. The trail turns into a causeway, barely above the tannic waters of the surrounding hydric hammock.

  The Island Hammock Trail starts at Signpost A, where a stone memorial pays homage to the late John Weary, a tireless trail maintainer responsible for many of the Florida Trail Association’s best efforts in Central Florida. Veer right, away from the service road, following the well-established tread into a forest of southern magnolia and young laurel oaks. Look up and down—greenfly orchids cling to the trees, and collybia mushrooms grow in crowded groups, like miniature forests.

  Crossing the service road, the trail continues through younger oaks along the edge of a palm hammock. Roots break through the hard-packed dirt of the trail. At 0.5 mile, Signpost B marks the beginning of the outer loop. Continue straight ahead to walk the trail clockwise under the lofty live oaks. At Signpost C, pass the junction with that cross-trail as the oak forest yields to a hydric hammock. Around you, moss glows green on the trunks of cabbage palms. An earthy scent rises from the swamp as you first encounter the needle palm, which thrives along the boundary between wetlands and uplands. Yellow-eyed grass and the bright purple berries of the American beautyberry lend contrast to the deep green landscape. A slight elevation returns the trail to the hardwood forest, with its sandy floor and tall oaks. The bark of a southern magnolia hides under an array of air plants. The canopy opens, allowing more sunlight to the forest floor and encouraging the understory to grow. Wild coffee, winged sumac, and greenbrier compete for the spaces between the saw palmettos.

  Floodplain forest along the boardwalk

  Lush hardwood hammock along the Island Hammock Trail

  After 1.1 miles, you’ll reach a sign with a canoe symbol. That side trail leads to where the rental canoes are stored. Continue along the main trail, and you’ll reach the boardwalk that leads to the canoe launch. It’s worth the side trip. Interpretive signs point out many of the typical flora in the swamp, including bald cypress, cinnamon ferns, and royal ferns. The trail ends on the floating launch above the dark waters of the canal. Walk back to the main trail and turn left.

  The trail continues through oak and palm hammocks. Downed palm fronds can sometimes obscure the footpath. At 1.6 miles, Signpost E marks the final cross-trail. Continue past it into a thicket of needle palms, royal ferns, and marsh ferns. The trail is prone to flooding in this section, as the swamp creeps up close on both sides.

  Reaching the western
edge of Flat Island, the trail veers right. Mosses and lichens cover the trees, whose roots are frequently flooded. The tall rotting stump covered with blue patches is the remains of a bluejack oak. Patches of lichen cover the bark of the water oaks and magnolias. The trail veer rights, now following the north edge of the island. Crossing a 1-foot-wide ditch lined with cabbage palms, it returns to higher ground, carpeted with the fallen needles of tall slash pines. In the moist earth, mushrooms abound, including clusters of jack o’lantern mushrooms. The turnoff to the primitive campsite is at 2.1 miles. Sheltered by a canopy of oaks and magnolias, the campsite provides benches and a pitcher pump.

  As the trail elevation drops slightly, the scenery changes. The sparse understory gives way to dense saw palmetto and the canopy shifts to cabbage palms and laurel oaks. Needle palms rise along both sides of the trail. At Signpost F, you pass the cross-trail from Signpost E. Continue straight ahead, entering a forest of younger live oaks, sweetgum, and southern magnolia. Their supple limbs braid an arbor over the trail. A little farther along, hickory trees drop their bounty of nuts onto the trail. Each nut consists of two layers—a soft exterior skin and a tough, thick inner shell that hides the nutmeat.

  When you reach Signpost D, you’ve hiked 2.9 miles. The cross-trail from Signpost C meets up with the main trail. Pass it by as the trail stays close to the edge of the island, skirting a broad expanse of swamp dense with bald cypress and cabbage palms. The trail crosses the service road, returning to the end of the loop at Signpost B. Turn left to retrace your incoming route across the causeway to the entrance, past Signpost A. Ending your 3.7-mile hike at the trail kiosk, sign the trail register before you leave.

  OTHER HIKING OPTIONS

  1. C–D or E–F Loop. Instead of following the full perimeter of the trail around Flat Island, shorten the hike by taking either of the cross-trails to make loops of 1.5 or 2.5 miles.

  2. Restoration Area. Adjacent to the restrooms at the trailhead is a marked path into a habitat restoration area. It’s not a long walk, but showcases some excellent fall wildflowers.

  3. Corley Island Trail. At the opposite end of the parking lot from the main trailhead, the Corley Island Trail provides a loop hike of less than a mile through lush hardwood hammocks surrounding a marsh. A spur trail off of it leads to a local neighborhood.

  4. PEAR Park (28.735116, -81.869879). Less than 4 miles south along US 27 is Palatlakaha Environmental and Agricultural Reserve Park. A pleasant nature trail follows the historic watershed of the Palatlakaha River through old-growth oak hammocks along the park’s northern edge.

  CAMPING AND LODGING

  Lake Griffin State Park, 3089 US 441, Fruitland Park, FL 34731 (1-800-326-3521, floridastateparks.reserveamerica.com)

  Mission Inn Resort, 10400 SR 48, Howey-In-The-Hills, FL 34737 (352-324-3101, missioninnresort.com)

  Circle B Bar Reserve

  Total distance: 4.4-mile perimeter loop with many shorter options available

  Hiking time: 2–3 hours

  Difficulty: Easy

  Usage: Free. Open sunrise to sunset. No pets permitted. Bicycles are welcome; in fact, the trail system now connects to the Fort Fraser Trail, a lengthy paved bike path in Lakeland, through a back gate. The Discovery Center is closed on Mondays.

  Trailhead GPS Coordinates: 27.989618, -81.857654

  Contact Information: Circle B Bar Reserve, 4399 Winter Lake Road, Lakeland FL 33803 (863-668-4673, polknature.com/explore/circle-b-bar-reserve)

  A gem of the Polk County Environmental Lands system, Circle B Bar Reserve was a cattle ranch between Lakeland and Bartow. It’s now home to the Polk Nature Discovery Center and one of the best places to go birding in the Lakeland area, and one of the best destinations for wildlife watching in Florida. Along the shores of Lake Hancock, this former ranch has undergone extensive restoration to bring back the wetlands that originally filled the low-lying areas closest to the lake. Trails with benches and covered shelters top the berms. Enjoy a relaxed pace around this loop to appreciate the diversity of wildlife that depends on the marshes for survival.

  GETTING THERE

  From I-4, take the Polk Parkway to exit at FL 540 (Winter Lake Road). Follow FL 540 west. It zigzags and turns near the municipal dump before entering a tunnel of forests and swamps. Watch for the park entrance on the left. Follow the entrance road deep into the preserve to the large parking area at the Nature Discovery Center, home to the main trailhead from which the trail system radiates. Two smaller parking areas also provide access to the Treefrog Trail (27.995025, -81.865039) and the Lost Bridge Trail (27.991597, -81.860553).

  THE HIKE

  If the Nature Discovery Center is open, stop in to acquaint yourself with the habitats and their inhabitants before you start your hike. The trail begins at the TRAIL STARTS HERE sign just past the kiosk, which has maps. Meet a T intersection with a sidewalk for the Shady Oak Trail and turn left. The sidewalk ends, but the trail continues, becoming a natural footpath near an interpretive sign about the wetlands. One of the more misunderstood habitats in Florida—or so it would seem given the green light to destroy them for development—wetlands serve as natural filtration systems, with grasses and algae that can chemically break down substances like cow patties (or the outflow of a sewage treatment plant) and render them less harmful.

  In the early morning hours, the sun streams through live oaks draped in Spanish moss, the grass below making you feel like you’re walking in a park instead of a forest. Such is the nature of reclaiming natural habitats. Past a connector with the Lost Trail, there is a bench. Circle B Bar Reserve does an excellent job of education, from the markers you’ll find along all the trails to the top-notch nature center, so this is a great destination for homeschoolers and families, in general, to gently immerse their children in Florida’s native habitats. It’s very much an outdoor classroom, as may be seen from the groupings of benches where a small field trip group can sit down and talk about what they see around them.

  After you cross the footbridge, the trail intersects with a crushed-shell road and becomes Alligator Alley at 0.5 mile. Paying homage to one of the well-known crossings of the Everglades, this footpath leads you through a shady tunnel of moss-laden oaks and red maples along the shore of Lake Hancock. Measuring equipment monitors the health and depth of the lake. A wooden walkway leads left to a canopied observation deck on the lake. Sit still and watch, and you may see alligators cruising offshore. More benches provide places to pause and enjoy the view, most notably a very open spot at 1.2 miles next to a little cove. As the trail leaves the lakeshore, it continues along restored marshes on a narrow berm with a canal. Cypress rise from the shallows to your right. A Florida cooter turtle basks on a fallen log while a great egret spears a small fish. Moss-draped trees still provide patches of shade.

  Anhinga swallowing its fresh catch

  The trail comes to a four-way intersection at 1.8 miles. To stay to the perimeter, take a left to follow the Eagle Roost Trail. The open water here is a prime birding spot. Look for purple gallinules and coots, and wading birds along the edges. Passing a concrete water trough, the trail enters an open field under restoration to scrubby flatwoods. An eagle nest is clearly visible in the top of a tall longleaf pine. It’s the main reason for walking along this loop, along with the extensive views across the marshes.

  At 2.6 miles, the trail curves past a junction with a 0.8-mile side trail leading to the paved Fort Fraser Trail, a bike path between Bartow and Lakeland that’s part of a larger network of paved trails through Polk County. This entrance provides cyclists with an easy way to come in and explore the wetlands. Past this junction, the trail heads through the middle of the wetlands on a berm, providing magnificent views across the open water along Wading Bird Way.

  As it passes Marsh Rabbit Run coming in from the left, Wading Bird Way continues along another stretch of open wetlands. A cormorant rests on the shore, drying its wings in the morning sun to the delight of a flock of photographers. At 3.3 miles, y
ou see an old windmill and reach the junction with the Windmill Whisper Trail. Turn right and walk down the oak-lined path through the uplands. The entrance road is straight ahead when you reach the Treefrog Trail. Make a right at that kiosk to walk beneath the shade of the live oaks, their curved limbs hosting thick jungles of resurrection fern. Reaching the junction with the Heron Hideout Trail, continue straight back onto the Shady Oak Trail to return to the beginning of the loop, where the recycled-surface footpath comes in from the left. Turn left to exit and complete this 4.4-mile hike.

  Marshes in bloom along the Eagle Roost Trail

  OTHER HIKING OPTIONS

  1. Marsh Rabbit Run. By far, the quickest and easiest opportunity for birders and photographers to focus on wildlife is to follow the Shady Oak Trail west to the Heron Hideout Trail, which crosses the marsh to the four-way intersection of Alligator Alley, Eagle Roost Trail, and Marsh Rabbit Run. Turn right to follow Marsh Rabbit Run, which is entirely surrounded by the marshes and has a bird blind less than 0.25 mile along the route. Expect to see a broad variety of wading birds in Banana Creek Marsh to the north of the trail, including rarer varieties like wood storks and roseate spoonbills.

  2. Lost Bridge Loop. Following the Shady Oak Trail north, turn right at the Heron Hideout Trail, using Acorn Pass to connect to the opposite side of the park entrance road for the Lost Bridge Trail, a mile-long hike that showcases the grand live oaks that grow in that part of the preserve. It returns back around to the Nature Discovery Center.