OTHER HIKING OPTIONS
1. Wetlands Walk. Focus on the Orange Trail by taking a left at the first junction with it, and a right twice in quick succession when you meet the Red Trail again. This 0.6-mile hike leads you along the Eastbrook Wetlands, which is the most likely spot to see nesting sandhill cranes.
2. Lakes and Marshes. Again, take a left on the Orange Trail to follow it along the scenic shoreline of the Eastbrook Wetlands, a large wet prairie. After rejoining the Red Trail, turn left along it, then left onto the Blue Trail, which slips through some of the most scenic parts of the preserve, including the shoreline of Lake Proctor. Where it meets the Red Trail at a rain shelter, turn right to follow the Red Trail back to the trailhead for a 2.4-mile hike.
3. Yellow Trail. Add the Yellow Trail onto your exploration of the Red Trail through the scrub forest on the east side of the powerlines to lengthen your overall hike to 5.6 miles.
4. Geneva Wilderness Area (Hike 23) is 3 miles away, so combine both hikes into one trip.
CAMPING AND LODGING
Fort Lane Park, 3301–3367 Fort Lane Road, Geneva, FL 32732 (407-349-9876), reservations required.
Mullet Lake Park, 2368 Mullet Lake Park Road, Geneva, FL 32732 (407-665-2180, seminolecountyfl.gov), tents only.
Danville B&B, 232 N Jungle Road, Geneva, FL 32732 (407-349-5724, danvillebnb.com)
Geneva Wilderness Area
Total distance: 1.9 miles in a loop with several short spur trails
Hiking time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy
Usage: Free. Open sunrise to sunset. Leashed pets welcome. Bicycles permitted.
Trailhead GPS Coordinates: 28.7092, -81.1236
Contact Information: Geneva Wilderness Area, 3485 CR 426, Geneva, FL 32732 (407-349-0769, seminolecountyfl.gov)
Across a palette of pine flatwoods, scrub, and flatwoods ponds, the Geneva Wilderness Area protects 180 acres just outside the suburban creep of Oviedo towards the farms and ranches of Geneva, Seminole County’s last truly rural corner. In 1994, Seminole County purchased the land from the Boy Scouts of America to create this preserve, and allowed group camping to continue as a tradition. The South Camp and Chapel date back to Camp Hendricks, the original Boy Scout camp that was here. Two main trails wind through the park. Red blazes designate the Loop Trail, which runs along the edges of the park’s many ponds and through a stand of pine forest that once was part of a turpentine camp. The yellow blazes provide a connection to the Flagler Trail, a north-south trail through adjoining Little Big Econ State Forest.
GETTING THERE
From I-4, take exit 94, Longwood. Follow FL 434 for 13 miles east through Longwood and Winter Springs into downtown Oviedo. Turn left at the light, then immediately left on FL 426, following it 6.1 miles west, past the Little Big Econ State Forest trailhead at Barr Street, to the entrance to the Geneva Wilderness Area on the right. The trailhead kiosk (28.708800, -81.123967) is at the south end of the parking area.
THE HIKE
At the kiosk, sign the register and pick up a trail map. The trail enters a forest in miniature—a scrub forest shaded by gnarled sand live oak. Dense foamy clumps of deer moss carpet the forest floor. Where the trail reaches a clearing for a powerline, turn left. A boardwalk out into a flatwoods pond, a 0.25-mile into your hike, serves as a fishing pier. Walk out on it to watch egrets stalking their prey along the shoreline. Small fish dart beneath the lily pads.
Flatwoods pond along the Loop Trail
Leaving the boardwalk, turn right and walk up past a building to the next trail marker, which points to the right. This is the start of the Loop Trail, which heads down a causeway between the largest flatwoods ponds in Geneva Wilderness Area. Although both ponds fade to mud during drought, they serve as magnets for wildlife when the waters return. Views are best between the pines as you come up to the marked side trail to the Chapel. Take that trail to stand at the peninsula between the two largest ponds in the preserve.
Back on the Loop Trail, an arrow points away from the ponds and into the forest, curving beneath a canopy of live oaks. Here’s where the trail tunnels into a portion of the preserve that was once a bustling turpentine camp. As the surrounding vegetation becomes denser, the Loop Trail reaches a bench near a narrow but deep cut through the forest. Turn right for a quick side trip along the canal to see several of the longleaf pines that were once regularly tapped for turpentine. Sailors relied on the sap of pine trees for tar, pitch, rosin, and turpentine. These products sealed and protected wooden sailing ships from the harsh effects of salt water.
At the canal’s end, near the property fence, notice one tall pine tree with a deep gash running more than 6 feet up the tree from its base. Beyond the fence lie several more tall pines with similar gashes. Called catfaces, these gashes provided the turpentine collector a means of “bleeding” the tree for its resin. A clay cup hung below metal strips set into the gash enabled the resin to pool into a collection basin, which would be emptied into larger containers for transport. Hikers sometimes stumble across these clay cups scattered throughout the woods. If you find one, please leave it be.
Leaving the forest, the Loop Trail pops into the open along the edge of a scrubby flatwoods near the GW 6 sign. There is no shade through this section. At 1.1 miles, an unmarked side trail leads to a rustic restroom at South Camp, the group campsite still used by Scouts and available for group use by reservation. Continue past this turnoff to a trail sign in the distance. The GW 5 sign marks the junction of the Loop Trail and the Flagler Trail. A hike along the historic Flagler Trail, which follows the former route of a branch of the Florida East Coast Railroad, can extend your trek by two hours or more. The trail is named for railroad magnate Henry Flagler. Completed in 1914, the railroad’s Kissimmee Valley Extension ran down this route from Titusville, crossing the Econlockhatchee River into Chuluota, proceeding to Kenansville and down to Okeechobee. His Chuluota Land Company attempted to sell off 11,000 acres of land in this area with little success. After his railroad line closed, the state bought the right of way to build a highway that was never completed.
New picnic pavilion at the old North Camp
Unless you’re adding on that extra mileage in Little Big Econ State Forest to the river, turn left at the GW 5 sign to continue your loop around the flatwoods ponds. The next trail junction points out another side trail to the South Camp. Turn right and follow the markers to skirt into the woods away from the marshy edge of the pond, crossing a small footbridge. Stay left at the next junction, following the markers. The path broadens back to the width of a forest road, which it’s been throughout most of the preserve, with excellent views of the two ponds. See the Chapel on the distant shore. The shoreline sparkles like rubies when the sunlight catches dewdrops on the carnivorous sundew plants that huddle near the water’s edge.
After 1.6 miles of hiking, you reach a trail junction at the GW 3 sign. The Loop Trail has completed its loop. Look for a trail marker pointing to the right, which leads you towards the Ed Yarborough Nature Center. Used mainly for field trips and Scouting outings, this building is open occasionally for public workshops and has a native plant garden. Continue along what was the Boy Scout camp’s entrance road. A side trail leads to a picnic pavilion, restrooms, and water fountain at the site of the old North Camp. Trail markers guide you up the road past the caretaker’s home, where there is a stile to get around the gate. You end up back at the parking area after 1.9 miles.
OTHER HIKING OPTIONS
1. Boardwalk Loop. Take the main trail to the boardwalk, then turn left instead of right at the junction with the Loop Trail. That will bring you back to the parking area via the Ed Yarborough Nature Center and picnic pavilion, a 0.8-mile loop.
2. Flagler Trail. Add more mileage by using the Flagler Trail to connect to the trail system in adjoining Little Big Econ State Forest. It’s a 2.8-mile round-trip from the GW 5 sign down the Flagler Trail to the Econlockhatchee River to where pilings of the old railroad bridge still stand
. You can add on the Kolokee Trail and the Florida Trail for more mileage.
3. Lake Proctor Wilderness Area (Hike 22) is 3 miles away, so combine both hikes into one trip.
CAMPING AND LODGING
Lake Mills Park, 1301 Tropical Avenue, Chuluota, FL 32766 (407-665-2001, seminolecountyfl.gov)
Fort Lane Park, 3301–3367 Fort Lane Road, Geneva, FL 32732 (407-349-9876), reservations required.
Danville B&B, 232 N Jungle Road, Geneva, FL 32732 (407-349-5724, danvillebnb.com)
Hal Scott Preserve
Total distance: 5.9 miles in a loop and three round-trip spur trails
Hiking time: 2.5–3 hours
Difficulty: Easy to moderate
Usage: Free. Sunrise to sunset. Leashed pets welcome. Trails shared with equestrians and cyclists. Backpacking campsites available with free permit.
Trailhead GPS Coordinates: 28.4861, -81.0954
Contact Information: Hal Scott Preserve, 5150 Dallas Boulevard, Orlando, FL 32833 (386-329-4404, sjrwmd.com/lands/recreation/hal-scott or orangecountyfl.net). Camping reservations: secure.sjrwmd.com/camp
As more and more natural landscapes around the Orlando metro vanish forever under a sea of subdivisions, industrial parks, and apartment complexes, protecting vast landscapes like the ones found at Hal Scott Preserve becomes ever more important. Once common throughout this region, the open pine savannas and prairies found here are a joy to hike through, a place for both expansive panoramas and tiny glimmers of beauty along the trails. More than 9,300 acres provide a buffer of public land along the Econlockhatchee (Econ) River, managed jointly by Orange County and St. Johns River Water Management District.
The trails here are multi-use and popular with equestrians, so don’t be surprised to see horse trailers in the lot. Most of this hike is in the open. Slather on the sunscreen and wear a hat.
GETTING THERE
From Orlando International Airport, drive east along toll FL 528 away from the airport, and take Exit 24, Dallas Boulevard. Turn left. Drive 2.4 miles to the preserve entrance on the left. From I-95, follow toll FL 528 west to FL 520. Drive 6.6 miles north to Maxim Parkway. Turn left and continue 1.1 miles to Bancroft Boulevard. Turn right and drive 1.6 miles on Paddock St. Make a left on Dallas Boulevard, and the preserve entrance will be on the right.
THE HIKE
Start at the gap through the fence, walking the narrow strip of grass between the fence line and the firebreak. Pine flatwoods stretch into the distance. On the far side of the gated equestrian parking lot is a large pond edged with cattails. Pause at the kiosk to pick up a map. The forest road that serves as the trail continues due west. When it curves left at 0.3 mile, double-diamond white blazes (diamonds are used to mark equestrian trails) call attention to the right turn for you to start following the White Loop into the pine flatwoods. Dew-drenched spiderwebs shimmer in the early morning light. Tall longleaf pines are sparsely interspersed in an unending sea of saw palmetto and wiregrass, a scene described by one Florida naturalist as the “palmetto prairie.” Underfoot, the trail is a grassed-over track with fine, delicate grasses, including the blooms of yellow-star grass.
A small but deep ditch parallels the trail. This and other ditches throughout the preserve were likely built to drain the land for cattle ranching, as pine flatwoods retain water. After a rain, you’ll find the next mile of the trail prone to scattered muddy puddles. Seepage bogs feed clusters of carnivorous plants. Watch for the curved form of the hooded pitcher plant, a carnivorous plant that is one of Florida’s threatened species.
The distant cooling towers of the Orlando Utilities Commission coal-fired generating station appear briefly on the horizon. Pink blooms of pale meadow beauty peek out from between the saw palmetto. After it passes a small hammock with a waterway that comes close to the road, the trail rises in elevation a little and curves right, opening up into excellent views of the open pine flatwoods. Short saw palmettos seem to stretch to infinity on your left. The blanket of palmettos comes to an abrupt halt at a wall of forest—loblolly bay and bald cypress along the meander of a lazy tributary of the Econ River. Scattered purple asters bloom amid the wiregrass.
Palmetto prairie at Hal Scott Preserve
At 1.9 miles, the White Loop reaches a T intersection. To the right, a trail blazed with red diamonds leads to the tributary. Ramble down to see it. Tall bald cypresses stand over the rush of dark water between their roots. There is no bridge to the Red Loop, an optional northern loop in the preserve, mostly used by equestrians. There is a high likelihood you will see orange blazes here by spring 2019, as the route of the statewide Florida Trail is shifting through the Orlando metro and this is one of the public lands it is expected to cross. Turn around and head past the trail junction you came in on, paralleling the river and its floodplain forest. The trail converges with the tree line, offering shade under sweetgum and live oaks. Near the top of a longleaf pine, a pileated woodpecker beats out a steady rhythm. Another outstanding panorama of palmetto prairie stretches to the east. You reach the next T intersection at 2.9 miles, this time with a yellow-blazed trail.
Econlockhatchee River at Curry Ford
Turn right for a walk down to the Econlockhatchee River. The trail drops into the floodplain forest, with an open understory beneath a canopy of sweetgum, live oaks, and bald cypress. The forest echoes with the screeches and chirps of birds—the blue-gray gnatcatcher, the tufted titmouse, and the wood thrush. Bromeliads cling to the trees. Skirt the deep mud puddles, made messy by the frolic of feral hogs. The lazy meander of the river lies just beyond the cypress knees.
Orlando residents are familiar with Curry Ford Road, but probably not with the Curry Ford, this narrow spot in the river near the Curry homestead. Travelers on horseback and stagecoaches crossed here on their way to Titusville until 1924, when the Cheney Highway (now FL 50) opened. On the bridge across Curry Ford, stand over the dark waters and watch them flow through the river swamp. The Yellow Loop starts on the far side of the bridge and is home to the Yates Campsite, 0.25 mile farther. If you’ve made a reservation in advance, camp there and explore the Yellow Loop tomorrow. Our day hike stays with the White Loop. Turn around and return to the trail junction. Continue straight ahead. The trail drops past a churned-up streambed, where small fish dart in the shallows. Netted chain fern grows in the shadows of the eroded ravine. A worn track takes off into the flatwoods to the right, which stretch on and on.
After 3.8 miles, you reach a major intersection. The campsite sign faces the opposite direction, so you won’t see it when approaching this way. Turn right to follow this forest road through the grassy prairie. Stretching into the distance on both sides of the footpath, enveloping the small saw palmettos, shortspike bluestem forms a wheat-colored haze beneath the scattered longleaf pines. The river’s floodplain forest defines the edge of the prairie. After crossing several small ditches, the trail rises into a hammock of live oak, where the gnarled branches are covered with a dense skin of resurrection fern and wild pine. Saw palmetto grows taller here, crowding in close to the trail on both sides.
When the view opens to a canal, turn right. You’ll pass a portable toilet behind a section of wooden fence. Walk into the oak hammock just beyond it. Several benches are positioned around a fire ring near a picnic shelter. This is the group campsite, a beauty spot for a break. A pitcher pump on the far side of the canal provides non-potable water. The canal ends here, dropping through a spillway into the forest and flowing into the river swamp to meet the Econlockhatchee River. This is your turnaround point. Follow the broad forest road back through the prairie. Look carefully at the center of the trail for tiny but colorful wildflowers and dime-sized carnivorous sundew plants, glistening like drops of strawberry jam.
Rejoining the White Loop 4.8 miles into the hike, pass the campsite sign. Turn right. Tall wormwood grows along the undisturbed ground between the trail and the firebreak. A drainage ditch leads to the right. After you pass the ditch, the prairie yields to flatwoods as t
hickets of saw palmetto choke out the grasses. Gallberry waves in the breeze, weighed down with a load of purplish-black berries. The forest road sweeps left past a firebreak along the edge of a marshy pond. Follow the curve to find a side path to the shore of the pond. This portion of the preserve was once a phosphate mine. The preserve’s name comes from a former president of the Florida Audubon Society who served as an environmental consultant to mining companies such as IMC Agrico, who named this, their prize-winning reclamation project, after him.
Following the road around the pond, you complete the loop at the white double-diamonds on a post. Turn right to head down the straightaway, passing the kiosk along the way. You reach the parking area after 5.9 miles.
OTHER HIKING OPTIONS
1. Campsite Ramble. For a short but interesting walk, follow the White Loop clockwise for a 3.2-mile out-and-back trip to the campsite. We’ve done this several times at sunset to enjoy the radiance of colors over this panoramic landscape.
50 Hikes in Central Florida Page 17