OUTDOOR ACTIVITY LOCATIONS

Potential Options for Outdoor Activities

Hiking Trails

• Big Tree Park

  • 761 General Hutchison Parkway, Longwood, FL 32750

  • Boardwalk trail through a natural hydric hammock swamp

  • See: the site of the former "Senator" and the current "Lady Liberty," a 2,000 ft. tall cypress tree

• Black Bear Wilderness Area

  • 5298 Michigan Avenue, Sanford, FL 32771

  • 7 mile loop trail (approx. 3-4 hour hike) along the St. Johns River with several boardwalks that provide passage over wet areas. You will encounter slopes, tree roots, and holes (animal burrows).

  • Possibly see: white-tailed deer, swallow-tailed kite birds, river otter, American alligator, and the Florida black bear

• Black Hammock Wilderness Area

  • 3276 Howard Ave., Oviedo, FL 32765

  • 4.5 mile loop (approx. 2 hours) hike along boardwalks through hydric hammocks, mixed-hardwood swamp, pine flatwoods and sand pine scrub

  • Possibly see: barred owl, white-tailed deer, bobcat, and eastern coral snake

• Chuluota Wilderness Area

  • 3800 Curryville Road, Chuluota, FL 32766

  • 5 miles of trails (two ~2.6/2.7mi trail options)

  • Possibly see: grey fox, white-tailed deer, coyote, gopher tortoise, great horned owl, eastern indigo snake, and eastern diamond-back rattle snake

• Econ River Wilderness Area

  • 3795 Old Lockwood Rd., Oviedo, FL 32765

  • 2.2-mile main loop trail (approx. 1.5-hour hike) will take you through habitats such as pine flatwoods, sand hill, and river swamp

  • Possibly see: great horned owl, white-tailed deer, and red-headed woodpecker 

• Geneva Wilderness Area

  • 3485 N. County Road 426, Geneva, FL 32732

  • Two main trails have been marked: The red blazes mark a 2-mile loop trail (approx. 1 hour hike) within the Geneva Wilderness Area (GWA); the yellow blazes mark the connection to the Flagler trail which runs north to south (blazed in blue) through the Little Big Econ State Forest and crosses the Econ River. A hike from the GWA parking area to the Econ River and back takes approximately three hours. 

  • Possibly see: gopher tortoise, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and grey fox

• Lake Harney Wilderness Area

  • 2395 Osceola Fish Camp Road, Geneva, FL 32732

  • Two loop trails: The River Loop, 0.9 miles, provides several scenic views of the St. Johns River. The Floodplain Loop, approximately 1.4-mile long, is seasonally flooded, but provides extensive views of the Lake Harney Floodplain

  • Possibly see: great horned owl, bald eagles/nests, eastern indigo snake, great egret

• Lake Jesup Wilderness Area

  • 5951 S. Sanford Ave., Sanford, FL 32773

  • 2.5 miles of trails/1.5 mile hike and trails may be seasonally flooded

  • Possibly see: anhinga, bald eagle, and American alligator

• Lake Proctor Wilderness Area

  • 920 SR 46, Geneva, FL 32732

  • 2.4 mile main loop trail (red); 6 total miles of trails (approx. 2-3 hour hike)

  • Possibly see: wood ducks, white-tailed deer, red foxes, and Florida worm lizards 

• Mead Botanical Garden

  • 1300 S Denning Dr, Winter Park, FL 32789

  • Multiple hiking trails, creek, boardwalk, tall pine trees, greenhouse, butterfly garden, and pond that’s home to turtles, fish and wading birds

  • Garden map: https://www.meadgarden.org/visit/garden-map/

• Spring Hammock Preserve

  • 2985 Osprey Trail, Longwood, FL 32750

  • 2 miles of Osprey Trail (less than 1 hour hike) through pine flatwoods, hydric hammock, and floodplain forest

  • Possibly see: gopher tortoise, bipinnate cuplet fern, and Okeechobee gourd

Fishing

• Lake Mills Park

  • 1301 Tropical Avenue, Chuluota, FL 32766

  • Boardwalk trail through a canopy of cypress and oak trees

  • Fishing dock