Byrdscouters Hiking Maps

The Byrdscouter, Scouting Resources from a Florda Bobwhite

HIKING MAP PAGE

I decided to combine a few of my favorite things, hiking and mapping so that I could share some of my hikes. These maps are PDF files of GPS tracks and way points plotted over USGS Aerial Photos and Topo Maps that were downloaded from the Terraserver site. No guaranty is made for the accuracy of the maps or their suitability for any use. I have not included directions for how to get there, you can use the Mapquest links to get a vicinity map. Remember, these are wilderness areas, don't forget your essentials. Geocities limits the amount of traffic on this site to about four megs an hour, if you have trouble opening the maps, try again in about an hour.

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Mapquest The Saint Francis Trail is located in the southeast corner of the Ocala National Forest in Lake County, Florida just off County Road 42. This makes for a nice day hike, there are about seven miles of trail. There are no designated camp sites or potable water sources along the trail. The northerly loop is blazed with blue paint, the short southerly loop is blazed with yellow paint. Look for the furrows left from when this used to be a farm between the parking area and the junction of the loops. There is a small sulfur spring on the southerly loop, and an old artesian well on the northerly loop. The northerly portion of the trail follows the old wagon road that went from Paisley to Saint Francis, where it intersects the Saint Johns River, you can still see some of the pilings from the old dock. The long straight section on the west side of the trail follows an old railroad grade. I have hiked this trail a few times, once I managed to keep my feet (but not my boots) dry, be prepared to do some wading during the rainy season. It is part of the Florida National Scenic Trail system.

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Mapquest The Hal Scott Regional Preserve and Park is located east of Orlando in Orange County, Florida, just west of the Wedgefield County Club / subdivision. It is a fairly large area with three designated primitive campsites. The trails are multi-use, bikes and horses are also permitted. The land is mostly pine and palmetto with some hardwood hammocks and wetland areas. The Econlockhatchee River runs through the Park as well as a few tributary streams. When I was there, you had to wade across the river (it was about two and a half feet deep) to get to the westerly portion of the park, but I have heard that there are plans to build a bridge soon. There are also a few other small water crossings, so be prepared for some wading. There are about twenty miles of trails in the park, so this could be an overnighter or even a weekend trip.

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Mapquest The Geneva Wilderness Area in Seminole County is a small, rather civilized area, boasting such amenities as latrines, two designated group (free to youth groups) campsites (with nearby showers) and a chapel. There is also the Ed Yarborough Nature Center, although it has been locked up every time I've been out (only open to the public on the morning of the first Saturday of the month). Where the trail comes close to the lakes, it can get a little wet (I've never seen more than half a foot over the trails) during the rainy season. With about two and a half miles of trails, this is a short day hike at best, although the trail system does join with the Flagler Trail, part of the Florida National Scenic Trail in the Little Big Econ State Forest (see below), giving the possibility of longer hikes.

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North Parking
South Parking Seminole State Forest in Lake County has about twenty miles of hiking trails, including seven and a half miles of the orange blazed Florida National Scenic Trail and links to other trails in the Lower Wekiva State Preserve, offering plenty of hiking opportunities. Two of the loops are in the Trailwalker program. There are also a number of horse, bike and jeep trails in the forest. Blackwater Creek runs through the area and the Wekiva River runs along the easterly boundary. Campsites along the FNST are supposed to be reserved for hikes, the other sites require reservations. Plenty of campsites (I think the Moccasin Springs site is the nicest), springs, creeks, lakes (including a stocked pond with fishing pier) diverse eco-systems and lots of hiking, what more can I say, check it out. One word of caution, Seminole Forest is open for hunting during the season, dress appropriately (think ORANGE) or visit off-season..

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East Parking
West Parking The Yearling Trail is located in the Juniper Springs Wilderness Area within the Ocala National Forest in Marion County. If you have ever read Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings book The Yearling, you know something about this trail. Even though the book was fiction, the area it took place in is real and you can hike through it. The Yearling Trail has about five miles of trails including two-thirds of a mile of the orange blazed Florida National Scenic Trail the doubling back at the east end will make it about a seven mile hike. Some of the trail highlights are: an interseting sinkhole; a small cemetery; old home sites and an old cattle dip, be sure to check out the informational sign near the east trailhead. Parts of the trail follow the old Grahamville Road, which was made with shells. The parking area on S.R. 19 at the east end of the trail is posted for no overnight parking, so if you plan to camp out here, use the parking at the Pats Island trailhead on F.R. 10 or park at Silver Glen Springs. About 3.6 miles south of Pats Island trailhead on the FNST is one of my favorite swimming holes, spring fed Hidden Pond. There is a very nice primitive campsite behind Hidden Pond overlooking both Hidden Pond and Crooked Sapling Pond, there are numerous other campsites in the area, quite a few are around the rim of Crooked Sapling Pond. Continuing south on the FNST from Hidden Pond will take you to Juniper Springs Recreation area, going North on the FNST from Pats Island will take you to Hopkins Prairie, there is plenty to see and do in this area.

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Mapquest The Seminole County Environmental Studies Center in Spring Hammock Preserve is an area I hike in frequently, mainly because it is very close to home. Most of the trails at the Nature Center have informational signs along them, explaining various ecosystems, plants, animals and the history of the area. The trails range from foot paths through pine and oaks to high and dry old graded roads to boardwalks to wet muddy trails through swamps. You can keep your feet dry if you choose the right trails, or get as wet and muddy as you want on the mud walk or super mud walk. This area offers some very diverse ecosystems. The trails between C.R. 419 and U.S. 17-92 are nice, they follow Soldiers Creek and offer some unusual bridges (no engineer designed these) that you can cross. I have mapped about four and a half miles of trails at the nature center but there are a few trails out there that I have not mapped. The orange trail on my maps is part of the Florida National Scenic Trail, I have about one and three quarter miles of it shown on the map.

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Kratzert Parking The Lake Monroe Conservation Area consists of two tracts of land.
The Kratzert Tract has a nice one and a half mile loop northwest of the parking area off Reed - Ellis Road. There are about seven and a half miles of trails in the tract, including the dirt road along the perimeter. South of the parking area the trails are rather hard to follow, they are well marked with posts and signs, but were pretty overgrown when I was there in September 2003. It is one of the few times I have had to "bushwhack" to stay on the trail. Most of the overgrowth is just high weeds, but there were a few areas where I had to cut off trail due to large blackberry patches. Those parts of the trail that are in the woods are marked with blue blazes. The perimeter road is pretty chewed up by cattle. The tract does offer a primitive campsite, and an old shelter/paddock that may be a campsite for equestrians.
The Brickyard Slough tract is a nice area which borders a slough off the St. Johns River, but the trails were pretty chewed up by the cattle kept there when I visited. Two primitive campsites are availible (I don't know if they require "cow canisters" or let you hang a "cow bag").

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Barr St. Trailhead
Main Parking area
Jacobs Trail parking The Little Big Econ State Forest, near Oviedo / Geneva is one of the nicer places to hike in Central Florida. Most of the trails are fairly dry, with foot-bridges crossing the creeks and drainage's flowing into the river. The sections of the trail along the river offer some nice views. I have probably spotted more wildlife here than anyplace else that I have hiked. There are 12.1 miles of trails, including 7.2 miles of the orange blazed Florida National Scenic Trail (some of the FNST on my maps is actually outside of the Forest). The long straight portion of the trail running north south is part of Old State Road 13, which was never actually a road, but is an old railroad bed. There was a bridge crossing the Econlockhathee River at the old railroad trestle, portions of it were out (see FTA notice 2003-002) when I was there in October 2003 (oh well, it was a nice day, now I can say that I have swum part of the FNST, not just hiked). The 5.2 mile Kolokee Loop is part of the Trailwalker program. There are plenty of campsites, some right on the river. Canoeing on the river is popular, there are also bike and equestrian trails in the forest.

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Mapquest The Econ River Wilderness Area located just southeast of Oviedo is a nice, small area. It has some nice views of the river and fairly dry trails. Use the boardwalk over the low area next to the bayhead and avoid the most northeasterly loop if you want to keep your feet dry. With about three and a half miles of marked trails, it makes a nice short day hike, you can get in a five mile hike by taking in all the loops. There are no campsites in the area, so an overnighter is out.

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East Parking
Marl Bed Parking The Lake Jessup Conservation Area is split into three tracts, two of which have designated hiking trails.
The East Lake Jessup Tract has 1.6 miles of very nice trails, including some along an old road bed. It also offers a primitive youth campsite and an observation tower overlooking Little Gator Point on Lake Jessup. Even though there are limited trails, there are lots of wildlife viewing (and not just birds) opportunities here, check it out!
The Marl Bed Flats Tract has about 2.5 miles of hiking trail, add 1.5 miles of bushwacking and a walk along a rough tractor trail to make a loop hike like I did, note that this tract has a herd of cattle on it, making he trails very rough, wear something that gives some ankle support.

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Mapquest The Lake Proctor Wilderness Area is a nice place to hike, offering 6.2 miles of trails. The way the loops are stacked, you can make this as short or long of a day hike as you would like. The trails semed very dry, I noticed very few places that looked like they ever held water, if you don't like to get your feet wet, this is probably the place for you. The trails jump along and across some old jeep trails, keep your eyes out for the trail markers, metal disks on trees or posts. A good bit of your hike will follow power line easements and jeep trails, bring some sun protection. The spur trails leading to the small pond offer some good wildlife viewing at the pond.

TOPO AERIAL Mapquest	The Saint Francis Trail is located in the southeast corner of the Ocala National Forest in Lake County, Florida just off County Road 42. This makes for a nice day hike, there are about seven miles of trail. There are no designated camp sites or potable water sources along the trail. The northerly loop is blazed with blue paint, the short southerly loop is blazed with yellow paint. Look for the furrows left from when this used to be a farm between the parking area and the junction of the loops. There is a small sulfur spring on the southerly loop, and an old artesian well on the northerly loop. The northerly portion of the trail follows the old wagon road that went from Paisley to Saint Francis, where it intersects the Saint Johns River, you can still see some of the pilings from the old dock. The long straight section on the west side of the trail follows an old railroad grade. I have hiked this trail a few times, once I managed to keep my feet (but not my boots) dry, be prepared to do some wading during the rainy season. It is part of the Florida National Scenic Trail system.
TOPO AERIAL Mapquest	The Hal Scott Regional Preserve and Park is located east of Orlando in Orange County, Florida, just west of the Wedgefield County Club / subdivision. It is a fairly large area with three designated primitive campsites. The trails are multi-use, bikes and horses are also permitted. The land is mostly pine and palmetto with some hardwood hammocks and wetland areas. The Econlockhatchee River runs through the Park as well as a few tributary streams. When I was there, you had to wade across the river (it was about two and a half feet deep) to get to the westerly portion of the park, but I have heard that there are plans to build a bridge soon. There are also a few other small water crossings, so be prepared for some wading. There are about twenty miles of trails in the park, so this could be an overnighter or even a weekend trip.
TOPO AERIAL Mapquest	The Geneva Wilderness Area in Seminole County is a small, rather civilized area, boasting such amenities as latrines, two designated group (free to youth groups) campsites (with nearby showers) and a chapel. There is also the Ed Yarborough Nature Center, although it has been locked up every time I've been out (only open to the public on the morning of the first Saturday of the month). Where the trail comes close to the lakes, it can get a little wet (I've never seen more than half a foot over the trails) during the rainy season. With about two and a half miles of trails, this is a short day hike at best, although the trail system does join with the Flagler Trail, part of the Florida National Scenic Trail in the Little Big Econ State Forest (see below), giving the possibility of longer hikes.
TOPO AERIAL Mapquest North Parking South Parking	Seminole State Forest in Lake County has about twenty miles of hiking trails, including seven and a half miles of the orange blazed Florida National Scenic Trail and links to other trails in the Lower Wekiva State Preserve, offering plenty of hiking opportunities. Two of the loops are in the Trailwalker program. There are also a number of horse, bike and jeep trails in the forest. Blackwater Creek runs through the area and the Wekiva River runs along the easterly boundary. Campsites along the FNST are supposed to be reserved for hikes, the other sites require reservations. Plenty of campsites (I think the Moccasin Springs site is the nicest), springs, creeks, lakes (including a stocked pond with fishing pier) diverse eco-systems and lots of hiking, what more can I say, check it out. One word of caution, Seminole Forest is open for hunting during the season, dress appropriately (think ORANGE) or visit off-season..
TOPO AERIAL Mapquest East Parking West Parking	The Yearling Trail is located in the Juniper Springs Wilderness Area within the Ocala National Forest in Marion County. If you have ever read Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings book The Yearling, you know something about this trail. Even though the book was fiction, the area it took place in is real and you can hike through it. The Yearling Trail has about five miles of trails including two-thirds of a mile of the orange blazed Florida National Scenic Trail the doubling back at the east end will make it about a seven mile hike. Some of the trail highlights are: an interseting sinkhole; a small cemetery; old home sites and an old cattle dip, be sure to check out the informational sign near the east trailhead. Parts of the trail follow the old Grahamville Road, which was made with shells. The parking area on S.R. 19 at the east end of the trail is posted for no overnight parking, so if you plan to camp out here, use the parking at the Pats Island trailhead on F.R. 10 or park at Silver Glen Springs. About 3.6 miles south of Pats Island trailhead on the FNST is one of my favorite swimming holes, spring fed Hidden Pond. There is a very nice primitive campsite behind Hidden Pond overlooking both Hidden Pond and Crooked Sapling Pond, there are numerous other campsites in the area, quite a few are around the rim of Crooked Sapling Pond. Continuing south on the FNST from Hidden Pond will take you to Juniper Springs Recreation area, going North on the FNST from Pats Island will take you to Hopkins Prairie, there is plenty to see and do in this area.
TOPO AERIAL Mapquest	The Seminole County Environmental Studies Center in Spring Hammock Preserve is an area I hike in frequently, mainly because it is very close to home. Most of the trails at the Nature Center have informational signs along them, explaining various ecosystems, plants, animals and the history of the area. The trails range from foot paths through pine and oaks to high and dry old graded roads to boardwalks to wet muddy trails through swamps. You can keep your feet dry if you choose the right trails, or get as wet and muddy as you want on the mud walk or super mud walk. This area offers some very diverse ecosystems. The trails between C.R. 419 and U.S. 17-92 are nice, they follow Soldiers Creek and offer some unusual bridges (no engineer designed these) that you can cross. I have mapped about four and a half miles of trails at the nature center but there are a few trails out there that I have not mapped. The orange trail on my maps is part of the Florida National Scenic Trail, I have about one and three quarter miles of it shown on the map.
Kratzert TOPO Kratzert AERIAL Mapquest Kratzert Parking	The Lake Monroe Conservation Area consists of two tracts of land. The Kratzert Tract has a nice one and a half mile loop northwest of the parking area off Reed - Ellis Road. There are about seven and a half miles of trails in the tract, including the dirt road along the perimeter. South of the parking area the trails are rather hard to follow, they are well marked with posts and signs, but were pretty overgrown when I was there in September 2003. It is one of the few times I have had to "bushwhack" to stay on the trail. Most of the overgrowth is just high weeds, but there were a few areas where I had to cut off trail due to large blackberry patches. Those parts of the trail that are in the woods are marked with blue blazes. The perimeter road is pretty chewed up by cattle. The tract does offer a primitive campsite, and an old shelter/paddock that may be a campsite for equestrians. The Brickyard Slough tract is a nice area which borders a slough off the St. Johns River, but the trails were pretty chewed up by the cattle kept there when I visited. Two primitive campsites are availible (I don't know if they require "cow canisters" or let you hang a "cow bag").
TOPO AERIAL Mapquest Barr St. Trailhead Main Parking area Jacobs Trail parking	The Little Big Econ State Forest, near Oviedo / Geneva is one of the nicer places to hike in Central Florida. Most of the trails are fairly dry, with foot-bridges crossing the creeks and drainage's flowing into the river. The sections of the trail along the river offer some nice views. I have probably spotted more wildlife here than anyplace else that I have hiked. There are 12.1 miles of trails, including 7.2 miles of the orange blazed Florida National Scenic Trail (some of the FNST on my maps is actually outside of the Forest). The long straight portion of the trail running north south is part of Old State Road 13, which was never actually a road, but is an old railroad bed. There was a bridge crossing the Econlockhathee River at the old railroad trestle, portions of it were out (see FTA notice 2003-002) when I was there in October 2003 (oh well, it was a nice day, now I can say that I have swum part of the FNST, not just hiked). The 5.2 mile Kolokee Loop is part of the Trailwalker program. There are plenty of campsites, some right on the river. Canoeing on the river is popular, there are also bike and equestrian trails in the forest.
TOPO AERIAL Mapquest	The Econ River Wilderness Area located just southeast of Oviedo is a nice, small area. It has some nice views of the river and fairly dry trails. Use the boardwalk over the low area next to the bayhead and avoid the most northeasterly loop if you want to keep your feet dry. With about three and a half miles of marked trails, it makes a nice short day hike, you can get in a five mile hike by taking in all the loops. There are no campsites in the area, so an overnighter is out.
TOPO AERIAL Mapquest East Parking Marl Bed Parking	The Lake Jessup Conservation Area is split into three tracts, two of which have designated hiking trails. The East Lake Jessup Tract has 1.6 miles of very nice trails, including some along an old road bed. It also offers a primitive youth campsite and an observation tower overlooking Little Gator Point on Lake Jessup. Even though there are limited trails, there are lots of wildlife viewing (and not just birds) opportunities here, check it out! The Marl Bed Flats Tract has about 2.5 miles of hiking trail, add 1.5 miles of bushwacking and a walk along a rough tractor trail to make a loop hike like I did, note that this tract has a herd of cattle on it, making he trails very rough, wear something that gives some ankle support.
TOPO AERIAL Mapquest	The Lake Proctor Wilderness Area is a nice place to hike, offering 6.2 miles of trails. The way the loops are stacked, you can make this as short or long of a day hike as you would like. The trails semed very dry, I noticed very few places that looked like they ever held water, if you don't like to get your feet wet, this is probably the place for you. The trails jump along and across some old jeep trails, keep your eyes out for the trail markers, metal disks on trees or posts. A good bit of your hike will follow power line easements and jeep trails, bring some sun protection. The spur trails leading to the small pond offer some good wildlife viewing at the pond.