Great trial to connect to nature. Lots of wildlife and natural Floridian terrain. 10/10read more

This is a pretty nice trail. It's a 7 mile trail with plenty of things to see like the St John's…read moreRiver. I recommend coming early in the morning to avoid the Florida heat. You'll definitely feel the mugginess in the afternoon. Though it is a popular place to hike. It was actually quiet and peaceful. It's an easy trail but I wanted to challenge myself so I did it with a weighted vest on my back. In fact, I passed a few other hikers with weights on too . so if you're training for something, this place is it.

I entered at the Jones East Trailhead, which has plenty of parking and also has restrooms at the…read moreentrance to the trailhead. Walking the trailhead was relatively simple and relaxing. I did encounter a few other people (they were either walking like myself or on a bicycle). The path itself is somewhat narrow, but it was enough for us to pass each other with no real inconvenience. Little Big Econ State Forest is a pretty cool place to check out. Walking the path, it was easy to forget that you were just outside of a major United States city in the twenty-first century. I seek out these spots where I can walk through the trees and forget the troubles of living in a modern city in today's modern world. Little Big Econ State Forest is a cool place to seek out if you are looking for a respite from the hustle and bustle of the modern world.

This state forest is about a 25 minute drive from downtown Orlando. We highly recommend it. They…read moreoffer maps at the start of the trail. So lush and peaceful. The stream along side most of the trail is beautiful. There are many benches along the path that offer a nice view of the scenery with shade. We took our pups and hiked for about 2 miles. The hikes range from 3 - 10 miles. I saw they do offer camping as well. Make sure to pack some water. It was nice to see many tamiles and couples enjoying the outdoors. We loved the variety of scenery and that it has lots of natural shade throughout the hike.

Bear Creek Trail was a fun discovery on a recent trip to Winter Springs. There is a small parking…read morearea at the trailhead. From the parking area the trail radiates in both directions through a small hammock area with ancient cypress, oaks, and cabbage palms. The natural area serves as a floodplain buffer between two neighborhoods in the Tuscawilla community. The trail is maintained by the City of Winter Springs. Bear Creek Nature Trail is narrow and sandy. It runs parallel to Bear Creek. There are changes in elevation which makes it more interesting and you cross two small bridges. When you are high above the creek you have to be cognizant of your footing so that you don't accidentally step off the trail and fall. There are also picnic tables available. The length of the trail is .9 of a mile. Bear Creek Nature Trail was an easy and fun hike and I enjoyed the view of the creek. It also had the added bonus of being mostly shaded and bug free!

awful do not recommend. I couldn't even stand up from over five seconds straight before freaking…read moredirt slid out from underneath me and I fell into like 20 different rivers only like a mile we ended up like 5 miles away from where we started and I was drenched in water for how many times I fell in the creek bro. I've probably got one or 23 amoeba's in my dick right now, dude if I get sick, I'm suing the creek

Green Springs Park is 31 acres of natural land located on the north shore of Lake Monroe. The green…read morehued sulfur spring supplies fresh water to Lake Monroe from the Florida aquifer. It is one of the few green springs in Florida. Green Springs Park is a significant archaeological and historical site. Six thousand years ago Green Springs was once an important site for Native Americans such as the Mayaca. Later the Seminoles favored the supposed healing properties of the sulfur water. The Green Springs Midden, a huge shell midden once existed near where the spring run empties into Lake Monroe. Middens are a type of ancient garbage dump that can tell a lot about the people who once lived there. Primitive tools, pottery sherds, as well as remains of humans and animals were found here before the midden was destroyed for road building and fertilizer prior to 1885. Later Enterprise became the final destination on the St. Johns River for the area steamboats. The area near the spring was first settled in 1841 by Cornelius Taylor, a Seminole War veteran, former timber agent, and first cousin to General Zachary Taylor. He was nicknamed the Thunder of Enterprise for his hot temper. In 1842 Taylor constructed a hotel on the midden to attract steamboat passengers. He promoted his hotel as one of Florida's first health spas. The spring was marketed as having restorative powers for people with illnesses. By 1883, the spring was on property owned by wealthy New York wine importer Frederic DeBary, whose guests used the spring recreationally. Today the spring is supposed to be closed to swimmers but there were local kids jumping from the trees into the clear water when I visited. Pretty cool to think they are enjoying the same swimming hole used by the ancient people who once lived here. In the 1980's the spring and surrounding natural land was in danger of being turned into a condo development. After more than 20 years of effort to acquire and develop the site and $1 million investment in land acquisition and improvements, the park finally opened in September 27, 2008. Today the park has restrooms, a large picnic pavilion with tables, a playground, nature trails under the shade of oak, pine and cedar trees, interpretive signs, and scenic overlooks. This park is also where the Spring-to-Spring Trail and the East Central Regional Rail Trail connect. The East Central Regional Rail Trail begins at Green Springs and travels 5.7 miles to State Road 415 in Osteen.

What an amazing oasis this place is. There's so many hiking trails. I wouldn't even know where to…read morebegin. My visit was brief, but beautiful. I would have to take a whole day to even begin to remotely explore this springs Park. I was hoping to see the fluorescent green water, but it wasn't that way this time of year. Either due to the weather or the time of year, I'm not sure. But I will be back. I will see that water yet!

Absolutely gorgeous!!!! Very relaxing would definitely recommend this place, and we will be coming…read moreback!

If I lived anywhere near here, we'd be at this spring every weekend! There were no crowds present…read moreduring our off-season visit on 9-25 and the water was still between 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit. That is how the spring is year-round. We paid a $5 vehicle entry fee to the park, brought our own tubes and stripped down to our swimwear before walking to the start of the run (Rock Springs Run). We found ourselves a slippery rock to launch from and away we went! The current is strong, so you fly through the run pretty quickly up until you reach the "spring head". There were lots of families just hanging out here, listening to music, picnicking and the like. Once you get past that part, the current picks up again. We saw fish, birds, otters, wild turkey and a turtle during our visit. We did not see any gators, thank God! It was so relaxing and serene (aside from a few Bluetooth speakers blasting some tunes). We didn't stay more than a couple of hours, having done the run several times. The park's facilities are meager. The concession stand isn't open during the off-season, the bathrooms were borderline gross, and the lockers were old, small, beat-up and you had to bring your own lock. We opted to cover the windows in our SUV and do our toweling down and changing there. As far as outdoor adventures go, you can't beat the fun you'll have here for $5/vehicle. The water is crystal clear, and you can just float the run if you'd like. Some people were snorkeling and digging for gems/crystals and shark teeth (not sure that there are any really there though). Good, clean fun for people of all ages.

The Gardens are beautiful and a great place to reconnect with the world. We went to see the…read moreNight-Blooming Cereus. It's a once a year blooming that is amazing. The trails are an easy walk and quite beautiful. I highly recommend it.

i had a great time walking around this garden located in winter park. there was a wedding…read morehappening, a family gathering elsewhere by the river, & the whole space was buzzing w/ summer energy. there is a whole area of the garden i have yet to explore but good thing is - it's free! i was a little lost on the map, it would have been nice to have a more clear distance gauge because some of the lines look like the trail is super long when in reality it's not and just the placement of buildings/parking too. i'll be back to conquer that map !! or maybe i'll stay a while and smell the roses.

Great place for a hike walking through the various trails available. So much nature around you…read moreforget about city life for a bit. You see all types of animals and plants as you walk along, beautiful view. I love the fact that so much wilderness has not been disturbed. If you need to get away this is a lovely place to do so. So calming and peaceful being with nature. The cross Seminole trail goes through here. I love to ride my bike here then explore one of the trails. They have picnic tables available to sit and have a snack or lunch. I really hope they continue to preserve this land for years to come so plenty of others are able to enjoy.

Spring Hammock is a 1,500 acre preserve on the shore of Lake Jesup. The ecosystem contains hydric…read morehammocks, floodplain forests, pine flatwoods, and upland mixed hardwoods. Two thirds of the preserve is swamp but it also has ancient bald cypress trees, rare cuplet ferns and the largest stand of tulip poplars in Florida. Unfortunately many of these natural wonders are no longer reachable by hiking. The boardwalks in the preserve were built by the School Board for use by the Environmental Studies Center. As they fell into disrepair, the trails were closed off for safety. You used to be able to hike for three miles in the preserve. There is currently no way through it now. Since 2018 The Natural Lands Program has had plans to rebuild the Cypress Boardwalk and a pavilion and add a new rain shelter and wayfinding signage. Here it is 2025 and the boardwalk is still closed although there are signs saying the new trail is coming. According to videos on the internet, ground was broken on the project 8 months ago in cooperation with the county and federal government. The new boardwalk is being paid with a voter approved one penny sales tax addition. While the new boardwalk is being completed there is still one large cypress tree that is still reachable. You can find Lady Liberty in the Big Tree Park portion of Spring Hammock Preserve where there is a short boardwalk to reach the tree.

At 4pm, the parking lot was about empty! Still, we enjoyed the best 4 mile hike from this…read moretrailhead. This trail truly feels like you're exploring in the woods. It's pretty well marked, but it's worth having a map on your phone just to be safe. Terrain is more narrow than wide, mild roots, mostly very well shaded by trees, and actually had a little elevation variation! Loved that it took us near the river. Don't go near the water! Easily saw huge gators who also saw us and started floating our way. Gorgeous trail and can't wait to do again.

Barr Street Trailhead is honestly not that far off I'll be hustle and bustle of the Orlando,…read moreFlorida area. However, once you get upon these paths, it is easy to forget that civilization even exists. There is a decent amount of parking, however, I can see this filling up real fast. Even when I showed up here at about 7:00 a.m. on a Saturday morning, people were here and when I was leaving, it definitely got much busier. The paths themselves are pretty incredible periods they're well laid out and definitely give you the sense of getting back to nature periods as I said earlier comma it is easy to forget that you are right outside of civilization and it is easy to feel at one with nature out here. The trails are clearly indicated with strips of paint on the trees. They also have signs throughout the area on where you can call if you have an emergency. I would definitely recommend to come and check this place out. I will give it five stars.

This has to be one of the MOST beautiful state parks in Florida! Its 18 thousand acres occupy Lake…read more& Seminole counties. The park is managed by the Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection. Opened 8:00 - 8:00 seven days a week, this is where you come for excellent hiking & wildlife observation. You'll also see lots of fishing & boating. There is; however, no water access from the North end, which is where you'll find the equestrian campsites. Afraid to lose my phone on the trails or in the water, the pictures are from the web; I did not take them, but wish I had. You've got to visit this gorgeous park. It's a very special state park. I cannot wait to return!

Amazing place. Fairly easy to get to and lot of wildlife. Few trails for hiking, no horseback…read moreriding. Beautiful lake. Picnic area and I think that's about it. Oh you can camp there and they do have Occasional hunting

My family and I pass this land almost daily and we have been wanting to hike the trail. Hubby and I…read morefinally were able to on our anniversary and it was a great time. We got a little lost, but it was the company that made me enjoy the experience. I especially liked how open the trails were. There are maps and info to guide you along the way. It was like Naked & Afraid, only we were clothed and confident. One thing to watch for are the spiky stickers. It was funny and painful all at the same time. Also, there's a horse ranch nearby, so watch out for doo doo. The wildlife kept us intrigued the whole path. We might try to bring our bikes next time. If you're a fan of Pokémon Go, there's a stop and gym, also, for your entertainment.

OMG I found wild blueberries! I went with my dog and we had a fricken BLAST. I know I shouldn't…read morehave picked some blueberries but it was a one time thing