The West Orange Trail is a superb rail trail bike path, I am grateful that a thrifty state like…read moreFlorida spends the money to clear and pave such treasures, may they continue to do so. I parked at Apopka station, which has lots of parking and real bathrooms. I did not encounter any sketchy folks, which is delightful. The paved rail trail closest to my house, Whitney ( Wildwood ) to downtown Leesburg, has few upstanding citizens and many shady ones. Many canopy shaded sections, always appreciated here in the Blast Furnace.

The West Orange Trail is a 22-mile long multi-use rail trail owned by Orange County Parks and…read moreRecreation in Orange County, Florida, in the United States. The paved trail passes through downtown Oakland, Winter Garden, and Apopka with most of its length built on old railroad alignments. This is a great trail for walking , cycling, and Jogging ! I started in winter garden and jogged almost 3.5 miles and had a nice walk back. There is a station in winter garden where you can rent bikes and even ones with attachments for the little ones. They have drinks , snacks and a park for kids as well. Parking was convenient too! I look forward to starting at new spots and biking longer trails with my family .

This is a beautiful park!!! They have bathrooms, pavilions for picnics. air pump for bike tires,…read moresun screen dispenser and more. There is plenty of parking and the trails are well maintained. I enjoyed the view from the look out tower and appreciated plenty of signage along the way.

This is one of my favorite trails in the area that a lot of people don't really know about. It is…read morean easy pathway to walk and varies from gravel to paved and then even into just grass. You do need to watch the weather because if you're trying to do the loop it can get a little too marshy back there to make it possible. Bring bug spray. The horseflies almost carried me away. If you'd like to look at nature and just get outside and walk this is a great spot to do it. Watch your footing because some of the spots do get a little slick.

We came out here for a weekend getaway from the daily grind. The campsites are remote and are…read moreseparated by one or more miles from each other. Most sites are primitive; however, there are a few sites with a bathroom nearby (with no running water). We booked the Bunk Group Campsite for seven people and two nights at $50. The price fluctuates based on how many cars will be at the site. Campers can bring their own wood but it has to be from the FL region. Campers are also encouraged to use the deadwood that can be found throughout the park. All of the roadways are a combination of sand, dirt, and gravel, so your vehicle will get dirty and muddy in some areas. Getting to our site for the first time was a bit confusing because the directions are not very clear and Google maps have not been updated to show most of the trails. If you are coming in from SR 46 you can take Wekiva River Rd into the state park or if you coming from SR 44, you take Brantley Branch Rd into the state park; from there it takes some work to figure out where you are and where you are going. Note: There is a locked gate at both entrances for the trailheads; the code can be retrieved from forestry services once you pay for a site or receive a day permit. Otherwise, guests are limited to the parking area, hiking, bicycling, and horse-riding trails. I believe there are free walk-up campsites however you need to get a permit to leave your vehicle in the lot overnight. The Bunk Group Campsite was great. There was a bathroom close to the camp, lots of space available for multiple tents, and a big screened-in Bunk House area where campers could sleep in wooden bunks and cook/prepare food out of the elements. It is very quiet and peaceful out here, other than the occasional plane that would fly over. Now that I know my way around the park, I look forward to returning for another camping trip. Next time, I would like to stay another night or two. It's a lot of work to drag all of this food and gear out to the middle of nowhere then turn around a pack it up again a day or two later. There are several freshwater springs that you can hike to but we had to go off-trail and into the heavy brush to find them. The largest body of water we had time to visit was Black Water Camp, this is most likely the best spot to fish. Other than that, most of the creeks were swampy this time of year. If you're looking for that off-grid get away from the concrete jungle, then I highly recommend hiking or camping at the Seminole State Forest.

Excellent place if you like hiking and horseback riding. The Bear Pond Trailhead is right on SR46…read moreand it gives you access to Bear Pond and miles of hiking. One can fish at Bear Pond from the fishing pier but one cannot launch boats. There is a trail surrounding the pond but I'm not sure if there are any entry points to fish from the trail. The hiking trail goes through a variety of landscapes. From swap like, to pine forest, then to sand desert with palmettos. We saw a wild bunny and a snake which we couldn't identify. Lots of deer and bear paw prints on the trail but we never saw any. We will certainly make it back to continue the hike.

This morning was quite the drive but overall incredibly fun. This is the perfect trail especially…read moreif you're looking for long distance trails for biking, running, walking, and skating. The mile markers go as far as 10 miles if that's something you're interested in doing. The trail is smooth and easy to exercise on. They have clean bathrooms and plenty of parking. Overall a really nice and clean environment I would recommend to anyone in the area or someone looking to explore outside of their own town.

A great walking trail in Sorrento with paved and wide trails. There are benches along the way…read morehowever there is very little shade. There is plenty of parking at both ends of the trail. There are no restrooms or water fountains on the trail but there are restrooms at the Orange county end of the trail. The trail is approximately 2.5 miles long and goes from Lake County to Orange County. Horses and bikes are allowed on the trails, bikers yield to hikers and horses and hikers yield to horses. The trails passed through multiple Florida, ecosystems, including sand, pine, scrub, pine, flat woods, and wetlands. Although we did not see any, deer and tortoises can be seen at times.

The first segment of the Cross Seminole Trail opened in 2002. It has since grown to about 23 miles…read morelong. It is used by runners, hikers, bicyclists and more. With Covid still keeping things quiet this is a great place to spend time enjoying the outdoors. It's easy to keep your distance from others and the trail appears safe from end to end. Everyone was respectful during our hike and the trail was well maintained and clean.

Walk. Run. Bike. Whatever you want to do on a paved walkway, this is available for you. The trail…read moregoes behind various neighborhood and through multiple towns. It covers miles and miles so you can go on a long trip or a short one. Great for kids too!

In 1976, the county and school district approved an agreement to develop 242 acres at Big Tree East…read moreinto Soldier's Creek County Park which takes its name from Soldiers Creek that runs through it. The creek is a 7.5-mile stream flowing into Lake Jesup, located within the Lake Jesup Watershed. In 2017, 7.5 million dollars were invested into the park to create a state-of-the-art softball complex with hopes that it would attract top-notch national tournaments. Renovations included six new softball fields, bullpens, batting cages, lights, a playground, and a 3,500-square-foot building for offices, concession sales and restrooms. The park also has a pathway to the nearby Cross Seminole Trail, a recreational path used by bicyclists and joggers. At the end of the parking lot I discovered the Spring Hammock Preserve Soldier's Creek Mountain Trail West Bridge. There are actually two trails. The left one is for hikers and the right is for mountain bikers. I enjoyed a short but pleasant walk through the woods along Soldier's Creek.

It's nice to get out on a trail but this trail is really designed for mountain biking. The nice…read morething is the bikes go in one direction and hikers in the other. Very narrow path and for a good part you hear the excitement of the ball fields, so not as peaceful. For sports and biking it's good but not a short hike (only 1.3 miles). If you cross 419 there is a better option

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

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!

This particular trail is definitely a bit remote and the drive makes you feel like you are heading…read moreto the middle of nowhere. The parking lot is very small and a sign advises that parking on the street is not allowed and if the parking lot is full, you should just leave and come back at another time. Fortunately for me, the parking lot was empty and I parked my car and enjoyed a pleasant walk through the woods. The path itself is both on dirt and on a wooden boardwalk. It was quiet with the exception of nature's sounds (such as the occasional cry of a bird). I enjoyed the seclusion and the feeling that I was far away from civilization when in reality, I was just outside of the city of Orlando, Florida. This is an amazing little path and the true definition of a hidden gem. I would recommend a visit here and if you find the parking lot full, I would recommend that you follow the advice on the sign and come back another day.

Great hike. Hidden gem was great die a family hike. Shade…read morewill be super nice in the summer heat. We will be back.