Located in the northeastern part of the state, Belmore State Forest spans over 12,000 acres in two separate tracts. Dozens of natural habitats subsist within this area of land management, from creeks and floodplain forests to dry highlands.
The Satsuma Trail is designated for hiking only, although equestrian trails are an option in this tract as well. A large covered pavilion stands at the day use area, offering a spot for a quiet picnic in the shade.
On the teal-blazed Satsuma Trail at Belmore State ForestResources
Resources for exploring the area
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Overview
Location: Starke
Length: 1.5 mile loop
Trailhead: 29.984940, -81.935098
Address: 4980 State Road 16, Starke, FL 32091
Fees: $2.00 at the trailhead
Restrooms: No
Land manager: Florida Forest Service
Phone: 904-529-2357
Open sunrise to sunset. Dogs are allowed on a leash.
Seasonal hunting occurs in some portions of the forest. Check ahead before you make plans for outdoor recreation.
Directions
From the intersection of US 301 and SR 16 in Starke, head east on SR 16 east for 11.7 miles, then turn left onto Turkey Trot Rd at the State Forest sign. Follow the dirt road for 0.2 miles to a large parking area at the trailhead.
Hike
From the trailhead, head eastward for a short jog before turning left onto a wide path of white sand.
The landscape is exceptionally dry, and the natural habitat is difficult to discern as it appears to have characteristics of flatwoods, sandhill, and scrub.
The Satsuma Trail is for hikers onlyThe trail is marked in a unique way, with teal-colored markers tacked to the trees.
These trail markers are numerous, which helps you navigate some of the spots where the path is not as clear.
Teal-colored blaze on a pineTurn right as the trail splits at 0.1 mile, beginning of the loop in a counterclockwise direction.
Snaking through slender pines sand live oaks and deerberry, the pathway leads to an open clearing where a picnic table stands next to a small manmade pond.
Pondside picnic tableFollowing teal blazes northward, some of the pines become more robust, surrounded by clusters of saw palmettos and golden grasses.
Although sunlight is plentiful, many of the trees have a tough time persisting in this habitat with low-nutrient soils.
Redbay saplingLizards scurry across the sand while looking for shelter from the hot sun beneath fallen leaves, or the shaded side of a tree.
Reaching a half mile, the trail takes a gradual bend, turning back towards the trailhead.
Winding across the sandDeer moss carpets the forest floor alongside other sage-green lichens, and an occasional prickly pear cactus emerges from an open spot in the sand.
At 1.1 miles, the trail crosses a forest road before entering a section of longleaf pine.
New needles on a longleafMarkers help you navigate the rows of neatly planted trees as the path splits through the middle and runs perpendicular to the planned forest.
In a quarter mile, the trail crosses the road again, continuing though the dry woodlands for 0.2 mile before returning to the trailhead.
Trail though planted pinesTrail Map
Explore More!
Video
A virtual walk along the Satsuma Trail
Nearby Adventures
More worth exploring while you’re in this area.
Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park
One of Florida’s oldest state parks and notable for its Civilian Conservation Corps architecture, Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park offers a lesson in Florida topography.
Florida Trail, Gold Head Branch
Following the high ground above Devil’s Washbasin and Gold Head Ravine, the Florida Trail works its way across Gold Head Branch State Park on a scenic 3.5 mile route
Palatka-Lake Butler Trail
With a corridor spanning nearly 50 miles through North Florida, the Palatka-Lake Butler State Trail provides paved trail for riders and an unpaved corridor used by the Florida Trail
Jennings Pioneer Trail
With elevation changes, streams, and cascades, the Pioneer Trail at Jennings State Forest is as close as you can get to the Appalachian Trail experience without leaving the Florida peninsula.