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Path through pines and palms

Pine Island Trail

Showcasing habitat diversity along the St. Johns River basin, the Pine Island Trail treats you to ancient oaks, open scrub, and the bank of the river itself

Blue Spring State Park   |  Orange City
( 28.9426, -81.3399 )      7.3 miles

266 shares

The Pine Island Trail is an out-and-back walk to the St. Johns River around a very large lagoon off the St. Johns River.

It transitions between bone-dry and soggy habitats as it makes a large horseshoe curve to reach the river.

While it may no longer be true, on our last visit, the mileages on the signs posted along the trail overstated the distance. The map on the kiosk was correct.

Expect wildlife sightings along the way, and listen for the sounds of Florida scrub-jays.

Tall pines with thick palmetto understory Pines on the Pine Island Trail


Now that the expansive scrub forest along the park’s eastern boundary has grown in nicely, it provides a home for many scrub-families.

This is a round-trip hike of 7.3 miles, but it is not strenuous. With the exception of some footpath at both ends, most of it is along old forest roads.

Two track road under high canopy of oaks Descending from a hardwood hammock into a cypress swamp


Resources

Resources for exploring the area

5 Star Trails Orlando Central Florida Orlando Explorers Guide book cover 50 Hikes in Central Florida Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover

Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.


Overview

Location: Orange City
Length: 7.3 mile round-trip
Trailhead: 28.9426, -81.3399
Address: 2100 W French Ave, Orange City
Fees: $4-6 per vehicle
Restroom: At the parking area
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 386-775-3663

Open 8 AM to sunset. Leashed dogs welcome.

Bicycles are not allowed on the part of the trail between the trailhead and the bench at the T intersection in the scrub.

Bug spray is a must for mosquitoes and ticks. Carry plenty of water as a portion of the trail is in full sun.

John looking at tall trees over trail

This trail floods when the St. Johns River is high. If you encounter flowing water over the trail, turn back.


Directions

 
Follow Interstate 4 east from Orlando to exit 114. Head northeast on SR 472 for 3.5 miles to US 17/92 south. Take US 17/92 south towards Orange City for 1.5 miles. Turn right on W French Ave. Follow it for several miles. The state park entrance is near where it ends. Continue along the park road to where it ends in a large parking area. Loop around the parking area to almost circle all of it and you’ll see the kiosk for the Pine Island Trail on the right.

Hike

Start your hike at the kiosk, which has a rough map of the trail posted. It’s always good to take a photo for reference when starting a long hike.

The trail begins in dappled shade in a forest with a smattering of southern magnolia among the oaks and pines.

John looking at kiosk Checking the map on the trailhead kiosk


Gaining some elevation, the footpath passes under older loblolly pines, some with signs of turpentine tapping, and scattered American holly.

The understory becomes a thicket as the trail transitions into scrub under the oak trees, with towering rusty lyonia, some rising to tree size, overhead.

Path through oaks and pines Footpath through the forest


At 0.4 mile you reach a bench and a T intersection with a forest road. Powerlines rise off in the distance, marking the location of the Spring to Spring Trail.

Turn right. You pass a road leading left to a line of trees in the distance. The trail follows the ecotone between the scrub and a mixed oak and pine forest to the right.

Bench and sign Turn right at this trail junction with the offroad bike path


While you are walking in the scrub, the forest is a dense thicket on the right, and chunks of rocks are scattered about.

You soon discover why around the next bend. At 1.1 miles, the trail passes the remains of a homestead, complete with foundation and cistern.

Forest road on edge of scrub Looking back along the forest road


A family once lived here, between the railroad and the river, with productive orange groves in what has been restored to Florida scrub-jay habitat.

A spill of fossilized snail shells across the ground lends a clue that the home probably sat atop fill taken from an ancient Timucuan midden.

Old house foundation in woods Home foundation


The trail sweeps upward to the left, becoming deep soft sand underfoot as it leaves the treeline at a fork.

At the top of the hill, it passes a bench as it curves to the right and into the heart of the scrub.

White sand road climbing a hill Hiking through the scrub


Look for the blur of blue of Florida scrub-jays winging by, and gopher tortoise tracks in the sand underfoot.

Past a road on the right, the elevation drops. Soft sand transitions to a firmer footpath underfoot, a grassy road along the pond pines.

Panorama of low scrub forest Broad swath of restored scrub forest


After 1.5 miles, the trail draws close to the park boundary fence and the power line briefly before swinging away from the fence and downhill into the pond pine forest.

Reaching a bench a quarter mile later, you’re now firmly into denser forest and will remain in the shade through the remainder of the trail. Pines and oaks tower above.

Pond pine trees with needles emerging from trunks Pond pine flatwoods


You feel a distinct drop in air temperature as the trail drops down into a floodplain between two small stretches of oak scrub.

Passing a short spur to the fence line on the left, the trail keeps dropping in elevation.

Palms oaks and pines Under pines and oaks


You dip into a beautiful cypress swamp at 2 miles, with an interplay of floodplain trees, including red maple and sweetgum, with leaves that turn color in winter.

This is an important decision point. If you have to wade through this swamp, and the wading is more than ankle-deep, the trail will be impassible from flooding further on.

If the trail is dry here, or simply full of puddles, the rest of the hike should be easy going.

Cypress knees in leafy forest floor In the cypress floodplain


As the trail rises back out of the floodplain, it is flanked with massive live oaks, their gnarled limbs covered in bromeliads and resurrection ferns.

A back gate to the park is on the left at 2.3 miles. The trail climbs upwards beneath the canopy of sand live oaks into a patch of scrubby flatwoods.

Dense saw palmetto and lyonia Dense scrub understory


Pass a hydrology station for water monitoring at 2.5 miles. An abrupt change of habitat happens on the descent afterwards.

The trail leaves the flatwoods and curves to the left into the deep shade of a lush hammock of palms, pines, and large live oaks.

Oaks and palms In an oak and palm hammock


In a palm hammock, the trail continues to descend. Another shift in habitat, and there are more oaks and pines up ahead.

A cool breeze filters through the forest from the St. Johns River lagoon. It’s near, but you can’t see it for the trees.

Path in oak forest Following the path back uphill


In the next patch of slash pine forest, the saw palmetto crowds closely as the trail narrows and descends under an archway of ancient live oaks around 3 miles.

It curves into an obvious floodplain, where the lagoon is most likely to spill over into the trail. You may have to wade this short section, except in the driest of seasons.

Dark earth ruts under maple in swamp The wettest spot on the trail


Rising out of the floodplain, the trail leads into a picturesque palm hammock where the outspread limbs of live oaks form horizontal counterpoints to the verticals of the palm trunks.

This slight ridge above the St. Johns River is home to an ancient forest that envelopes the trail in deep shade from its high canopy.

Clump of saw palmetto under live oaks In the oak hammock along the river


The trail continues to narrow. A ribbon of sky is up ahead through the trees. Descending, the trail passes the remains of an old privy.

Follow the path as it continues through the former primitive campground to a rough path out to the river’s edge.

Cypress trees along the riverForest at the edge of the St. Johns River


At 3.6 miles, this is the end of the trail, at the river bank. The water marks on the tree trunks tell the story of just how much the St. Johns River can rise.

While it feels remote here, you can hear activity echoing from the boat docks and launch area on the other side of the lagoon.

Aquatic plants in foreground of river with winter forest on both sides Looking north up the St. Johns River


Since this is a round-trip hike, you must retrace your steps. Savor the slow ascent beneath the deeply shaded hammocks.

The climb away from the river basin becomes obvious as you rise out of the cypress swamp and keep walking uphill into the oaks and pines.

John hiking between cabbage palms Starting the return trip


Pause at the bench in the forest after 5.4 miles for a hydration stop before the short but energy-sapping push across the soft sand of the open scrub.

Pass the next bench at 6.2 miles in the heart of the scrub. Scan the tops of the trees for scrub-jay activity.

White sand road in scrub forest Following the sandy road through the scrub


Don’t miss that all-important turn at the bench at 6.9 miles to stay with the Pine Island Trail, where it re-enters a dense forest again.

That final shaded stretch to the trailhead is greatly appreciated. You complete the hike after 7.3 miles.

No bikes sign in front of footpath Turn here for the last segment



Trail Map

Blue Spring State Park Trail Map
Pine Island Trail is the horseshoe on the left


Explore More!

Learn more about Blue Spring State Park and its trails

Manatees in clear spring water

Blue Spring State Park

Blue Spring State Park is well acclaimed for being the best place in Florida to see manatees in the wild, and we don’t mean a dozen or two. Think hundreds.

Boardwalk at Blue Spring

Blue Spring Boardwalk

If you’ve never seen manatees by the dozens, let alone a hundred or more at once, there is no better place in Florida to watch these gentle giants than the Blue Spring Boardwalk in the wintertime


Slideshow

See our photos of the Pine Island Trail


Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Streamers of Spanish moss hanging from large live oaks

Gemini Springs Addition

Protecting nearly 950 acres of lush oak hammocks, palm hammocks, and wetlands along the rim of Lake Monroe, Gemini Springs Addition has many options for hikers

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Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge

Six miles of trails meander through wide open spaces preserved for wintering waterfowl at 21,500-acre Lake Woodruff NWR along the St. Johns River.

St Francis Trail

St. Francis Trail

One of Central Florida’s most scenic and easy-to-follow day hikes, the 7.9-mile St. Francis Trail traverses the southeastern corner of the Ocala National Forest

A stream crossing along the trail

Wild Persimmon Trail

At De Leon Springs State Park, the Wild Persimmon Trail is a 4.4 mile wild walk along the edge of habitats in the floodplain forest created by the springs

Trail Map (PDF) Reserve Campsite Official Website

Category: Central Florida, Day Hikes, Hikes, TrailsTag: Big Trees, Birding, Blue Spring State Park, Botanical, Deland, Dog-friendly, Five Star Trails Orlando, Florida State Parks, Orange City, St. Johns River

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