Bounding the edge of Orlando Wetlands on its north side, Charles H. Bronson State Forest provides compelling hiking through ancient oak and palm hammocks.
To get there, however, you need to put on some miles in adjoining public lands. This route ties together a scenic loop inside Orlando Wetlands with the River Trail and the Florida Trail.
The result? A double loop through lush jungle-like habitats for a satisfying but often rugged day hike in a remote corner of this lightly traveled state forest.
A little-known bridge in Orlando Wetlands leads to Bronson State ForestResources
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Overview
Location: Christmas
Length: 7.5 mile loop
Trailhead: 28.5698, -80.9966
Address: 25381 Wheeler Rd, Christmas
Fees: Free
Restroom: At Orlando Wetlands
Land managers: City of Orlando & Florida Forestry Service
Phone: 407-568-1706 (Orlando Wetlands) & 407-971-3500 (Bronson)
Open sunrise to sunset. Hiking only. No dogs or bicycles permitted. Insect repellent a must.
Bronson State Forest allows seasonal hunting. Check on hunt dates and wear bright orange if you choose to hike during hunts.
Always check on water levels in the St. Johns River in advance of hiking. Flood conditions can make the northeast corner of Bronson State Forest dangerous to traverse.
Directions
From the intersection of SR 50 and Fort Christmas Road in Christmas, follow Fort Christmas Road north. Pass Fort Christmas Park on the left and turn right at the curve onto Wheeler Rd, passing under the Orlando Wetlands sign. Follow this entrance road to where two trailheads face each other. Seminole Ranch Conservation Area trailhead is on the right, and the Orlando Wetlands trailhead is on the left. Use either one, keeping in mind the Orlando Wetlands trailhead is gated in the evenings but Seminole Ranch is not.
Hike
Walk up to the interpretive pavilion inside Orlando Wetlands and sign in on the hike register. Continue past the restrooms and picnic pavilion to pick up the main trail,
At a Y intersection in front of the environmental education center (presently under construction), stay to the left. This main route, Wetlands Blvd, heads due north.
Wetlands along Wetlands BlvdVarious side trails branch off it. Continue straight north along Wetlands Blvd, enjoying the expansive views across open waters and wetlands.
Soon after you pass Alligator Alley on the left, the trail comes to a T intersection with Bald Eagle Blvd at 1.1 miles.
Water monitoring station on Bald Eagle Blvd in distanceThere is a shaded picnic bench here and you can see a small white building to the left. Head towards the white building, which is a water monitoring station.
Walk behind the building and you’ll see a bridge over a canal. Cross the bridge. It provides access to the Perimeter Trail along the north fence line of Orlando Wetlands.
The Perimeter Trail was part of an old Florida Trail route across Orlando WetlandsTurn right and follow the Perimeter Trail east. Within a tenth of a mile, there is a stile leading over the back fence of the park.
An FNST sign and white blaze on the opposite side marks the south end of the River Trail. Crossing the stile at 1.3 miles, you enter Bronson State Forest.
South end of the River Trail in BronsonThe white-blazed River Trail begins in uplands of pines and oaks and is very easy to follow, despite not seeing heavy use.
It edges a small grassy wetland before crossing a forest road and entering a string of old-growth oak hammocks. Silvery-hued saw palmetto arcs beneath one showy cluster of oaks.
Along the edge of the grassy marshWildlife may make itself known in this lightly traveled corner of the forest. We’ve seen herds of deer, wild turkeys, and gopher tortoises along this part of the River Trail.
The oaks crowd in closer, squeezing the footpath beneath their showy canopy. Look up to see orchids and resurrection fern overhead.
Passing between mature sand live oaksA transition from oak hammocks to a dense understory of palms occurs as you draw close to where trails meet.
By 2.2 miles, you reach the prominent junction of the River Trail and the Florida Trail at a stile. This is the connecting point with the River Trail Loop.
Palm hammock along the River TrailThe Florida Trail heads north to Joshua Creek and south to Wheeler Road from this junction, while the River Trail continues northwest to the Econlockhatchee River.
To continue along the Northeast Loop, do not cross the fence. Turn right and follow the orange blazes into an oak and palm hammock.
Four-way junction of the River Trail and Florida TrailAfter slipping away from the fence, the trail zigzags a little before it crosses a forest road and enters a denser corridor on the other side.
The surrounding habitat features ancient live oaks laden with bromeliads and ferns. Cabbage palms make their presence known as the trail narrows through tight corridors.
Ancient oak with bromeliads in its branchesCross a small bridge over a seasonal drainage. Large trees crowd more closely as the blazes lead through them in a swoop to the southeast.
Beneath tall sweetgum, oak, and red maple trees, the trail is very obvious. Chinks of blue through the winter canopy belie the location of the open St. Johns River floodplain nearby.
Oak and palm hammockOnce it arcs through a grand forest of ancient oaks and palms, the trail narrows to a slender thread in a floodplain forest, tacking from blaze to blaze across hummocky ground.
It’s here that mudholes can catch you unawares, particularly in spots where the drainage patterns from marsh to river basin are obvious. Use caution.
Be wary of deep mud in this sectionPast a permanent survey marker at 3.4 miles, the next half-mile of trail tends to be very damp, although it is punctuated by small islands of oaks and cedars.
Sawgrass and ferns creep into the trail as it barges its way beneath cabbage palms along the edge of a series of wetlands that lie to the west.
Giant air plantFollowing a raised berm around a wetland on your right, the trail reaches a stile on a fence bisecting a wetland.
Cross over the stile and continue into a dense stand of large live oaks and cabbage palms.
Stile in the wetlands areaExiting Bronson State Forest at 4.3 miles, the only landmark to tell you there’s a change in land management is an old stile with the fence cut away and an aged Florida Trail sign on the post.
Entering Seminole Ranch Conservation Area, the trail winds into a seasonally flooded marsh with dark earth and aquatic plants scattered across it when the footpath is dry.
Trail through wetlands and palmsReaching the outflow of Orlando Wetlands at 4.7 miles, the orange blazes cross it southbound atop large culverts.
Leave the Florida Trail here and turn right. Use the back gate to Orlando Wetlands to connect to the Perimeter Trail. A faded map is mounted at the property corner.
Compared to other trails in Orlando Wetlands, the Perimeter Trail is a tunnel in the woods, trapped between the outflow creek and the fence line with Bronson State Forest.
The water, once effluent from the city sewers of Orlando, looks clear enough to drink after a month of natural treatment in the wetlands. We’ve seen alligators lounging in it.
By 5.1 miles, the Perimeter Trail meets a bridge. For the most scenic walk back to the Orlando Wetlands trailhead, cross over the bridge.
Bridge for the return routeIt connects you to the North Woods Trail, which again was an original piece of the Florida Trail built soon after Orlando Wetlands opened as “Orlando Wetlands Park.”
It immediately leads into a lush cabbage palm hammock, far drier in nature than the ones closer to the floodplain but with palms and oaks of impressive stature.
Dense palm hammockThe first quarter mile is an immersion in the ancient hammock. Crossing a forest road, pass an “Orange Mound” sign near where the original FT campsite was sited along this trail. It is no longer in use.
The trail curves into another piece of oak and palm hammock, the thick canopy above providing deep shade. At a bridge, the trail makes a sharp right onto a forest road edged by wetlands.
Trail along the edge of wetlandsBy 5.8 miles, the trail curves through the woods and emerges from the forest into a small clearing with a rain shelter. It once looked like a thatched chickee.
Scale the berm in front of it to reach the curve of Osprey Blvd, the route around Lake Searcy on the Orlando Wetlands system of levees. Turn left.
Shelter at the end of the North Woods TrailFor the next mile, you’re walking along a man-made lake. The views across it are panoramic. Watch for wildlife, particularly alligators and turtles, close to the shoreline.
Flocks of coots compete for attention with preening anhinga perched in the young cypress trees. At 6.8 miles, the trail reaches an observation platform adjoined by the entrance to the South Woods Trail.
Lake SearcyAfter a look from the top of the platform — worth the climb for the view northwest, which often yields a distant panorama of bright pink roseate spoonbills in a marsh — cross the bridge.
This final piece of woodland trail is more mucky and intimate than the North Woods Trail, edged by giant leather ferns and crowded by palm fronds.
Along the South Woods TrailLike that trail, this, too, is an original route of the Florida Trail. Watch for muckholes and roots that can trip you in the damp earth.
Pass a side trail with the sign “Seminole Campsite.” If you follow it out of curiosity, it leads to a clearing with rain shelters along an old group camping area.
Seminole CampsiteThe last stretch of the South Woods Trail is in deep shade under the densely knit canopy of live oaks and cabbage palms.
Enjoy this last immersion in the natural beauty of the St. Johns River floodplain before the hike comes to an abrupt change where human-wrought landscapes take over.
Amid the large palms and oaksIt emerges at a trail sign with kiosk and a bench. Look across the open lawn to see the interpretive pavilion adjoining the Orlando Wetlands restrooms.
Make a beeline across the grass to revisit the trail register and sign out as you leave, completing this 7.5-mile loop.
Kiosk and sign at the end of the trailTrail Map
Explore More!
Learn more about Bronson State Forest
Bronson State Forest Despite more than 40 miles of hiking and multi-use trails, Charles H. Bronson State Forest is a lightly-visited destination hidden behind more popular public lands. Trails connecting with this loop
Orlando Wetlands For a hike filled with the flutter and squawk of birds, Orlando Wetlands is one of the best birding spots in the state. This 5-mile loop follows our favorite route.
Bronson River Trail Loop In a lush subtropical jungle along the St Johns River floodplain, the 9.5-mile River Trail loop is an exceptionally scenic route connecting three designated campsites.
Florida Trail, Wheeler Road to Joshua Creek Along this 8.6-mile route spanning the eastern side of Bronson State Forest, experience the majesty of ancient oak and palm hammocks near the St. Johns River. 
Florida Trail, Chuluota Wilderness to Joshua Creek 3.9 miles. Enjoy natural beauty and botanical diversity along a scenic segment of the Florida Trail connecting Chuluota Wilderness and Bronson State Forest. Slideshow
See our photos from the Bronson Northeast Loop
Nearby Adventures
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Hidden Pond Preserve Putting together several loops providing perspectives on pine flatwoods, prairie, swamp, and a showy pond, Hidden Pond Preserve offers a very enjoyable 1.9 mile hike.
Pine Lily Preserve In every season, wildflowers are the highlight along more than 4 miles of trails at Pine Lily Preserve, where its namesake lilies bloom in late summer. 
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