CLOSED while damage is assessed from Hurricane Idalia.
Spanning from uplands along a sandy ridge to the coastal estuary facing the Cedar Keys, Cedar Key Scrub Reserve protects prime habitat for the Florida scrub-jay.
It is one of the most northerly places you’ll encounter Florida’s endemic, endangered scrub-dwelling bird.
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Overview
Location: Cedar Key
Trailhead: 29.205068,-82.988127
Address: SR 24, Cedar Key
Fees: Free
Restrooms: Vault toilet at SR 24 trailhead
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 352-543-5567
Open 8 AM to sunset. Leashed dogs permitted. Trails are multi-use. Expect mosquitoes along the West Loop.
Cedar Key Scrub is a rare exception to the rule of no hunting in Florida State Parks, hence the reserve designation. See the link at the bottom of the page for hunt dates and wear bright orange if hiking during scheduled hunts.
Directions
From the intersection of US 19/98 and SR 24 in Otter Creek, north of Inglis, follow SR 24 west for 15.8 miles to the main trailhead entrance on the right. This location provides a picnic shelter and composting toilet. A separate trailhead for the western tract is another 3 miles west along SR 24 to CR 347. Turn right and continue 1 mile north to the small parking area on the left.
Hike
Scrub is not the easiest terrain to hike in, and the numbered road system at this state park can be challenging for off-road cyclists.
But Cedar Key Scrub Reserve encompasses enough diversity of habitats that not all of its trails consist of deep soft sand.
Hiking can be challenging in places (Chris Stevens)The network of nearly 12 miles of roads and firebreaks isn’t clearly marked at all intersections. Map and compass or GPS will help you keep on track.
Hikes radiate from two different trailheads. From the SR 24 trailhead, the East Loop circles 3.1 miles through the heart of the scrub forest.
Cedar Key Scrub East Loop One of Florida's most northerly locations home to the Florida scrub-jay, Cedar Key Scrub Reserve provides birders a quiet walk along its scenic East Loop.Off CR 347, the West Loop offers the potential for a more extensive ramble, with side trips adding appeal for equestrians. Dead-end roads spike off the main route.
A lack of trail maintenance and directional signage curbed our recent exploration of that route to the 3.2-mile balloon route shown in blue on the map.
Pine flatwoods on the West Loop (Chris Stevens)The longer 5.9 mile loop, with a side trail to a panorama of the salt marsh, may no longer be accessible.
We’ve encountered Florida scrub-jays along both loops in the preserve, but the East Loop, despite its heavy focus on the scrub, provides a more scenic hike.
Cypress dome hidden in the scrub (Chris Stevens)Trail Map
Explore More!
Video
A virtual walk on the East Loop at Cedar Key Scrub
Nearby Adventures
More worth exploring while you’re in this area.
Dennis Creek Trail At the Shell Mound Unit of Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuge, the Dennis Creek Trail immerses you in classic habitats of the Gulf Coast along a 1-mile loop
Atsena Otie Key The original Cedar Key isn't where you think it is. It's offshore, within sight of the current historic waterfront, an island called Atsena Otie Key, part of Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge. 
Waccasassa Bay Preserve State Park Spanning from Inglis to Cedar Key, this 19,000 acre state park conserves a truly wild Gulf shoreline.
Cedar Key Museum Historic State Park A museum started by seashell collector St. Clair Whitman also honors the legacy of John Muir's travels through Florida on foot at Cedar Key Museum Historic State Park.