Established in 2012, Cherokee Point Conservation Area is all about the wetlands. More than 180 acres of former wet pasture are conserved within this former ranch.
Renovated from a horse stable, a massive pavilion dominates the trailhead, with plenty of covered space for picnics as well as an adjacent playground.
Former residential grounds now provide gentle recreationIt startled us, of course, to find a house and stable on our first visit to the preserve. However, per the county management plan for this preserve, the stable is now a covered picnic area.
A caretaker lives in the house, with eventual plans for upstairs public exhibit space on habitats found in the region.
The stables, repurposed as a picnic shelterSince our initial visit in 2015, habitat restoration has taken root around a pond established as a catch-and-release destination, and invasives have been tackled in the marshes.
Most significantly for hikers, a lengthy boardwalk now provides a scenic hike out to a levee on the rim of Lake Tohopekaliga, the marshes and shoreline excellent for birding.
Boardwalk in the cattail marshResources
Resources for exploring the area
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Overview
Location: St. Cloud
Length: 1 mile round trip and loop
Trailhead: 28.22891, -81.36687
Address: 2501 Cherokee Rd, St. Cloud
Fees: Free
Restroom: At the picnic pavilion
Land manager: Osceola County
Phone: 407-742-0200
The boardwalk is fully accessible to its end, as is access to the pavilion. Natural surface trails are not. Paddlers will need to wheel their craft to the put-in.
A large picnic pavilion provides an excellent destination for lunch, with a naturally-themed playground beyond it and a horseshoe pit.
Anglers with an FWC freshwater fishing licenses are welcome to catch-and-release in the prominent pond.
Directions
From the north or south, Florida’s Turnpike exit 240 takes you directly to Kissimmee Park Rd. From the east or west, follow US 192 to Old Canoe Creek Rd. Drive south 2.2 miles to Kissimmee Park Rd and cross the Turnpike. Continue 4.7 miles, passing through a 90-degree turn. Keep alert when passing a nursery for the turn onto Cherokee Rd. Warning signs for “road ends” and the lake up ahead are obvious at that turn. Follow Cherokee Rd for 2 miles to its end. The park entrance is on the right.
Hike
From the parking area, walk up to the map in front of the house for an overview of the landscape. Turn left.
This accessible walkway leads to a kiosk at the start of the boardwalk. Named for Frank Attkisson, a champion of the environment for Osceola County, it is both a hiking route and the way to the canoe launch.
The Frank Attkisson Boardwalk and TrailFlanked by native plantings, the boardwalk acquires railings as soon as it starts crossing the marsh, making an arc through Goblet’s Cove.
This sheltered marsh along Lake Tohopekaliga surrounds the boardwalk with a gradient of grasses, their hues distinct.
Gradient of marsh along the boardwalkFrom the prairie edge, transition into denser grasses along the wooden walkway. Before a quarter mile, an aluminum walkway leads to the dock.
Firmly in the cattail marsh, it provides access for paddlers to Twin Oaks Conservation Area, the next preserve along this side of the lakeshore.
The oaks on the far right horizon are at Twin Oaks Conservation AreaWhile the open water belies airboat visits, this platform between the cattails is strictly for paddlers.
Back on the boardwalk, follow its curves as it draws ever closer to a strip of land topped with palms and cypresses.
Approaching the spit of Cherokee PointAs the railings vanish, the boardwalk crosses prairie again before depositing you on the levee-like spit.
Turn right and follow the open, grassy path among the native plantings to the pavilion in the distance.
Natural surface trail at Cherokee PointThe trail ends here at 0.4 mile, at a fence marking the edge of the recreational portion of the preserve.
The covered pavilion has a picnic table, a prime perch for watching the marshy islands of Lake Toho for bird life.
Bring binoculars to examine the marshy islands in Lake TohoReturn alon the same route, back to the boardwalk and along it to where you began, reaching the parking area.
Head towards the stable-shaped picnic pavilion to go around the fence for the second piece of the hike.
The Pond Trail loops a man-made pondA 0.2-mile loop around a catch-and-release pond, it’s an easy walk. Native plantings hug the shoreline.
Wood storks and ibis often gather in this open area, as well as sandhill cranes. Follow the broad grassy trail around the pond.
Finishing up the Pond TrailAfter it ends, walk back through the picnic pavilion or around the side of it to return to the parking lot.
Total mileage is a mile for walking the two trails of Cherokee Point Conservation Area.
Lineup of wading birds at the pondTrail Map
Explore More!
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See our photos of Cherokee Point
Nearby Adventures
More worth exploring while you’re in this area.
Twin Oaks Conservation Area
Named for two ancient live oaks that have long guided anglers to their favorite fishing hole, Twin Oaks Conservation Area protects nearly 400 acres along Lake Tohopekaliga.
Lake Runnymede Conservation Area
Ancient live oaks provide a tightly knit canopy over the 0.9-mile trail system at Lake Runnymede Conservation Area, a 43 acre urban preserve.
Lake Lizzie Marsh Loop
In the most accessible corner of the thousand acres that make up Lake Lizzie Conservation Area in St. Cloud, the Marsh Loop is an easy 1.7 mile hiking-only loop
Sunset Ranch Trail
The 2.2-mile Sunset Ranch Trail at the Prairie Lakes Unit of Three Lakes WMA provides an easy day hike for birding near Lake Marian.