Perched well above its namesake lake, Crooked Lake Sandhill offers a scaled-down version of the upland loops at the heart of nearby Tiger Creek Preserve.
Atop this folded landscape on the Lake Wales Ridge, elevations rise to 215 feet above sea level and drop dramatically.
Descent off the ridgetopScenic views surprise along the trail’s twists and turns, a delight to hike.
Cloaked in healthy sandhill with turkey oak and longleaf pine, this 25 acre preserve has old-growth trees up to two centuries old.
Among the sandhillsResources
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Overview
Location: Frostproof
Length: 0.8 miles
Trailhead: 27.814030, -81.547815
Address: 801 Hollister Rd, Babson Park
Fees: Free
Restroom: At the trailhead
Land manager: Polk County Natural Lands
Phone: 863-534-6000
Open 6 AM to 6:30 PM standard time, 5:30 AM to 8 PM daylight savings time. No pets allowed.
Directions
From the junction of CR 630 with Scenic 17 in Frostproof, drive north on CR 17 for 3.7 miles. Turn left on Cody Villa Rd. After a half mile turn right on Wes Mann Rd. In another half mile turn left on Hollister Rd. The trailhead is on the left.
Hike
Walk through the pass-through to the trailhead kiosk to pick up a map and learn some of the background of this preserve and its sandhill habitat.
From this high vantage point, views are wide open across one arm of Crooked Lake far below on the other side of Hollister Rd.
View of Crooked Lake from the kioskFollow the worn path through the grassy upland, young longleaf pines and mature turkey oaks swaying in an ever-present breeze. The descent begins immediately.
Clusters of sand spikemoss rise from bare sandy patches. Tall grasses sport showy stalks as they go to seed in fall.
Rapid descentDrop into a forest of sand live oaks and large clumps of mature saw palmetto. Dip into dappled shade, reaching a T junction at a tenth of a mile.
The first of many brown arrows points left. Make the turn to follow a flat, broad path that feels like an old road.
Closing in on the T junctionScrub and sandhill intermingle, sand spikemoss and lichens adorning orange sands. On the edge of these grassy patches, turkey oaks thrive.
Reach a four-way intersection, or so it seems. To the left, a picnic table sits under the oaks in a small clearing.
Picnic spotStraight ahead, this road-like path simply vanishes, a man-made grassy slope topped with houses looming beyond the preserve boundary fence.
While no arrow indicates it, the trail turns right. Follow the narrow, winding footpath on a steady downhill into the sandhills.
Descent into the sandhillsWatch for arrows, as they are crucial at turns where the lush grassy understory obscures the footpath. Slender pines rise in the distance.
At a quarter mile, start the loop. An arrow on a turkey oak points uphill to the right. Climb gently towards much taller turkey oaks above an island of saw palmetto.
Ascending the hillTraversing this pretty hilltop, note the wildflowers hidden in the grass. The next arrow points past a panorama of the lake and ridge beyond it.
Swoop around a cluster of scrub oaks and through a switchback for a rapid descent. Slip into a tight tunnel of oaks, longleaf towering on higher ground.
On the long descentScrub and sandhill coalesce once more, habitat shifting at twists and turns. Weave around Spanish bayonet and scrub palmetto as the path winds beneath younger oaks.
Curve past an arrow marker over a spill of grapevines across the grass. The path becomes a mere trace from marker to marker amid the grasses and shrubs.
Keep alert to the twists and turnsAt the midpoint of the loop, your surroundings open up into an immersive sandhill. Trace its edge beneath the larger oaks past vigorous clusters of gopher apple.
It’s a favored food for the gopher tortoises that no doubt reside here.
Prolific gopher appleEnter a copse of tall oaks with scrub hickory and scrub oaks as a lower canopy, a diminutive forest.
Emerge into a corridor of sandhill where certain plants are flagged; this preserve has a high density of uncommon species.
The immersive forestContinue into stands of younger trees, ascending uphill. The footpath narrows briefly through a curve.
The climb between the turkey oaks becomes more pronounced on the sweep uphill. Amid patches of white sand, seal the loop at a half mile.
Nearing the end of the lower loopContinue straight ahead, uphill to the junction with the picnic table. Turn left to retrace your route to the next junction beneath the tall oaks.
Instead of turning right to exit, go straight towards the cabbage palm. The broad path curves to reveal an enormous tree beyond it.
Retracing the old road from the picnic tableIt’s a ficus, undoubtedly planted by the homesteaders who once lived here, and a grand example of one.
Step into its shade to examine the dense cluster of trunks making up its support system.
Under the ficus canopyA mowed path curves past it and starts uphill along the boundary fence. Views down the hill to Crooked Lake and the distant ridge persist all the way up to the top.
Follow a worn path from the end of the mowed area to the trailhead kiosk, completing this very immersive hike after 0.8 mile.
Mowed path to the trailheadTrail Map
Explore More!
Learn more about the Lake Wales Ridge
Lake Wales Ridge South of Lake Apopka, the Lake Wales Ridge is a significant landform down the middle of the Florida peninsula, with its highest hills and oldest biological communities.Video
Hiking Crooked Lake Sandhill
Slideshow
See our photos from Crooked Lake Sandhill
Nearby Adventures
Crooked Lake Prairie At Crooked Lake Prairie, the dunes of the Lake Wales Ridge meet showy prairie grasslands along the eastern shore of Crooked Lake. 
Tiger Creek Preserve Edward Bok's "Jungle," a deeply folded landscape between Tiger Creek and Patrick Creek south of Lake Wales, is protected by The Nature Conservancy as Tiger Creek Preserve. 
Ridge Audubon Center Atop the Lake Wales Ridge, the nature trails at the Ridge Audubon Center in Babson Park do a fabulous job of interpreting the unique flora and fauna of this island of biodiversity.
Hickory Lake Scrub Edging the eastern shore of Hickory Lake south of Frostproof, Hickory Lake Scrub is a showcase of unique plants thriving in the ancient sands of the Lake Wales Ridge.
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