• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Florida Hikes logo

Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides

  • Trails
  • Maps
  • Guidebooks
  • Search
  • Hike
    • Scenic Hikes
    • Loop Trails
    • Dog-friendly Hikes
    • Hikes for Kids
    • National Parks in Florida
    • Florida State Parks
  • Bike
    • Major Bike Trails
    • Paved Bike Trails
    • Off Road Biking
    • Biking Articles
  • Paddle
    • Canoe & Kayak Rentals
    • Paddling Destinations
    • Paddling Articles
  • Camp
    • Cabin Rentals
    • Car Camping
    • Primitive Camping
  • Florida Trail
    • Plan your Hike
    • Best Scenic Hikes
    • Best Backpacking
    • Section Hiking
    • Thru-Hiking
    • Trail Updates
  • Travel
  • Hike
    • Scenic Hikes
    • Loop Trails
    • Dog-friendly Hikes
    • Hikes for Kids
    • National Parks in Florida
    • Florida State Parks
  • Bike
    • Major Bike Trails
    • Paved Bike Trails
    • Off Road Biking
    • Biking Articles
  • Paddle
    • Canoe & Kayak Rentals
    • Paddling Destinations
    • Paddling Articles
  • Camp
    • Cabin Rentals
    • Car Camping
    • Primitive Camping
  • Florida Trail
    • Plan your Hike
    • Best Scenic Hikes
    • Best Backpacking
    • Section Hiking
    • Thru-Hiking
    • Trail Updates
  • Travel
Florida Trail under dark water in floodplain

Florida Trail, Bull Creek WMA

Following a significant tributary to the St. Johns River, the Florida Trail through Bull Creek WMA showcases history and botanical beauty.

Florida Trail, Orlando      ( 28.02610, -80.96836 )      13.8 miles

173 shares

Bull Creek WMA protects over 23,000 acres of public land, primarily on the western side of its namesake waterway.

Free to the public, a system of roads and trails offer many recreational activities including horseback riding, hunting, fishing, and hiking.

Although the cypress swamps along the creek were extensively logged in the past, the remains of a defunct railway slip through them.

Thanks to the elevation afforded and the bridges that connect these broken tramways, hikers can immerse in the creek’s otherwise inhospitable floodplain.

flooded trail beyond orange blaze Flooded footpath in the Crabgrass Creek floodplain


Resources

Resources for exploring the area

Florida Trail Hikes book cover The Florida Trail Guide book cover Florida Trail small coffee table book

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: Holopaw
Length: 13.8 miles linear
Trailhead: 28.02610, -80.96836
Fees: Free
Restroom: At the Hunt Camp campground on the White Trail
Land manager: Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission
Phone: 352-732-1225

Open 24 hours. Leashed dogs welcome. Cars may be left overnight at the Hunt Camp trailhead [28.082708,-80.962234] on the White Trail.

Check ahead regards flooding. This route is not safe if water is flowing over it. Use the west side of the loop as an alternative.

Two primitive campsites are in place for backpackers. Both have pitcher pumps but are unreliable due to frequent breakage.

Footpath through palmetto prairie

This is a popular hunting destination managed by FWC. Check ahead regards hunt dates and wear bright orange if you choose to hike during hunting seasons.
 
Car and small trailer camping is available during hunting seasons at their hunt camp. Check with the camp host upon arrival.


Directions

 
To reach Bull Creek WMA, follow US 192 east from Holopaw, passing Triple N Ranch WMA. Just beyond it on the right is Crabgrass Creek Rd. If you are leaving a car overnight, follow this sometimes-rough road to the hunt check station. The Hunt Camp trailhead is on the right between the campground entrance and the gate.
 
The trailhead for the north end of this hike is 4.9 miles east of Crabgrass Creek Rd along US 192 on the south side of the highway. Parking is limited. Do not block the gate. It’s best not to leave a car overnight here.

Hike

The south end of the Florida Trail in Bull Creek WMA begins at a 3-way intersection at a stile crossing into the preserve from adjoining Crescent J Ranch (Forever Florida).

To the left, due north, white blazes mark the western side of the Bull Creek Loop.

To follow the Florida Trail northbound, turn south after crossing the stile and follow orange blazes along a sandy service road for about a tenth of a mile.

Wooden ladder stile with blazes and sign Forever Florida stile


Running parallel to a barbed wire fence, this road is bordered by an assortment of carnivorous vegetation including hooded pitcher plants and tiny crimson sundews.

At sight of the first orange blaze, turn left onto a narrower service road carpeted with grass.

Red sundew bloom and leaves covered in sticky droplets Flowering sundew


The path remains dry while it follows a small strip of land between thick swamps. Cypress trees rise from the horizon, resembling distant ridges.

Golden grasses and palmettos line the trail, interspersed with fetterbush lyonia, which may have showy pink blooms depending on the time of year.

Pines foreground, cypress background Cypress dome in the distance


At 0.8 mile, the trail veers left onto a gravel forest road for a short jog then turns right at a well-marked sign.

For the next quarter mile, the path becomes a straight cut through an expanse of palmettos, trailing off into the distance.

Distant line of cypress beyond FT sign in low scrub Florida Trail sign


Reaching the other side of the pine prairie, turn right onto a sandy road and follow the orange blazes to navigate through a series of intersections as the terrain rapidly changes.

Large clusters of palmettos and tall longleaf pines give way to scrubby live oaks and sand pines.

Sand pines in open prairie Sand pine scrub meets prairie


The trail turns right at tall sand pine on the corner of Billie Lake Road, continuing down a sugar sand service road along the western edge of the scrub.

In about two hundred feet, a curious metal column protrudes from the bushes with the words “Bull Creek” welded vertically down the post.

Sign with etched name of property from timber company days Bull Creek sign


Follow the service road for 0.4 mile to a sharp left turn, finding the Little Scrub designated campsite on the right side of the trail in a couple hundred feet.

Complete with benches and a rock-lined fire ring, this campsite is an especially scenic spot to take a break or spend the evening.

A pitcher pump is provided but procuring water here can be hit or miss.

Picnic tables and benches and fire pit in scrub habitat Little Scrub campsite


Leaving the campsite, the trail crosses a desert-like scrub habitat covered in an array of short oaks, palmetto clusters, and prickly pear cactus.

Well-dispersed sand pines rise from this hardy assortment, many of which tend to lean at a peculiar northward angle.

Leaning sand pines in scrub Scrub habitat


A little over a half mile from the campsite, the scrub ecosystem transitions quickly.

Lyonia becomes more prominent as the trail skirts around a small depression marsh and across Billie Lake Road into wide open pine savannas.

Wheat-colored grass between pines Pine savanna


The vegetation becomes more lush, indicating a clear drop in elevation towards Bull Creek.

Half a mile from the road, a bridge crosses through dense brush and aquatic plants.

In the continuing descent towards the creek, a long wooden span with benches on each end allow dry passage over soggy terrain.

Wooden walkway through marsh beyond bench Walkway with bench


Shortly after crossing a gravel road, the trail climbs onto the remains of the Union Cypress Railroad.

Constructed at the turn of the twentieth century for logging purposes, the trail roughly follows this raised bed for the next six miles.

A series of walkways span seasonally dry creeks while the straight path passes through alternating pine stands and open pastures.

An abundance of hooded pitcher plants mingle with grasses alongside the trail, including an impressively large cluster found after passing a bench overlooking prairies to the west.

a pitcher plant in the grass Hooded pitcher plant


Columns of scorched cabbage palms line edges of the old railroad as the overall landscape becomes wetter. Paralleling Bull Creek, oaks and palmettos become more frequent.

At the next forest road crossing, a brief eastward detour along the road leads to the edge of a thick cypress swamp with surprisingly clear water.

blackened palm trunk with bright orange blaze Scorched palms


In a half mile, the narrow railroad bed enters a strikingly scenic cypress dome, allowing dry passage through this otherwise sodden landscape.

Emerging from the swamp, take a sharp left turn through a field of tall golden grasses towards a shady oak hammock draped in Spanish moss.

Blaze on pine in front of cypress dome Into the dome


Winding around a particularly wet section, the pathway rejoins the railroad bed and continues northward.

It takes another quick detour west to cross Yoke Branch on a forest road bridge.

North of the bridge, the trail turns left to make a beeline through dense swamp with a series of bridges over slow moving tannic water.

Bridge along tree-topped tramway Bridges in the swamp


A sign indicates the railroad again on the north end, and the trail turns left onto a service road for a short jog.

A pair of benches covered in reflectors sit at the end of a forest road where the trail turns right into an open flatwoods prairie.

FT sign with blaze and interpretive info Union Cypress Railroad sign


Continue for a quarter mile, taking a sweeping turn to the west before reaching the north end of the Bull Creek Loop at the white trail junction at 10.8 miles.

From here, it’s 2 miles westbound on the white blazes to the Hunt Camp trailhead. The Florida Trail continues north from the junction, crossing small bridges in a palm hammock.

Wooden bridges surrounded by palms Bridges north of the loop junction


A little less than a mile farther, the footpath, now in a vast pine savanna, merges into a two-track road northbound.

When you reach the wall of trees, it marks the Crabgrass Creek floodplain. This tributary of Bull Creek frequently floods.

Don’t be surprised to find yourself wading from blaze to blaze under the shade of the tree canopy.

two track road lined with young pines Pine savanna


By 12.5 miles, the trail starts a swing to the northeast, still in the heavy cover of the floodplain.

A series of three narrow bridges carry the Florida Trail across the inky flow of Crabgrass Creek.

Wooden bridge with blaze on rail over dark water One of the bridges over Crabgrass Creek


Just 0.4 mile later along this old east-west railroad tramway route, the trail reaches Jane Green Campsite, which has a picnic table and pitcher pump.

Camping is under an open understory of pines visible from a levee in the distance used by water management staff.

Dog sniffing around water pump at campsite Jane Green campsite


Crossing a bridge over the last flowing waterway you’ll encounter in Bull Creek WMA, the trail sticks to the pine flatwoods for the last mile.

It emerges from the forest to climb the levee and guide you to a trail register and kiosk at the levee gate that leads to US 192, completing 13.8 miles.

Thru hikers at US 192 Thru-hikers heading north from the trail register


Trail Map

Florida Trail Bull Creek Trail Map
Florida Trail in orange (includes adjacent Crescent J Ranch to south). White Trail in red.

Explore More!

Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Cypress strand

Triple N Ranch

Vast pine savannas and pitcher plant bogs await at one of the toughest loop trails in the Orlando area a 7.5-mile challenge at Triple N Ranch WMA.

Marsh Loop at Lake Lizzie

Lake Lizzie Conservation Area

Hugging the eastern shore of Lake Lizzie, Lake Lizzie Conservation Area encompasses more than a thousand acres along several lakes set among a vast mosaic of prairies, pine flatwoods, and scrub forest

White blazed post in pine savanna

Prairie Lakes Loop

Enjoy the counterpoint of moss-draped oak hammocks and expansive prairies at Prairie Lakes along one of the older and more beloved pieces of the Florida Trail.

Vast expanse of prairie with blaze post

Florida Trail, Three Lakes WMA

At Three Lakes WMA / Prairie Lakes Unit, the Florida Trail traverses one of the largest expanses of open prairie in the Southeast, the Kissimmee Prairie.

Hunt Dates Official Website

NORTHBOUND: Deseret roadwalk (30.4 miles) to Tosohatchee WMA
SOUTHBOUND: Crescent J Ranch (Forever Florida)

Category: Backpacking, Central Florida, Day Hikes, Florida Trail, Hikes, Loop Hikes, Trails, Wildlife Management AreasTag: Birding, Botanical, Car Camping, Developed Camping, Dog-friendly, Florida Trail, Florida Trail Biking, FT Orlando, Historic Sites, Holopaw, Kenansville, Melbourne, Primitive Camping, Scenic Hikes, St. Cloud, Walt Disney World, Weekends, Wildlife Viewing

Have an update? Contact us.

Primary Sidebar

Our Florida Trail Books

The Florida Trail Guide

The Florida Trail GuideThe comprehensive mile-by-mile guidebook to planning section and thru-hikes along the entire length of the Florida Trail. 356 pages, $19.95 + tax and shipping.

Order Now


Florida Trail Hikes

Florida Trail HikesFifty of the best day hikes, overnights, and weekend trips on the Florida Trail, plus nine of the best section hikes. Full hike descriptions and maps, full color. 376 pages. $24.95 + tax and shipping.

Order Now
 


Discovering the Florida Trail

Florida Trail mini coffee table book cover of trail into palm hammock
Our virtual walk along the length of the Florida Trail, covering more than 1,500 miles from the Everglades to Pensacola Beach. Hardcover, 196 pages. $24.95 + tax and shipping.

Order Now


The Florida Trail

Florida Trail large coffee table book cover of trail down swamp causeway under ancient pines

Our history of the first 50 years of the Florida Trail, from its founding in 1966 to becoming a National Scenic Trail to volunteer efforts today.

Learn More

The Florida Trail App

Comprehensive logistics and offline maps all in one: The Florida Trail Guide is now also an interactive map-based mile-by-mile app by Guthook Guides.

Get the App!

Florida Trail Updates


Get periodic recaps of changes to the Florida Trail, which we accumulate between editions of our guidebook. Find all official Trail Closures & Notices here.

Hiking the Florida Trail

  • Florida Trail Overview
  • Plan your Hike
  • Choose the Right Gear
  • Best Scenic Hikes
  • Best Backpacking Trips
  • Section Hiking
  • Thru-Hiking
  • Eastern Continental Trail
  • Florida Trail in South Florida
  • Florida Trail in Central Florida
  • Florida Trail in North Florida
  • Florida Trail in Northwest Florida
  • Florida Trail for Scouting
  • Florida Trail Adventures
  • Florida Trail Updates

Florida Trail by Section

Porter Lake, Apalachicola National Forest

Florida Trail, Apalachicola

Florida Trail, Apalachicola
Florida Trail Big Bend view

Florida Trail, Big Bend

Florida Trail, Big Bend
Florida Trail Big Cypress

Florida Trail, Big Cypress

Florida Trail, Big Cypress

Florida Trail, Blackwater

Florida Trail, Blackwater
Florida Trail Nokuse

Florida Trail, Central Panhandle

Florida Trail, Central Panhandle
Eglin Weaver Creek

Florida Trail, Eglin

Florida Trail, Eglin
Florida Trail Kissimmee

Florida Trail, Kissimmee

Florida Trail, Kissimmee
Florida Trail at Rice Creek

Florida Trail, Northeast Florida

Florida Trail, Northeast Florida
Juniper Prairie Wilderness

Florida Trail, Ocala

Florida Trail, Ocala
Ocean to Lake Hiking Trail

Ocean to Lake Hiking Trail

Ocean to Lake Hiking Trail
Florida Trail, Okeechobee

Florida Trail, Okeechobee

Florida Trail, Okeechobee
Florida Trail at Forever Florida

Florida Trail, Orlando

Florida Trail, Orlando
Florida Trail Seashore Dunes

Florida Trail, Seashore

Florida Trail, Seashore
Florida Trail along a canal south of Clewiston

Florida Trail, Seminole

Florida Trail, Seminole
No Name Creek

Florida Trail, Suwannee

Florida Trail, Suwannee
Cypress Lakes Preserve

Florida Trail, Western Corridor

Florida Trail, Western Corridor

Footer

FIND A TRAIL OR PARK

NORTHWEST FLORIDA
Apalachicola. Apalachicola National Forest. Blackwater River State Forest. Blountstown. Bonifay. Bristol. Cape San Blas. Carrabelle. Chattahoochee. Chipley. Crawfordville. Crestview. DeFuniak Springs. Destin. Ebro. Eglin Air Force Base. Fort Walton Beach. Freeport. Gulf Islands National Seashore. Madison. Marianna. Milton. Monticello. Mossy Head. Navarre Beach . Niceville. Panama City Beach. Pensacola. Ponce De Leon. Port St. Joe. Quincy. Sopchoppy. South Walton. St. Marks. St. Marks NWR. Tallahassee. Vernon. Wakulla. Wewahitchka

NORTH FLORIDA
Alachua. Amelia Island. Baldwin. Branford. Bunnell. Cedar Key. Chiefland. Crescent City. Dowling Park. Ellaville. Fernandina Beach. Flagler Beach. Gainesville. Green Cove Springs. High Springs. Jacksonville. Keystone Heights. Lake Butler.Lake City. Live Oak. Mayo. Macclenny. Micanopy. Olustee. Orange Park. Osceola National Forest. Palatka. Palatka-Lake Butler Trail. Palm Coast. Perry. Salt Springs. St. Augustine. Starke. Steinhatchee. Suwannee River Wilderness Trail. Suwannee Springs. Talbot Islands. Timucuan Preserve. Trenton. Welaka. White Springs. Williston

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo

MULTI-REGION
Big Cypress Swamp. East Coast Greenway. Everglades National Park. Florida National Scenic Trail

CENTRAL FLORIDA
Apopka. Belleview. Brandon. Brooksville. Bushnell. Canaveral National Seashore. Christmas. Chuluota. Clearwater Beach. Clermont. Coast to Coast Trail. Cocoa Beach. Cross Florida Greenway. Crystal River. Dade City. Daytona Beach. De Leon Springs. DeBary. Deland. Deltona. Dunedin. Dunnellon. Frostproof. Geneva. Inverness. Kenansville. Kissimmee. Lake Mary. Lake Wales. Lakeland. Largo. Leesburg. Longwood. Melbourne. Melbourne Beach. Merritt Island. Merritt Island NWR. Mims. Mount Dora. New Port Richey. New Smyrna Beach. Ocala. Ocala National Forest. Ocklawaha. Orlando. Ormond Beach. Osteen. Oviedo. Palm Bay. Ridge Manor. Sanford. Silver Springs. Spring Hill. St. Cloud. St. Petersburg. Tampa. Tarpon Springs. Titusville . Walt Disney World. Weeki Wachee. Winter Springs. Withlacoochee State Forest. Withlacoochee State Trail. Yeehaw Junction

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
Bradenton . Charlotte Harbor. Ding Darling NWR. Englewood. Estero. Fort Myers. Immokalee. Naples. Pine Island. Port Charlotte. Punta Gorda. Sanibel Island. Sarasota. Venice

SOUTH FLORIDA
Arcadia. Basinger. Big Cypress National Preserve. Big Cypress Seminole Reservation. Clewiston. Everglades City. Fisheating Creek. Lake Okeechobee. Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail. Lake Placid. LaBelle. Lakeport. Moore Haven. Okeechobee. Pahokee. Port Mayaca. Sebring. South Bay

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA
Big Pine Key. Biscayne Bay. Biscayne National Park. Boca Raton. Boynton Beach. Coral Gables. Davie. Delray Beach. Northeast Everglades Natural Area. Florida Keys. Fort Lauderdale. Fort Pierce. Hobe Sound. Hollywood. Homestead. Islamorada. Jensen Beach. Jupiter. Juno Beach. Key Biscayne. Key Largo. Key West. Marathon. Miami. Ocean to Lake Greenway. Overseas Heritage Trail. Palm Beach. Port St. Lucie. Redland. Sebastian. Stuart. Vero Beach. West Palm Beach

  • Trails
  • Parks
  • Beaches
  • Gardens
  • Springs
  • Ecotours
  • Attractions
©2006-2023, Sandra Friend & John Keatley | Disclosure | Site Index | Work with Us | Advertise with Us
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy | Florida Hikes PO Box 93 Mims FL 32754| Contact