In the basin where Mills Creek drains from Lake Mills into a bowl of marshlands, the Florida Trail burrows into a diverse array of habitats.
Ancient oaks bend under the weight of Spanish moss. Prickly pear cactus thrives on bright white sands. Bromeliads cluster in lush hardwood hammocks.
Boardwalk through fernsBut the most compelling part of this 2 mile segment are the long boardwalks that immerse you in a fairyland of giant ferns.
A designated campsite and a picnic table provide amenities for both day hikers and backpackers connecting the trail across two state forests.
Wiley Dykes Sr. CampsiteWe describe this south to north as a linear walk for the sake of section hikers.
The only official trailhead is in the middle along Lake Mills Rd, so day hikers can round-trip to both ends.
Central entry point at Panorama trailheadOur Florida Trail Books & Guides
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Overview
Location: Chuluota
Length: 2 miles
Trailhead: 28.636131, -81.100533
Fees: Free
Restroom: None
Land manager: National Forests in Florida
Phone: 850-523-8500
Leashed dogs welcome. Pack out all trash.
Directions
28.636159,-81.100617
28.627279, -81.092414
28.652761, -81.096781
From downtown Oviedo, drive 6.2 miles east along CR 419 (Chuluota Rd). Make a left on Lake Mills Rd. Drive 2.2 miles to Panorama trailhead on the right. Panorama trailhead can handle a half-dozen vehicles. At the ends of this section, pulloffs provide room for one or two.
For the start point of a linear hike, turn off Lake Mills Rd at 1.8 miles onto Curryville Rd. Drive 0.7 mile and make a left on Whispering Forest Trail. The trail enters the woods 0.2 mile down this neighborhood road. For the end, continue past Panorama trailhead and follow the road as it curves into Brumley Rd. Watch for the trailside pulloff and signage on the left after a mile.
Hike
Enter the woods at a signposted spot along Whispering Pines Trail. The trail slips through an oak hammock and heads downhill.
Cross Silcox Branch on a small bridge and climb out of the basin into scrubby flatwoods. Dense stands of deer’s-tongue bloom here each fall.
Entry point off Whispering Pines TrailThe habitat shifts to a mature scrub, with sand pines and scrub oaks. Continue along a curving slope thick with ferns.
Diminutive scrub comes next, where the tiny oaks and fluffy sand pines offer no shade. Tufts of deer moss rise from blinding white sand.
Scrub habitatWalk through sandhills with wiregrass and longleaf pines, some in the grass stage, where they look like green wiregrass.
Rusty lyonia and shiny lyonia as another shift surrounds the trail with scrubby flatwoods.
Sandhills meet scrubby flatwoodsDescend into a hardwood forest, the footpath narrowing as it curves under massive southern magnolia and hickory trees.
Reach Mills Creek at 0.6 mile. A beautiful tannic stream, it serves as a water source for backpackers at the campsite. Cross the bridge carefully.
Mills CreekClimbing steeply out of the creek basin, reach level ground and a sign for the Wiley Dykes Sr. campsite, set down a short blue blaze on the left.
A legendary Florida Trail Association volunteer, Wiley was the driving force behind establishing the Florida Trail across the Orlando metro in the 70s, 80s, and 90s.
Campsite side trailJog through a laurel oak forest, kicking through big southern magnolia leaves. The understory is open, so watch for blazing and a worn path.
Pasture is visible in the distance. The footpath becomes rooty before a small plank bridge crossing the outflow of a bayhead, a quarter mile past the campsite.
Bridge at bayheadExit the bayhead, joining a stretch of scrubby flatwoods up to a stand of pond pine near a fence.
Follow the trail in the impression of an old road next to the fence to meet the blue blazed side trail to Panorama trailhead at 0.8 mile.
Panorama Trailhead junctionContinue past it along the fenceline to cross old Panorama Rd itself, squeezing through a gate created out of an old piece of fence.
Climb uphill through an oak hammock. Side trails can be confusing. At one point there is a fork in the footpath; keep left per the blazes ahead.
Trail forkOn the descent beneath the delightfully shady canopy of oaks, the understory surrounding the trail becomes denser.
Pop out into an open meadow at 1.4 miles, where a set of picnic tables take advantage of the shade of a large oak.
Picnic spot in the shadeCrossing the meadow, the trail returns to a narrow track through the dense woodland understory.
Swarms of bluestem palm and clusters of ferns add a jungle-like feel. Be cautious of roots in the footpath.
On the edge of the Mills Creek marshA quarter mile beyond the picnic table, reach the start of a long stretch of narrow boardwalks that zigzag between giant clumps of ferns.
No matter the time of year, this traverse is one of the most beautiful spots along the Florida Trail. But it can also be slippery.
Among the fernsThe first boardwalk ends at a small rise where swamp azalea florishes, its white blossoms attracting butterflies in summer.
The second one begins, as narrow as the one through the ferns but hovering inches over aquatic plants in a marsh.
Above the marshAt the end of this boardwalk, climb uphill beneath the oaks, jogging past a tree of significant size. Step over saw palmetto roots in the footpath.
Join a wide path beneath a live oak canopy with draperies of Spanish moss. Climbing uphill through sandhills, finish this section at Brumley Rd after 2 miles.
Broad path leading to Brumley RdSouthbound / Northbound
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. 
Florida Trail, Little Big Econ State Forest One of the most beautiful hikes near Orlando is rugged, too: the Florida Trail atop bluffs above the Econlockhatchee River through Little-Big Econ State Forest.Trail Map
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Learn more about the Orlando section of the Florida Trail
Florida Trail, Orlando Between the prairies of Osceola County and the Ocala National Forest, this 150 mile section of the Florida Trail slips through suburbs of the Orlando metro.Video
A walk-through of Mills Creek Woodlands
Slideshow
See our photos from this hike
Nearby Adventures
More worth exploring nearby
Lake Mills Park Camp beneath ancient live oaks or wander the gentle trails to Lake Mills as you enjoy one of Seminole County's nicest county parks.
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. 
Little-Big Econ State Forest Spanning from Oviedo to Geneva and Chuluota, Little Big Econ State Forest encompasses more than 10,000 acres of diverse habitats. 
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