Largely developed in the 1980s and 1990s, the Orlando section of the Florida Trail roughly follows the St. Johns River floodplain in a long arc from Bull Creek north.
For close to a decade, an effort has been underway to move that corridor closer to the edge of metro Orlando, largely to eliminate the 30-mile roadwalk from Bull Creek through Deseret Ranch.
The public lands and trails we list below are all part of this new corridor, but very few of them interconnect.
Exceptions are the corridor between Split Oak WEA, Moss Park, and Crosby Island Marsh Preserve, and the connectivity from Hal Scott Preserve through Pine Lily Preserve.
At the present time, there is no viable roadwalk between other trail segments due to major highways and private lands blocking a north-south route.
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Resources for exploring the area
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About the Corridor
Radical relocations of trail corridor such as these bring a whole host of problems, particularly as subdivisions sprawl farther across the region.
Filling the gaps between existing lands is costly and difficult during periods of high market value, and existing infrastructure can cause headaches.
Split Oak Forest remains at risk of being ripped up for toll roadsFor this planned corridor, one of the biggest issues is getting across Toll 528, the highway connecting Orlando and Cocoa Beach.
At the present time, it is not at all possible to roadwalk between Crosby Island Marsh Preserve in Lake Nona and Hal Scott Preserve in Wedgefield.
Vast pine savannas are protected by Hal Scott PreserveNevertheless, a persistent effort has been underway to clear, blaze, signpost, and designate trails on public lands in Osceola and Orange County as the Florida National Scenic Trail.
This creates some confusion for people, since these pieces do not connect to the thru-trail, and with few exceptions, do not connect to each other.
Prominent FNST sign at Crosby Island MarshThe lands and trails listed below, south to north, are all a part of this future Florida Trail corridor. At the south end, it diverges from the existing route from the hunt camp at Bull Creek WMA.
At the north end, connectivity will occur through Orlando Wetlands Park to Bronson State Forest. Both Tosohatchee and Seminole Ranch will end up bypassed entirely.
Lush oak hammock in Savage Christmas Creek PreserveOrange-blazed, FNST-signposted trail leads from the south end of Split Oak Forest WEA through the front gate of Moss Park, a popular Orange County Park and lakeside camping destination. A quarter-mile roadwalk connects to Crosby Island Marsh Preserve.
While no orange blazes exist south of the Red Loop in Hal Scott Preserve, blazes lead from the northeast corner of that loop to the trail system at adjoining Pine Lily Preserve.
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.
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
Split Oak Forest WEA
A live oak tree more than 200 years old is the centerpiece of Split Oak Forest, a 2,000-acre prairie and scrub preserve near Orlando, home to families of sandhill cranes
Swamp Trail, Moss Park
Traversing the marshes that exchange waters between Lake Hart and Lake Mary Jane, the Swamp Trail is an easy hike between Moss Park and Split Oak Forest.
Florida Trail, Moss Park
Overlaid in part on the scenic Bear Island Nature Trail, orange blazes lead across Moss Park to connect hikers with adjoining Split Oak Forest and nearby Crosby Island Marsh.
Crosby Island Marsh Preserve
On an isthmus between floodplain marshes in eastern Orange County, Crosby Island Marsh Preserve provides an easy walk through a ribbon of sandhill habitat.
Hal Scott Preserve
At Hal Scott Preserve, enjoy vast prairies and seepage bogs, the Econ River, and camping under a live oak canopy—all within minutes of the Orlando International Airport
Pine Lily Preserve
In every season, wildflowers are the highlight along more than 4 miles of trails at Pine Lily Preserve, where its namesake lilies bloom in late summer.
Savage Christmas Creek Preserve
Protecting more than a thousand acres, Savage Christmas Creek Preserve east of Orlando has more than 8 miles of trails through panoramic prairie and pine flatwoods landscapes
Orlando Wetlands
For a hike filled with the flutter and squawk of birds about their daily routines, Orlando Wetlands is one of the best birding spots in the state. This 5-mile loop showcases our favorite route
Explore More!
Learn more about the existing Orlando corridor of the Florida Trail
Florida Trail, Orlando
148.0 miles. Spanning from the Ocala National Forest south through the prairies of Osceola County, the Orlando section of the Florida Trail encompasses the eastern suburbs of the Orlando metro
Explore Tosohatchee and Seminole Ranch
Florida Trail, Tosohatchee
Bridging an immense expanse of pine flatwoods bisected by floodplain forests, an 11-mile segment of the statewide Florida Trail crosses Tosohatchee WMA.
Florida Trail, Seminole Ranch
At Seminole Ranch Conservation Area in Christmas, the Florida Trail follows a linear 4.9 mile route through a string of hydric hammocks in the St. Johns River floodplain
Slideshow
See our photos from along the future Orlando Corridor of the FT