Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park hosts over six miles of the Florida Trail in the Ocala to Osceola Wildlife Corridor.
On the north end, the trail continues through neighboring Camp Blanding. To the south, the trail previously followed Christian Camp Road for two miles to CR 214.
When an adjacent property was purchased by the North Florida Land Trust, the Florida Trail Association was invited to eliminate the roadwalk.
In 2023, nearly two miles of trail was carved out by Florida Trail volunteers through this new piece of conservation land, Smith Lake Preserve.
The Florida Trail at Smith Lake PreserveResources
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Overview
Location: Keystone Heights
Length: 3.3 miles linear, 6.6 mile round trip
Trailhead: 29.826722, -81.952167
Address: 6239 State Road 21, Keystone Heights
Fees: $5 per vehicle
Restrooms: At Little Lake Johnson
Land manager: Florida State Parks, North Florida Land Trust
Phone: 352-316-4286
Open 8 AM to sunset. Leashed dogs welcome.
Directions
From its intersection with SR 100 in downtown Keystone Heights, drive SR 21 north 6 miles to the entrance of the state park. Passing the ranger station, continue on the main park drive for 2.2 miles to the day use area at Little Lake Johnson.
Hike
Starting at the recreation center, follow an oddly wavy concrete sidewalk down a sloping hillside to the bathhouse alongside Little Lake Johnson.
Orange blazes lead the way, descending a set of historic rock stairways to the sandy shoreline.
Little Lake JohnsonTurn to the right, traveling along a mowed pathway behind the park cabins before passing through a small oak hammock to a vista of Big Lake Johnson.
Crossing an old boat ramp for the larger lake, concrete pillars mark the route as it dips into a scrubby habitat featuring stark white sands and large Florida rosemary bushes.
Florida rosemaryAfter a short climb through a densely wooded area, the trail emerges onto a forest road in an open sandhill habitat.
In the late summer, vibrant purple and yellow wildflowers add splashes of color among a sea of golden grasses.
Reaching an edge of the state park after 1.4 miles, pass through a gap in the fence, crossing Christian Camp Road and entering Smith Lake Preserve.
Entering Smith Lake PreserveThe trail slowly descends from dry sandhill communities to patches of pine flatwoods undergoing restoration efforts.
Startled white-tailed deer bound across the path, quickly disappearing into thick shrubs while woodpeckers cry out with laughter-like calls from the treetops.
Sandhill habitatReaching an access road near the marshy shoreline of Smith Lake, turn left, following a wide pathway along sloping terrain lined with saw palmettos.
The preserve’s namesake lake begins to come into view through thick vegetation along the water’s edge.
Smith LakeAs you leave the lakeside, leaves crunch underfoot as orange blazes lead northward, ascending through a shady hardwood hammock.
The sound of distant traffic gradually increases as the trail weaves eastward before reaching County Road 214.
From this stile, the Florida Trail continues southbound as a 6.2 mile road walk to Etoniah Creek State Forest.
Day hikers will turn around at this point, walking back to Little Lake Johnson for a 6.6 mile round trip.
Pass through at CR 214Trail Map
Explore More!
Learn more about Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park
Gold Head Branch State Park One of Florida's oldest state parks and notable for its Civilian Conservation Corps architecture, Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park offers a lesson in Florida topography.Learn more about the Florida Trail across Northeast Florida
Florida Trail, Northeast Florida Connecting public lands on this 123 mile stretch, the Florida Trail walks into the past through farms and timberlands between Palatka and Osceola National Forest.Nearby Adventures
Florida Trail, Gold Head Branch Following high ground above Devils Washbasin and Gold Head Ravine, the oldest section of the Florida Trail at Gold Head Branch State Park makes for a pleasant six-mile round trip.
Gold Head Ridge and Ravine Trails A beauty spot with extreme elevation changes, Gold Head is best explored along the Ridge and Ravine Trails that guide you into and around the bottom of the steephead ravine.
Florida Trail, Camp Blanding Explore the high ground of Keystone Heights through sandhills and scrub on undulating terrain across forests managed by the Florida National Guard at Camp Blanding. 
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