Circling the western reaches of Hal Scott Preserve, the 6.2 mile Yellow Trail largely traverses seasonally wet flatwoods and pine savanna.
Unlike the other loops, it has numerous cypress strands and cypress domes, some spilling sheetflow into the trail.
Cypress strand beyond the pinesBranching off the White Trail 1.5 miles clockwise along its 4.4 mile central loop through the preserve, it enables up to a 10.6 mile hike.
Trim that by using cross-trails to cut the overall mileage of the perimeter of the three Yellow Trail loops, or simply hike one loop of the trio.
Immersive landscapes awaitA primitive campsite not far from its main loop junction provides backpackers an anchor for further exploration.
Plan for distance and soggy socks. The payoff isn’t just in mileage. The Yellow Trail has more wildflowers and more diverse wildlife than the preserve’s other loops.
Pine lily along the South LoopResources
Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.
Overview
Location: Bithlo
Length: Up to 10.6 miles
Trailhead: 28.482664, -81.117014
Address: 5150 Dallas Blvd, Bithlo
Fees: Free
Restroom: None
Land Manager: St. Johns Water Management District
Phone: 386-329-4404
Open sunrise to sunset unless you are camping. Leashed dogs welcome. Cyclists and equestrians share the trails.
Drainage areas may require wading after heavy rains; some are reinforced with gravel. A free permit is required in advance for camping.
Directions
From SR 436 at the Orlando International Airport, take toll SR 528 (Beachline Expressway) east to Exit 24, Dallas Blvd. Turn left. Drive 2.4 miles to the park entrance on the left. You must hike the White Trail to reach the Yellow Trail.
Hike
The quickest approach to the Yellow Trail is clockwise along the White Trail. Enter at the gate and head west to the kiosk. Grab a map or photo of the trail system.
At 0.3 miles, curve left along the two-track past a double white diamond marking the north side of the White Trail loop.
After the next curve, head west into a vast pine savanna. Pass a signpost at 1.1 miles for a spur trail to the Group Camp.
Group Camp junctionAt 1.5 miles, arrive at the signpost for the Yellow Trail. The White Trail turns north here. Continue straight ahead.
Enter the shade of the river hammock, live oak limbs providing a tightly-knit canopy overhead.
Yellow Trail junctionWater levels in the floodplain vary seasonally. When the cypress swamps along the river overfill, they tip into the trail.
Pick your way through soggy obstacles to reach the wooden bridge at the site of Curry Ford, a narrows where the original road between Orlando and Cocoa crossed through the Curry family’s land.
Curry FordA gentle ascent from river level reaches the loop junction. Bear left to begin the South Loop of the Yellow Trail.
At 2 miles, a short spur leads to the backpacker campsite, with a picnic table, pitcher pump, and benches in a pretty live oak hammock.
Backpacker’s campsiteAs pine flatwoods transition to savanna, pass a shade shelter hidden among saw palmettos and the unmarked (from this end) South Bypass.
At numerous unmarked side trails, yellow diamonds confirm the main route. Seasonal wildflowers add bold dots of color to the wiregrass.
Fall wildflowers in the pine savannaBy 3 miles, the outflow of a cypress dome may make the path soggy. Sweep past a junction with a southerly ranch road, double diamonds guiding past it.
A cypress dome sits to the south, gravel and a mat mitigating its spill of waters into this two-track. The landscape remains immersive.
Pine flatwoodsPass a hydrological data collection site just before a long graveled causeway through an open bog at 4.1 miles.
Rise into the flatwoods again. In early fall, blazing star sways in the breeze and pine lilies draw the eye to low swales in the landscape.
Blazing star edging the savannaWhite bands on some of the pines indicate red-cockaded woodpeckers, an endangered species, have made nests in those trees.
Past a 3 Mile sign – tallying mileage along the Yellow Trail, not overall mileage from the trailhead – choose a route to complete this loop.
White banded pineThe South Bypass forks right. A grassy route in open savanna, it parallels soggy sloughs, meeting the South Loop just south of the backpacker campsite at 6 miles.
Straight ahead, the Yellow Trail continues north through the pines, reaching the West Bypass at 5.2 miles.
South BypassForking east toward Curry Ford, the West Bypass arrives at the junction with the South Loop above the floodplain at 6.1 miles.
The North Loop continues due north to start, entering a showy expanse of pine flatwoods.
North Loop junctionHowever, it grazes against a corner of the preserve where subdivisions pressing close break the wilderness illusion.
Curving south to parallel the river floodplain, reach the junction with the West Loop at 7.4 miles. Turn left, quickly meeting the South Loop junction.
South Loop junctionFrom this junction, proceed straight down into the floodplain to cross the bridge at Curry Ford once more.
Rising out of the floodplain, return to the junction of the Yellow and White Trails.
Floodplain waters sometimes swamp the trailStraight ahead is the quickest route back to the trailhead via the south side of the White Trail, another 1.5 miles of hiking.
To see more of the preserve, turn left instead to continue clockwise along the White Trail’s central circuit. Make a right in a half mile where it meets the Red Trail.
Heading north from the Yellow Trail on the White TrailEntering a vast palmetto prairie, the northern part of its loop continues another 2.1 miles back to its eastern loop junction. Turn left to exit.
Depending on your choice of loops on the White and Yellow Trails, finish up anywhere from 6.2 to 10.6 miles of hiking.
Young longleaf pinesTrail Map
Explore More!
Learn more about Hal Scott Preserve
Hal Scott Preserve Explore vast prairies and seepage bogs, cross the Econ River at Curry Ford, and camp under a live oak canopy—all just east of the Orlando International Airport.Slideshow
See our photos from the Yellow Trail
Nearby Adventures
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. 
Long Branch More than 6 miles of interconnected trails east of the Econlockhatchee River explore natural habitats on ranch land undergoing habitat restoration. 
Hidden Pond Preserve Putting together several loops providing perspectives on pine flatwoods, prairie, swamp, and a showy pond, Hidden Pond Preserve offers a very enjoyable 1.9 mile hike.
Econlockhatchee Sandhills CA In the floodplain of the Econlockhatchee River, Econlockhatchee Sandhills Conservation Area is a 706-acre showcase of upland habitat diversity with a 3.2 mile loop trail.
- Hal Scott Yellow Trail - November 3, 2026
- Hal Scott Preserve - October 28, 2026
- Tradewinds Park - October 27, 2026