East of the burgeoning expanse of subdivisions around the Orlando International Airport, the 9,500 acre expanse of Hal Scott Preserve immerses you in Florida’s past.
It’s a vast landscape, with pine savanna, pine flatwoods, and palmetto prairie dotted with cypress domes and strands.
Pine savanna along the White TrailBranching off the central White Trail loop, the Yellow and Red Trails enable deeper exploration of the preserve.
Accessed from the Red Trail, an additional 4.4 mile loop connects Hal Scott with two adjacent preserves, Long Branch and Pine Lily.
Across the trail system, the perimeter of the interconnected loops and spurs total nearly 18 miles.
A first-come first-served camping area caters to backpackers.
For organized groups, a spur off the White Trail leads to a separate group camping area in an ideal spot for a sunset walk into the prairie.
The White Trail is the gem of this preserve, looping a centrally located longleaf pine savanna with a year-long parade of seasonal wildflowers.
Unlike the Yellow and Red Trails, it doesn’t edge close to property boundaries or power lines, so its immersive expanses are largely unbroken.
Blazing star in bloomSeeking a shorter hike? Follow the White Trail clockwise and take the spur to the group campsite for a scenic 2.6 mile round trip.
Or take the south side of the White Trail to the Yellow Trail junction and walk to historic Curry Ford on the Econlockhatchee River, a 3.3 mile round trip.
The wooden bridge at Curry FordResources
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Overview
Location: Bithlo
Length: Up to 17.4 miles
Trailhead: 28.486333, -81.095833
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 and drive 2.4 miles to the park entrance on the left.
Hike
To start the 4 mile White Trail, slip between the gate and fence at the parking area to join the two-track westbound, paralleling the fence.
Stop at the kiosk just beyond the signage with a hiker symbol. If maps are available, take one along, or snap a photo of the posted map.
Trailhead kioskContinue straight ahead. A double white diamond marks an otherwise easy to miss turnoff for the north side of the loop at 0.3 miles.
Bear left to begin a clockwise circuit, revealing the pine savanna to the west.
Loop junctionOpenings on the left reveal the marshy rim of the large mine pit pond visible from the parking area, open to fishing.
Curving right past a line of moss-draped live oaks, immerse in the expanse of the pine savanna as the path continues west.
Pine savannaAt 1.1 miles, a signpost points to the Group Camp. An optional extra mile round-trip to it leads through the pine savanna to a perimeter canal.
A path west parallel to the canal ends at the camping area, a beauty spot under the shelter of ancient live oaks.
Group camping areaPast the Group Camp junction, continue westward within the savanna, a treeline becoming prominent along the horizon.
An ephemeral waterway flows beneath a wildflower-dotted culvert. Reach the signposted junction for the Yellow Trail at 1.5 miles.
Approaching the Yellow Trail junctionTo savor one of the beauty spots of this preserve, continue forward along the Yellow Trail for a quarter mile round-trip to Curry Ford.
Live oak limbs arch overhead. Tannic water sometimes spills from the cypress swamp along the river and forms pools in the gravel trail.
Old roadbed to Curry FordThe wooden bridge replaced the ford at this narrows in the Econlockhatchee River within the Curry homestead.
Beyond the bridge, the Yellow Trail ascends to its loop junction, the backpacker campsite not far to the south.
Backpacker campsiteA full circuit of the Yellow Trail adds 6.2 miles to the overall hike. Made up of three loops, it can be trimmed using marked cross trails.
Hal Scott Yellow Trail Vibrant wildflowers blossom amid seasonally wet flatwoods and pine savannas on this lengthy loop west of the Econlockhatchee River in Hal Scott Preserve. Return through the riverside hammock to the junction of the Yellow and White Trails. Make a left to resume the loop.
The White Trail follows the ragged edge of the treeline, detaching to immerse in the savanna.
Resuming the White Trail loopPines rise from the wiregrass. Blooming spikes of blazing star wave like purple feathers each autumn.
At 2.4 miles, reach the signposted junction for the Red Trail, which starts straight ahead.
Start of the Red TrailFording a creek, the Red Trail extends north 6.2 miles. Make a right at this junction to stay on the White Trail.
Along the north side of its loop, enter an immersive expanse of palmetto prairie, which rolls out to the southern horizon.
Palmetto prairieAt 3.3 miles, drop through a low basin where waters from seepage springs sometimes collect and flow southward.
A little further along, the unusual scraggly pines to the north with short branches are pond pines, common near river floodplains in this region.
Pond pinesAround 3.9 miles, a ditch drains a small seepage bog, one of many well-hidden amid the wiregrass along this path.
These acidic swales provide incubators for hooded pitcher plants, a carnivorous species sporting rubbery blooms in springtime.
Hooded pitcher plants hiding in grassThe habitat shift is gradual as the sea of palmettos turns to islands amid a vast swarm of wiregrass across the pine savanna.
Reaching the end of the White Trail loop at the double diamond post at 4.1 miles, turn left to walk the straightaway to the entrance kiosk and parking area.
Last glimpse of pine savannaTrail Map
Explore More!
Adjoining public lands accessible through the trail network
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. Slideshow
See our photos from the White Trail at Hal Scott Preserve
Nearby Adventures
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.
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. 
Tosohatchee WMA Protecting more than 30,000 acres of the St. Johns River floodplain near Christmas, Tosohatchee WMA is a place to immerse yourself in the grandeur of old Florida and its bounty of botanical beauty.
- Baseline Trails - November 7, 2026
- Hal Scott Yellow Trail - November 3, 2026
- Hal Scott Preserve - October 28, 2026