With a physically separate trailhead from the main portion of Isle of Pine Preserve, the Green Trail skims along the soggy edge of habitats along Lake Mary Jane.
Immerse in wet pine flatwoods and a floodplain forest that bursts into autumn colors in winter, or simply walk to a beauty spot where a picnic table overlooks the lake.
Lake Mary JaneSome of the largest sundews we’ve ever seen grow in bogs in these pine flatwoods, as do other carnivorous species like butterwort and hooded pitcher plants.
Access to this trail is at the south end of the Isle of Pine subdivision, with limited parking at a defined trailhead.
Sundew covered in sticky dropletsResources
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Overview
Location: Narcoossee
Length: 1.3 mile round-trip with loop
Trailhead: 28.361879, -81.172313
Address: 14010 Lake Mary Jane Rd, Orlando
Fees: None
Restroom: None
Land manager: Orange County
Phone: 407-836-1400
The preserve is open sunrise to sunset. Leashed dogs permitted. Bicycles are not allowed, but equestrians are welcome.
Directions
From Orlando, follow SR 528 (Beachline Expressway) east past the Orlando International Airport. Take the exit for Narcoossee Rd (CR 15). Drive south 2.8 miles to Moss Park Road. Turn left, and follow Moss Park Road 4.5 miles to where you can see the park entrance. Turn left and follow Lake Mary Jane Road until it ends. Parking is limited.
Hike
Walk through the baffle from the parking area up to the kiosk for a preview of the route and some of the more interesting flora to watch for along this hike.
In winter, unusual white violets make an appearance. At different times of year, big-leafed sundew, yellow bladderwort, and rose pogonia thrive in boggy spots.
Green Trail trailheadFollow the forest road as it curves into the pine flatwoods. Depending on recent rains and use of the road by park staff, there may be mudholes you’ll need to skirt.
Green disc markers with silver arrows lead the way, but there’s no mistaking the route where the understory is dense, hiding bogs in swales under the pines.
Following the forest roadAs the understory starts to open up, so do glimpses of blue water beyond the pines. Waving sheafs of broomsedge bluestem grass sway in the breeze off the lake.
At 0.2 mile, markers indicate the start of a loop. Turn right to follow a narrow footpath through the pines to a clearing with a picnic table and shoreline access.
Start of the loopA warning is posted about alligators, for good reason. There are near-shore marshy shallows that make for good hiding places.
Water lilies float in these protected cove off the main body of the lake, where whitecaps can kick up. The wild far shoreline is protected by Split Oak Forest Conservation Area.
Picnic spot on Lake Mary JaneFrom the clearing, follow the trail south through the pine flatwoods, staying close to the lakeshore. It weaves around thickets of ferns and stands of tall thin pines.
A confidence blaze on a post confirms the route through the grassy understory. Pass the old, charred remains of what appears to be parts of a tractor.
Old metal objectsCurving out along a rounded peninsula jutting into the lake, the trail sweeps back inland, making a sharp left at a green arrow sign.
Passing a cluster of Southern woods fern, the broad path ends at the main forest road through this part of the preserve at 0.4 mile. Turn right.
Sharp turn back towards the forest roadThe remainder of the Green Trail is a round-trip on this forest road through the pine flatwoods, a breezy walk amid tall grasses and wildflowers.
Clumps of saw palmetto punctuate the understory. Tracks from deer and raccoon crisscross the sometimes-soft sand of the forest road.
In the pine flatwoodsA pair of markers point to the left near 0.6 mile to a forest road forking off this main one. Sweetbay appears among the pines as the road curves.
Reach a soggy boggy area among the pines. Carnivorous plant sightings depend on water levels. Some years there are many, others very few.
Boggy areaThe road curves around in a tight hairpin and may be muddy. On various visits we’ve found this area configured differently.
Confirm your return along the main trail when you pass the pair of markers from the opposite direction and continue straight ahead along them.
Other side of the markersIf you take the forest road directly back to the trailhead, it’s a 1.2 mile hike along the Green Trail.
It’s more scenic to follow the loop along the lake on the return trip, expanding the overall walk to 1.3 miles.
Returning through the pine forestTrail Map
Explore More!
Visit the main trail network at Isle of Pine Preserve
Isle of Pine Preserve Exploring both scrubby uplands and damp forests edging a large pine savanna, the primary trail network at Isle of Pine Preserve near Narcoossee can be hiked in a variety of configurations.Slideshow
Our photos from the Isle of Pine Preserve Green Trail
Nearby Adventures
Moss Park On a breezy isthmus between Lake Hart and Lake Mary Jane, Moss Park offers superb campsites and picnic pavilions under moss-draped live oaks.
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.
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.
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
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