Feel small under towering longleaf, loblolly, and spruce pines along a loop hike through the L.D. Anderson Tract of Ponce De Leon Springs State Park.
It is part of the park’s puzzle of lands protecting the floodplain of Sandy Creek, a spring-fed waterway that in turn nourishes the Choctawhatchee River basin.
Sandy CreekFire-dependent uplands and bogs showcase the beauty that unfurls when the fire regime that keeps them healthy is restored.
This network of trails largely follows blazed forest roads, enabling shorter loops within the two mile perimeter trail.
Footbridge over the outflow of a gum swampResources
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Overview
Location: Ponce de Leon
Length: 2 mile loop
Trailhead: 30.70243, -85.93126
Address: 152 L.D. Anderson Rd, Ponce De Leon
Fees: $4 per vehicle
Restroom: None
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 850-836-4281
$4 per vehicle. Open sunrise to sunset. Leashed dogs welcome. Observe posted warnings; the tract may close for prescribed burns.
Directions
From the Ponce De Leon exit of Interstate 10, drive south on SR 81 for 0.7 mile. Turn left on L.D. Anderson Rd, which becomes unpaved. The trailhead is 0.2 mile on the left and has a steeply sloped entrance to the parking corral. Deposit your park fee in the iron ranger if you do not already have a hangtag pass from visiting the springs.
Hike
At the trailhead kiosk, turn right to begin a counter-clockwise circuit, walking through a pine savanna.
Since this tract was acquired, the introduction of prescribed burns has rejuvenated natural habitats degraded by age and agricultural use.
Trailhead kiosk and iron rangerDescend towards a cypress-gum swamp. At the T intersection make a right to stay on the outer loop.
Circle the south end of the swamp while walking under tall pines to where the trail makes a sharp left next to a boundary gate.
Descent towards the swampA straight, easy ramble through pine flatwoods follows, the open understory perfect for wildlife watching.
A sharp left curve marks an access point to the edge of Sandy Creek at 0.7 mile.
StraightawayLeave the forest road and walk down the slope for a nice view of the waterway slipping rapidly past.
If you visited the springs portion of this state park first, you’ve seen how many feeder streams contribute to its flow towards the Choctawhatchee River.
Sandy CreekThe landscape drops off into an extensive floodplain along the creek, now visible as the trail continues along the edge of the sandhills.
Marked by a bench, a tramway spur leads towards the floodplain. Walk out along it to discover its precipitous dropoff to a tannic stream.
Bench at old tramwayA logging trestle once spanned the waterway, entering a corridor in the swamp on the far side that extends as far as the eye can see.
Nearby pine trunks bear scars from catfacing to tap sap for turpentine.
Dropoff and tramway corridor beyondContinue along the yellow blazes, meeting a trail junction post and sign at a mile.
To stay on the outer loop, turn right and descend to a footbridge over a very pretty tannic creek.
Reaching higher ground, the path is carpeted in pine needles and leaves. The canopy thins, opening into a restored sandhill where gopher tortoises thrive.
Gopher tortoise habitatPass the next bench at 1.3 miles, the trail making another curve to parallel the property boundary.
The final trail junction is at 1.5 miles, with the likelihood of wet feet if you take the shortcut back to the trailhead.
Trail junctionTurn right instead, following red blazes through a succession of sandhills before coming to a beautifully restored pine savanna.
Cross a boggy area on broad planks before the final curve into a long, broad and showy boardwalk.
Pine savannaIt traverses the floodplain of the cypress-gum swamp in the center of this tract, bridging a tannic creek.
Keep right on the other side to climb uphill under the pines past a gate, completing the loop at the trailhead kiosk at 2 miles.
BoardwalkTrail Map
Explore More!
Learn more about Ponce de Leon Springs State Park
Ponce de Leon Springs State Park In the middle of the Florida Panhandle, Ponce de Leon Springs is along the upper end of a belt of shimmering springs that feed the Choctawhatchee River basin.Video
Hiking the L.D. Anderson Tract
Slideshow
See our photos from this hike
Nearby Adventures
Ponce De Leon Springs Nature Trails Two short nature trails, the Sandy Creek Trail and the Spring Run Trail, follow the confluence of waters at Ponce De Leon Springs State Park.
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