Florida Hikes

Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides

Prairie pond in pine flatwoods

Lower Wekiva River Preserve Red Loop

A quiet path leads through sandhill, scrubby and mesic flatwoods, providing opportunities for bird watching among a vivid backdrop of seasonal flowers.

Sanford (28.827994, -81.410814)   4.5 miles   Lower Wekiva Preserve State Park

Lower Wekiva River Preserve State Park is a large conservation area protecting nearly 18,000 acres within the Wekiva River basin.

The Red Loop is located on the eastern side of the namesake river, among a network of hiking trails alongside Katie’s Landing.

Two track in scrubby burned forest Prescribed burns are used to keep habitats healthy

Resources

Resources for exploring the area
5 Star Trails Orlando Florida Trail Hikes book cover The Florida Trail Guide book cover 50 Hikes in Central Florida Central Florida Orlando Explorers Guide book cover Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover Paddlers Guide Florida
 
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Overview

Location: Sanford
Length: 4.5 mile loop
Trailhead: 28.82843, -81.41155
Address: 262 Wekiva Park Dr, Sanford
Fees: $3 per vehicle
Restroom: At Katie’s Landing trailhead
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 407-553-4383

Open 8 AM to sunset. Leashed pets welcome. Trails are sparsely marked.

Accessible restrooms and parking but this trail is not accessible.

Sand road under pines

Directions


 
From Interstate 4 exit 101, Sanford, follow SR 46 west for 2.3 miles to the first of five traffic circles, taking the first exit to stay on SR 46. Continue straight through four more traffic circles before turning right onto Wekiva Park Rd in another 2.4 miles. Continue 1.2 miles to the entrance to Katie’s Landing on the left. The hike starts on the opposite side of Wekiva Park Dr.

Hike

Starting at the parking area, stop at the information kiosk and take a picture of the trail map if no paper maps are available.

Head eastward, crossing a paved road to begin the hike at a large trailhead sign.

Trail head sign at fence Trailhead sign

Turn left, following a wide sandy pathway alongside Wekiva Park Drive. Sand pines and oaks line the trail in a scrubby flatwoods environment with very limited shade.

The trail turns to the right in 0.4 mile, heading eastward into a mesic flatwoods habitat.

Deep soft sand on two track in flatwoods Scrubby flatwoods

Sporadic longleaf pines rise from a lush sea of fetterbush lyonia and saw palmettos.

The scent of vanillaleaf fills the air, with narrow shoots producing bright purple flowers in late summer.

Macro of black and red wasp on purple blooms Thread-waisted wasp on vanillaleaf flowers

In another 0.2 mile, continue straight though an intersection of access roads as the trail meanders to the north.

Clusters of goldenrod extend above the ground cover alongside slender stalks of blazing stars, adding splashes of vibrant yellow and purple to an otherwise green landscape.

Yellow floral spikes in scrubby flatwoods Goldenrod in bloom

Trailside seasonal prairie ponds offer refuge for frogs and vegetation adapted to wetter environments.

These depressions provide a stark contrast to the surrounding flatwoods, appearing grassier and covered in small white flowers.

Rounded prairie pond surrounded by saw palmetto Prairie pond

At 1.7 miles, the trail makes a sharp turn to the right before leading along an edge of the open pine savanna.

The path begins to take on more shade as the number of pines increase, accompanied by cabbage palms.

Two track through grassy area under pines Mixed pine and palm forest

Turkey oaks begin to dot the landscape as the trail climbs in elevation and transitions to a sandhill habitat.

Sandhill milkweed sprouts along the path, sporting large colorful leaves and clusters of small pink flowers.

Milkweed with faded bloom Sandhill milkweed

The trail turns to the west at 3.8 miles, winding through scattered tree cover over a forest floor covered with wiregrass, bracken, and gopher apple.

Approaching the end of the loop, the Red Loop joins the Blue Trail for a short distance as habitat slowly changes to scrubby flatwoods once more.

Two track road under oaks and pines Turkey oaks and pines

Trail Map

Lower Wekiva River State Park Trail Map
Red: Red Loop. Blue: Wekiva River Paddling Trail. Green: Sandhill Trail (still closed)

Explore More!

Learn more about Lower Wekiva Preserve State Park.

Oaks, pines, and blueberry bushes Lower Wekiva River Preserve State Park Paddle, hike, or ride your horse within this massive riverine preserve on the edge of the Orlando metro, where the Wekiva River and St. Johns River mingle.

Video

A virtual walk in the woods on the Red Loop

Nearby Adventures

Footpath through open scrub Seminole State Forest With nearly 50 miles of trails and roads for hiking, biking, and equestrian use, Seminole State Forest offers surprising panoramas and bubbling springs north of Orlando.
FT symbol carved in sand pine trunk along scrubby footpath Lower Wekiva Loop Venture across lush floodplain forests of Blackwater Creek and the Wekiva River, using a scrubby section of the Florida Trail to create the 10.5-mile Lower Wekiva Loop.
Narrow levee in a forest Black Bear Wilderness Area North of Orlando, Black Bear Wilderness Area in Sanford offers some of the best wildlife watching in the region on its loop along the St. Johns River.
Pine flatwoods with notable large misshapen pine Rock Springs Run Hiking Trail With more than 12 miles of hiking through the heart of Florida black bear territory, the loops at Rock Springs Run Reserve State Park get you into the wild outside Orlando.

Official Website

Chris Stevens
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