This short and easily accessible loop in the Osceola National Forest showcases an old growth longleaf pine forest with a population of red-cockaded woodpeckers best viewed in the early morning.
Some of the pines sport catfaces, evidence of the turpentine industry that flourished around Lake City in the early part of the last century.
Spanning several habitats, it’s a great place to see wildlife, especially gopher tortoises, and the detailed interpretive markers along the walk enhance your knowledge of wildlife, habitats, and history in this forest.
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Overview
Location: Olustee
Length: 1 mile
Trailhead: 30.197783, -82.505942
Fees: Free
Restroom: At the rest area
Land manager: National Forests in Florida
Phone: 386-752-2577
Open daylight hours. Leashed dogs permitted. The loop is marked with metal silver diamond markers with hiker symbols on them.
When overgrown, it can be a bit tricky in places to follow the trail. US 90 is always to your south and the railroad tracks to your north.
Directions
Drive east from downtown Lake City for 8.3 miles along US 90 to the wayside pulloff across from the Columbia Correctional Institution. From the east, the pulloff is 4.7 miles west of Olustee.
Hike
Starting at the wayside pulloff, the trail crosses a short boardwalk over a small depression where bog plants like hatpins and wild bachelor’s button thrive.
This is an old-growth longleaf pine forest, where the pines rise like tall, stately columns towards the sky, creating a high canopy.
Look for the tell-tale signs of dripping sap high up in the trees, an indicator of red-cockaded woodpecker nests. Most are clearly marked farther along the loop.
The understory is very open, with a clear view across a layer of saw palmetto, a classic Florida landscape. Watch for an interpretive marker talking about the tapping of turpentine from these tall trees.
After a quarter mile, the trail shifts into a sandhill habitat, where a massive gopher tortoise burrow sits off to the right, a six-lined race runner sitting at the mouth of the hole. You’ll find pawpaw in bloom here each spring.
Peering through the forest to your right, you can see where the railroad track passes by, connecting Jacksonville with Lake City. The trail winds beneath the shade of some small sand live oaks.
If the trail becomes indistinct, look around for the next marker on the edge of this clearing. Continue into a forest of young turkey oaks, small pines, and saw palmetto.
Crossing a firebreak, the trail works its way back under the tall longleaf pines. From this spot, you can see banded trees up ahead, the white circles around the trees indicating the known locations of red-cockaded woodpecker nests.
At the next fork, turn right on the lesser-used trail. We got a little confused here, so I backtracked and counted 24 steps forward to the next trail marker, reaching an interpretive sign at the half-mile mark soon after.
Turn left and head towards the next interpretive marker. This area is a confusion of side trails–birders have beaten paths to the bases of many of the nest trees, which have distinctive “waxy” build-ups of sap on them below the woodpecker nest holes.
The trail makes a sharp left past the next marker to follow an old jeep trail under the pines.
You can see the highway, and prison complex, through the woods to the right, so you know you’re on the return loop. Crossing another jeep trail junction, continue straight.
The trail veers off to the right around 0.8 mile and once again becomes a narrow footpath under the pines, this time passing through a patch of tall grasses as it makes a beeline back to the wayside parking area, which you reach after a mile.
Explore More!
Learn more about Osceola National Forest
Osceola National Forest The smallest of Florida's national forests, the Osceola National Forest carries the weight of history hidden in its dense stands of longleaf pine.Nearby Adventures
Florida Trail, Nice Wander Loop In the Osceola National Forest, this short loop along the Florida Trail adjacent to Olustee Battlefield is one of the easiest places in the state to see red-cockaded woodpeckers.
Olustee Battlefield Trail The hike through Olustee Battlefield is short, but its historical significance is great. More than 2,000 men died in this forest on February 20, 1864, when Confederate and Union forces met and fought Florida's bloodiest battle
Florida Trail, Ocean Pond to Turkey Run An easy linear hike or round trip with a stop at the Florida Trail’s oldest shelter, this short segment of the Florida Trail in Osceola National Forest is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail. 
Florida Trail, Turkey Run to Deep Creek In the northwest corner of Osceola National Forest, this 11.4 mile segment of the Florida Trail offers strong contrasts between pine flatwoods and bogs.
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