Myakka State Forest offers an extensive system of loop trails for hiking, biking, and equestrian use.
While the South Loop is notorious for being a soggy hike, the North Loop is typically dry.
A highlight on this loop is a short trail to the Myakka River Campsite, complete with a dock and panoramic views of the river.
North Loop Trail signResources
Resources for exploring the area
Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.
Overview
Location: Englewood
Length: 8.2 mile loop
Trailhead: 26.990750, -82.303635
Address: 2000 South River Rd, Englewood FL 34223
Fees: $2 per person day use fee. Annual pass available.
Restroom: Vault toilet at trailhead
Land manager: Florida Forestry Service
Phone: 941-460-1333
Open sunrise to sunset. Leashed dogs welcome.
Day use fees payable at a self-pay station. There is no drinking water in this forest. Bring your own.
Seasonal hunting occurs. If you plan to hit the trails here, check ahead regards hunt dates.
Primitive campsites must be reserved in advance through Reserve America.
Directions
From Interstate 75, head south on CR 777 for 9.4 miles. Turn left at the forest entrance. Pay your entrance fee at the iron ranger. Follow Shell Rd for a mile. The trailhead parking area is on the left.
Hike
From the parking area, head east on the main forest road for about 200 feet to the North Loop Trailhead on the left.
Passing through the gate, follow the wide grassy path north for 0.2 mile, then turn left.
North Loop TrailheadIn a short distance, the North Loop intersects with the Gordon Smith Memorial Trail.
Continue straight on this road, passing a sign designating this smaller loop trail.
Turn right after another 0.2 mile onto an avenue that cuts through a sea of palmettos and pines. It is paralleled by a wide firebreak.
The dirt road is bisected by the Gordon Smith Memorial TrailTrail markers are few and far between, typically a white diamond affixed to a post.
The trail sticks to a wide service road for the most part, and it is easy to stay on track, especially when using a map.
Follow this straight section for 0.4 mile to a right turn, then a quick left turn, reaching the beginning of the loop in another 500 feet.
White trail marker along the roadA sign for the North Loop indicates the trail going east and west. Turn left to begin trekking clockwise around the loop.
Depending on the time of year, several species of goldenrod may be in bloom, including pineland rayless goldenrod.
These native plants are easily spotted, contrasting the gold and green grasses with vibrant yellow flowers.
Pineland rayless goldenrodStay straight on the main trail for 0.7 mile to reach a shelter at the northwest corner of the loop.
Saw palmettos are the predominant feature, covering the savanna dotted with longleaf pines to create an outstanding example of pine flatwoods habitat.
Trailside shelterTurn right at the shelter, following a grass-carpeted road to the east for 0.8 mile to the beginning of the Slash Pine Trail.
A shelter and sign indicate the start of this trail which heads north toward the Myakka River Campsite.
Slash Pine TrailAt this junction, staying straight follows the North Loop Trail for another 3.7 mile back to the trailhead.
Turn left for a detour to the scenic riverside campsite, a two-mile round trip well worth the effort.
Follow the red blazed Slash Pine Trail for a little over a quarter mile, then turn right at a sign for the River Trail, blazed with green.
Along the River TrailThe River Trail is narrower, zigzagging through the woods for the next 0.7 mile before opening to a clearing on the bank of the Myakka River.
A scenic spot, the Myakka River Campsite features two picnic tables, a grill, and a large rock-bordered firepit.
Myakka River CampsiteAn impressive dock juts out into the tidally influenced river.
This structure provides scenic views of the mangrove-lined Myakka River and allows access to the campsite by boat.
Campsite dockThis is the north end of the hike. Head back south, then west to the red-blazed Slash Pine Trail, retracing the path back to the North Loop Trail.
At the North Loop Trail, turn left to continue the loop.
Marsh-adapted rose gentian and coreopsis sprout from the wetter areas alongside the road, covered in vivid pink and yellow blooms.
Rose gentianThe trail continues as a long arc for the next 1.2 mile through the pine flatwoods, reaching the southeastern corner of the loop.
An orange-blazed sign at the edge of a thick pine stand indicates the Jennings Trail, but no information about this trail is available on the State Forest maps.
From its location, we surmise it reaches a pass-through gate at Jennings Blvd, where there is a trailhead used by equestrians.
Jennings Trail signAfter another 0.8 mile and a few twists and turns in the road, the trail passes a marked side trail to the Flatwoods Campsite.
A covered bench provides shelter in another quarter mile before the trail turns right for the final stretch of the loop.
Flatwoods Campsite TrailThese pine flatwoods are an ideal habitat for the stunning pine lily, also known as a Catesby’s lily. Watch for them on the left side of the trail past the shelter.
Typically seen between July and September, the bright coral blooms help these flowers stand out from the surrounding vegetation.
In half a mile, the loop ends with a left turn onto the road leading back to the trailhead.
Continue for a mile back to the parking area, passing a couple of intersections with the Gordon Smith Memorial trail along the way.
A pine lily in bloomTrail Map
Explore More!
Learn more about Myakka State Forest
Myakka State Forest
Along the southwestern Gulf Coast of Florida, Myakka State Forest offers an extensive trail network along the Myakka River basin, with tent camping under the stars.
Gordon Smith Memorial Trail
A short and scenic loop trail on easy terrain, the Gordon Smith Memorial Trail showcases mesic flatwoods, a predominant ecosystem in Myakka State Forest.
Myakka State Forest South Loop
Circling vast prairies amid pine flatwoods and depression marshes, the South Loop in Myakka State Forest provides a sense of perspective along the Myakka River basin.
Nearby Adventures
More worth exploring while you’re in this area.
Jelks Preserve
Offering scenic views of wild shores along the Myakka River, this hike at Jelks Preserve makes a big loop along the trail system to immerse you in a variety of habitats
Carlton Reserve
T. Mabry Carlton Reserve is less than a dozen miles from downtown Venice but wild enough that the Florida panther roams these woodlands along the Myakka River floodplain.
Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park
Follow the natural curves of the creek on a loop through Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park in North Port
Sleeping Turtles Preserve North
Named for a feature on old navigational maps, Sleeping Turtles Preserve North lets you see the Myakka River from its bluffs