• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Florida Hikes logo

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

  • Trails
  • Maps
  • Guidebooks
  • Search
  • Hike
    • Scenic Hikes
    • Loop Trails
    • Dog-friendly Hikes
    • Hikes for Kids
    • National Parks in Florida
    • Florida State Parks
  • Bike
    • Major Bike Trails
    • Paved Bike Trails
    • Off Road Biking
    • Biking Articles
  • Paddle
    • Canoe & Kayak Rentals
    • Paddling Destinations
    • Paddling Articles
  • Camp
    • Cabin Rentals
    • Car Camping
    • Primitive Camping
  • Florida Trail
    • Plan your Hike
    • Best Scenic Hikes
    • Best Backpacking
    • Section Hiking
    • Thru-Hiking
    • Trail Updates
  • Travel
  • Hike
    • Scenic Hikes
    • Loop Trails
    • Dog-friendly Hikes
    • Hikes for Kids
    • National Parks in Florida
    • Florida State Parks
  • Bike
    • Major Bike Trails
    • Paved Bike Trails
    • Off Road Biking
    • Biking Articles
  • Paddle
    • Canoe & Kayak Rentals
    • Paddling Destinations
    • Paddling Articles
  • Camp
    • Cabin Rentals
    • Car Camping
    • Primitive Camping
  • Florida Trail
    • Plan your Hike
    • Best Scenic Hikes
    • Best Backpacking
    • Section Hiking
    • Thru-Hiking
    • Trail Updates
  • Travel
Olustee Battlefield Trail

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

Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park  |  Olustee
( 30.214333, -82.388650 )      1.1 miles

Wind through the pines and step back in time. Although this is an interpretive trail, it’s not like any other in Florida.

As you walk around the loop, you trace the unfolding of the Battle of Olustee.

Olustee Battlefield Soldiers on the battlefield during a reenactment


Each of the signs along the path explains how the battle progressed, including quotes from officers in the Official Records as well as a map of troop movements.

It’s a way to reflect on history in place at Florida’s oldest state memorial, established in 1899 Florida legislature and opened as Florida’s first state historic site in 1912.

Olustee Battlefield
Cannons at Olustee Battlefield

Resources

The Florida Trail Guide book cover North Florida Panhandle Explorers Guide book cover 50 Hikes in North Florida book cover Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover

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: Olustee
Trailhead: 30.214333, -82.388650
Address: 5815 Battlefield Trail Rd, Sanderson FL 32087
Fees: Free except during reenactment weekends
Restroom: at the visitor center
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 386-758-0400

Open 8 AM to sunset daily. Museum and restrooms open 9 AM to 5 PM.

Leashed dogs welcome, but not in buildings or during reenactments.

The museum features a 20-minute film on the battle as well as exhibits about Florida’s role in the Civil War. If it is open, take the time to visit before your hike to have a better understanding of the magnitude of this battle.

Olustee Battlefield Trail


Directions

 
From Jacksonville, follow Interstate 10 west to Sanderson exit 324, then US 90 east for 5.5 miles to the Battlefield. From Interstate 75 in Lake City, drive 18.6 miles east on US 90 to the park.
 
On the left side of the park entrance road after the railroad track is a trailhead for the Florida Trail. Pass that and continue past the fire tower up to the interpretive center and museum to park.

Hike

The trail starts just north of the museum. Look for the kiosk and head towards that. Continue past the kiosk to the first bench and interpretive marker at the start of the loop. A red arrow on a silver diamond marks the trail route.

Walking through the pines, hearing the whisper of the wind through the treetops, it’s hard to imagine this forest as a battlefield.

Olustee Battlefield Where it isn’t cleared, the understory is a dense thicket of saw palmetto


Yet this same expanse, thick with saw palmetto under the tall pines, provided little shelter when the armies met.

Off to the right of this side of the trail, the Union troops set up their lines.

Behind them was an old open field, broken up by fences, and an impenetrable bayhead to block their retreat. In front of them, a marshy pond blocked their advance.

Olustee Battlefield The marshy pond


Continuing down the broad needle-strewn path, you come to a fork at 0.2 mile. Stay left to walk towards the bench. An open clearing is visible.

Cross the trail used by reenactors to ride their horses from their encampment to the open field.

Olustee Battlefield Reenactment of Union forces


The field is kept that way for the annual Civil War reenactment, the largest in the Southeastern United States, held the third weekend of February.

A set of bleachers faces the clearing. In reality, the battle was fought among the pines and the thickets of sharp-edged saw palmetto.

Olustee Battlefield Visitors viewing the reenactment from the bleachers


Continuing past the field, the trail walks the edge between the scrubby flatwoods and pine flatwoods. Bracken fern fills in a vast open space devoid of saw palmetto.

Just beyond the interpretive sign, the 48th New York lined up in the woods near the bayhead. As the wind picks up, it rattles the saw palmetto fronds, and you hear the clash of bayonets.

“Grape and canister swept by with hideous music, and shell after shell tore through our ranks and burst amid heaps of our wounded heroes,” wrote a survivor of the 115th New York.

Coming to a bench at 0.5 mile, the trail turns left. Look across the expanse of pines. Even in the middle of the day, you can see a fine mist.

Although the chemistry of tree transpiration causes “smokes” and “fogs” in dense forests, the mist that perpetually hangs in this particular pine forest has an otherworldly feel. Like Gettysburg, it feels ghostly.

A bayhead forms the thick wall of vegetation behind the pines to the right. This dense swamp proved fatal for many, blocking off the soldier’s retreat.

Olustee Battlefield Interpretive sign in the saw palmetto


As the trail rounds a curve to the left, it heads along the line of the Confederate positions. The railroad to their backs, they came in from the vicinity of Ocean Pond, where they had built a temporary earthworks fortress.

When the advance guard of the Union troops met the Confederate scouts in this forest, the earthworks were abandoned, and the Confederates moved forward to meet the Union troops at this point.

Olustee Battlefield Confederate reenactors waiting to engage


A small bridge elevates the trail over occasional drainage flows. At 0.9 mile, a bench sits at an intersection with a jeep trail from the right. Continue straight towards the next interpretive marker.

Blackjack oaks take over the understory under the pines as you approach the cross-trail. Continue straight, following the red arrow.

Given the age of the pines in this forest, it’s interesting that you see no catfaces from the turpentine industry that flourished in this area.

Olustee Battlefield Tall grasses and palmettos around the pines


The 1899 Florida legislature raised the funds to purchase this land and protect it as a historic site, to honor the men who died here.

As you continue to walk, you can see the flags flying behind the interpretive center, flanking a memorial monument that dates back to 1912.

The loop ends at a bench. Turn right to walk back past the kiosk and over to the parking lot, completing your hike of 1.1 miles

Olustee Battlefield Reenactors near the memorial


Trail Map

Olustee Battlefield Trail MapThe trail to the right is the Olustee Battlefield Trail. The trail to the left is the Nice Wander Trail.


Explore More!

Slideshow

See our photos of Olustee Battlefield during the re-enactment


Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

White and orange blazes on longleaf pine in forest

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.

Trampled Track Trail

Trampled Track Trail

An interpretive walk with extensive details on timbering history, the Trampled Track Trail leads to a waterfront view on Ocean Pond.

Mount Carrie Wayside

Mount Carrie Wayside

The short, easily accessed Mount Carrie Wayside in Osceola National Forest showcases an old growth longleaf pine forest with a population of red-cockaded woodpeckers.

Fanny Bay Trail

Fanny Bay Trail

Starting at the westbound Sanderson rest area along I-10, the Fanny Bay Trail leads you through pine flatwoods into a cypress swamp with ancient cypresses


Trail Map (PDF) Official Website

Category: Hikes, Loop Hikes, Nature Trails, North Florida, TrailsTag: Best Dog Hikes, Birding, Civil War, Dog-friendly, Family-Friendly, Florida State Parks, Historic Sites, Lake City, Macclenny, Olustee, Olustee Battlefield State Park, Osceola National Forest, Wildlife Viewing

Reader Interactions

Have an update? Contact us.

Primary Sidebar

NORTH FLORIDA

NORTH FLORIDA OVERVIEW
East Coast Greenway. Florida Trail

Amelia Island. Branford. Bunnell. Cedar Key. Chiefland. Fernandina Beach. Flagler Beach. Gainesville. Green Cove Springs. High Springs. Jacksonville. Lake Butler. Lake City. Live Oak. Mayo. Micanopy. Osceola National Forest. Palatka. Palatka-Lake Butler Trail. Palm Coast. Perry. Salt Springs. St. Augustine. Suwannee River Wilderness Trail. Timucuan Preserve. Trenton. White Springs

Our Newest Books

The Florida Trail Guide

The Florida Trail GuideOur definitive guidebook to planning backpacking trips on the Florida National Scenic Trail, now in its fourth edition. Full data charts and maps. B&W, 356 pages. $19.95 + tax & shipping.

Order Now


Florida Trail Hikes

Florida Trail Hikes 2nd edition coverFifty of the best day hikes, overnights, and weekend trips on the Florida Trail. Full hike descriptions and maps, full color. 376 pages. $24.95 + tax & shipping.

Order Now


Discovering the Florida Trail

Florida Trail mini coffee table book cover of trail into palm hammock
A visual journey the length of the Florida Trail, covering more than 1,500 miles from the Everglades to Pensacola Beach. Hardcover, 196 pages. $24.95 + tax & shipping.

Order Now


50 Hikes in Central Florida 3rd edition
Explorer's Guide North Florida & The Panhandle guidebook
Five Star Trails Gainesville & Ocala guidebook

Florida Trail Apps

Farout GuidesFarout Guides Comprehensive logistics and offline maps for the
Florida National Scenic Trail (1,500 miles), the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail (108 miles), and the ECT Florida Connector (92 miles).

Explore More

Our recent park & trail updates in this region

Riverfront with picnic tables

Chastain-Seay Park

Chastain-Seay Park
Tannic stream sluicing through riverine forest

Santa Fe River Preserve Gracy Trail

Santa Fe River Preserve Gracy Trail
Pine forest with blue blazed pine tree

Buck Bay Flatwoods Preserve

Buck Bay Flatwoods Preserve
Teal blazes on footpath in sandhill habitat

Belmore State Forest

Belmore State Forest

Footer

FIND A TRAIL OR PARK

NORTHWEST FLORIDA
Apalachicola. Apalachicola National Forest. Blackwater River State Forest. Blountstown. Bonifay. Bristol. Cape San Blas. Carrabelle. Chattahoochee. Chipley. Crawfordville. Crestview. DeFuniak Springs. Destin. Ebro. Eglin Air Force Base. Fort Walton Beach. Freeport. Gulf Islands National Seashore. Madison. Marianna. Milton. Monticello. Mossy Head. Navarre Beach . Niceville. Panama City Beach. Pensacola. Ponce De Leon. Port St. Joe. Quincy. Sopchoppy. South Walton. St. Marks. St. Marks NWR. Tallahassee. Vernon. Wakulla. Wewahitchka

NORTH FLORIDA
Alachua. Amelia Island. Baldwin. Branford. Bunnell. Cedar Key. Chiefland. Crescent City. Dowling Park. Ellaville. Fernandina Beach. Flagler Beach. Gainesville. Green Cove Springs. High Springs. Jacksonville. Keystone Heights. Lake Butler.Lake City. Live Oak. Mayo. Macclenny. Micanopy. Olustee. Orange Park. Osceola National Forest. Palatka. Palatka-Lake Butler Trail. Palm Coast. Perry. Salt Springs. St. Augustine. Starke. Steinhatchee. Suwannee River Wilderness Trail. Suwannee Springs. Talbot Islands. Timucuan Preserve. Trenton. Welaka. White Springs. Williston

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Vimeo

MULTI-REGION
Big Cypress Swamp. East Coast Greenway. Everglades National Park. Florida National Scenic Trail

CENTRAL FLORIDA
Apopka. Belleview. Brandon. Brooksville. Bushnell. Canaveral National Seashore. Christmas. Chuluota. Clearwater Beach. Clermont. Coast to Coast Trail. Cocoa Beach. Cross Florida Greenway. Crystal River. Dade City. Daytona Beach. De Leon Springs. DeBary. Deland. Deltona. Dunedin. Dunnellon. Frostproof. Geneva. Inverness. Kenansville. Kissimmee. Lake Mary. Lake Wales. Lakeland. Largo. Leesburg. Longwood. Melbourne. Melbourne Beach. Merritt Island. Merritt Island NWR. Mims. Mount Dora. New Port Richey. New Smyrna Beach. Ocala. Ocala National Forest. Ocklawaha. Orlando. Ormond Beach. Osteen. Oviedo. Palm Bay. Ridge Manor. Sanford. Silver Springs. Spring Hill. St. Cloud. St. Petersburg. Tampa. Tarpon Springs. Titusville . Walt Disney World. Weeki Wachee. Winter Springs. Withlacoochee State Forest. Withlacoochee State Trail. Yeehaw Junction

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
Bradenton . Charlotte Harbor. Ding Darling NWR. Englewood. Estero. Fort Myers. Immokalee. Naples. Pine Island. Port Charlotte. Punta Gorda. Sanibel Island. Sarasota. Venice

SOUTH FLORIDA
Arcadia. Basinger. Big Cypress National Preserve. Big Cypress Seminole Reservation. Clewiston. Everglades City. Fisheating Creek. Lake Okeechobee. Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail. Lake Placid. LaBelle. Lakeport. Moore Haven. Okeechobee. Pahokee. Port Mayaca. Sebring. South Bay

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA
Big Pine Key. Biscayne Bay. Biscayne National Park. Boca Raton. Boynton Beach. Coral Gables. Davie. Delray Beach. Northeast Everglades Natural Area. Florida Keys. Fort Lauderdale. Fort Pierce. Hobe Sound. Hollywood. Homestead. Islamorada. Jensen Beach. Jupiter. Juno Beach. Key Biscayne. Key Largo. Key West. Marathon. Miami. Ocean to Lake Greenway. Overseas Heritage Trail. Palm Beach. Port St. Lucie. Redland. Sebastian. Stuart. Vero Beach. West Palm Beach

  • Trails
  • Parks
  • Beaches
  • Gardens
  • Springs
  • Ecotours
  • Attractions
©2006-2023, Sandra Friend & John Keatley | Disclosure | Site Index | Work with Us | Advertise with Us
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy | Florida Hikes PO Box 93 Mims FL 32754| Contact