• 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
Lake Osprey Trail

Oscar Scherer adds second ADA-compliant trail

May 26, 2010    Sandra Friend

 Lake Osprey Trail
The accessible Lake Osprey Trail at Oscar Scherer State Park

From our friends at Oscar Scherer State Park:

A low-key groundbreaking on April 15 marked the official start of the second ADA-compliant trail at Oscar Scherer State Park, according to Russell Delaney, president of the Friends of Oscar Scherer Park, Inc. One of 100 citizen support organizations (CSO) in Florida’s park system, the Friends are creating the new trail by combining a $50,000 donation from Lee Wetherington Homes with the volunteer services of their  200-member group and an engineering study by the Florida Park Service over an old footpath.

Delaney describes the project as the first part of a four-pronged Lake Osprey Improvement plan. The one-third-mile long trail surrounds the lake and is accordingly named “Lake Osprey Trail.” Oscar Scherer State Park will open its new attraction to the public with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, June 5, 12:30 p.m., in conjunction with the observance of National Trails Day, said John J. Roche, park manager. Lake Osprey Trail and the Lester Finley Barrier Free Trail, one of Florida’s first accessible trails and the Park’s other ADA-compliant trail, both meet and in many ways exceed requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Roche said.

Located in the center of the two-square-mile Park, Lake Osprey is used for fishing, swimming, and wildlife-viewing. Delaney describes the new trail as “a relaxing, shaded opportunity surrounding the lake and providing easy navigation along a natural surface that is clear of obstructions and reinforced with marl.”

At the groundbreaking, Delaney and Roche welcomed Lee Wetherington, founder and president of Lee Wetherington Homes, as well as Friends members Bruce Snyder, co-chair of the Lake Osprey Improvement plan and campground host/Nature Center volunteer Bill White, a wheelchair-bound volunteer.

The event began in the Nature Center, where Delaney reviewed the Park’s use of ongoing contributions from Lee Wetherington Homes—and later also the Lee Wetherington Foundation—since 2003. At that time, the custom home builder began donating at least $5,000 annually to underwrite the Friends’ Scrub Jay 5K race which is the major fundraiser for the Friends organization.

“Both the Friends and the Park are enormously appreciative of the many donations from Lee Wetherington,” Delaney said, noting that the $50,000 funding for Lake Osprey improvements represents a contribution of $250 for each home sold in Willowbend, a neighboring Lee Wetherington development. Other Wetherington-funded projects include the installation of 66 shade trees in the lake area and a revamped Nature Center with a screened pavilion that is primarily used for children’s programs and special events.

Roche took the opportunity to thank the Friends of Oscar Scherer Park for their invaluable services. “The Friends donated nearly 26,500 thousand hours of labor last year, the equivalent of 13 fulltime positions,” he said. He reported that the Florida Park Service has consistently recognized the Friends of Oscar Scherer in its annual awards programs.

The group left the Nature Center to photograph the official groundbreaking before walking the trail Bill White accompanied them in his motorized scooter. “Bill and I ‘walked’ the trail the other day,” Delaney said. “He did it effortlessly in his scooter and is very enthusiastic about it.”

To prepare for the trail’s construction, the Florida Park Service funded an engineering study to ensure compliance with ADA and other requirements. They also did a gopher tortoise study that required establishing a 25-foot-wide band, curving the trail around gopher tortoises that reside in the Park. With approvals in hand, the Friends began clearing brush and have continued to do most of the construction work. They used donated funds to purchase needed materials. These included four benches and signs they have placed along the path and $12,000 worth of recycled plastic “lumber” they are installing along the borders of the trail. They also hired contractors who staked the trail, marked its footprint and  placed  a layer a layer of crushed shell/marl along the entire surface. Venice-based Hazeltine Nurseries donated the use of a Ditch Witch and operator to assist in the installation of the landscaping timbers.  To allow two wheelchairs to pass easily, they doubled the ADA-required trail width from three to six feet, Delaney said.

“We expect the Lake Osprey Trail to be very well-received, based on the response to the Finley Trail since its creation in 1996. The Finley Trail gets tremendous use because it’s not sandy like most other trails,” Roche said. “It is not used only by disabled people. We see young families with baby strollers, older couples taking a walk and people who just want a comfortable, scenic place to enjoy nature. Now visitors of all ability levels will have the choice of the Lake Osprey Trail and the Lester Finley trail for that old-time natural Florida experience.”

Category: Articles, Hiking, News, ParksTag: Oscar Scherer State Park, Sarasota, Venice

Reader Interactions

Have an update? Contact us.

Primary Sidebar

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

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).

Recent Articles

Flooded canoe launch

Parks and Trails Closed Due to Hurricane Ian

Our roundup of closures on federal, state, and county lands across Florida in the wake of Hurricane Ian.

Colorful mural behind bicycle

Riding the East Coast Greenway to Stuart

Scouting a piece of the East Coast Greenway on the Treasure Coast, John’s on-the-ground wayfinding stopped him short of his intended goal.

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
©2006-2022, 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