Salt Lake WMA

Pockets of prehistoric salt water lie deep beneath the marshes of the St. Johns River near Titusville, bubbling up as salt springs.

As a result, the salinity of South Lake, Loughman Lake, and Salt Lake, all interconnected to the river basin, is nearly one-third that of the ocean.

This enables salt-loving plants, marine crustaceans, and saltwater fish to live in and along these waters.

Accessed via a network of blazed forest roads, the 7,800 acres of Salt Lake WMA offers wildlife watching in both uplands and wetlands.

While hunting, particularly during the fall deer season, is a major draw, anglers appreciate the variety of fishing here.

Hikers have two distinct trails to choose from, and cyclists can roam dozens of miles of forest roads.

Trailhead sign

Resources

Resources for exploring the area

Central Florida Orlando Explorers Guide 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: Mims
Trailhead: 28.6384, -80.8749
Fees: None
Restroom: Vault toilet at Arch Rd
Land manager: Florida FWC
Phone: 352-732-1225

Open from 90 minutes before sunrise to 90 minutes after sunset. Leashed dogs welcome. Cyclists may only use posted roads and trails.

Check on hunting seasons before you visit. You need to wear bright orange if visiting here during scheduled hunts.

Directions

From Interstate 95 exit 223, Mims, drive west on SR 46 for 0.7 mile to Turpentine Rd. Turn left. Follow it north 1.5 miles. It turns right and becomes Panther Lane. After a half mile, Panther Lane turns left and becomes Arch Road, leading right up to the entrance gate and parking area.

About the Preserve

As this landscape is overseen by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, management for wildlife habitat is first and foremost.

The network of forest roads opens to hunters during the fall deer hunting and spring turkey season, but is otherwise mostly vehicle-free.

Picnic table at the South Lake Trail trailhead

Recreational uses can hike, bike, paddle, and bring a picnic. While no camping is permitted, several picnic tables are provided.

Open to vehicles, Salt Lake Road terminates at the marshes surrounding the lake. Depending on water levels, you might be able to get to the observation platform.

Observation platform on a levee

Expect to see airboaters in this area, as they can access the shallow marshes with ease. Many put in at the far shore of Lake Loughman.

Kayak anglers and paddlers headed for South Lake on the eastern edge of the preserve must put in at Fox Lake Park in Titusville and follow the marked paddling trail to its vast marshy expanse.

Paddler on South Lake in Titusville

Branching off of Powerline Rd, which follows the power lines through the preserve, Bear Bluff Road leads out to the St. Johns River floodplain near Lake Loughman.

The main trailhead at Arch Rd provides access to both of these forest roads by cyclists and hikers. Any of the forest roads can be biked or hiked, but most end as dead-ends into marshes.

A man biking a forest road past palm trees

Biking Powerline Road

Trails at Salt Lake WMA

There are two blazed trails that hikers can tackle. Along white blazes from the main trailhead, the Salt Lake Hiking Trail loops 4.1 miles through the uplands.

From a secondary trailhead in Titusville, the yellow-blazed South Lake Trail leads 0.7 mile to an observation deck along the lake.

We’ve used paralleling forest roads to turn it into a 1.3-mile hiking loop.

Salt Lake Hiking Trail

Circling the central pine flatwoods of the uplands between the lakes of Salt Lake WMA, the 4.1-mile Salt Lake Hiking Trail is a great birding destination

South Lake Trail

Culminating at a breezy observation platform with a panorama of marshy South Lake, this easy Titusville hike is both short and scenic

Kiosk at trailhead along Arch Road

Trail Maps

Trails at Salt Lake WMA

Map displayed on Salt Lake WMA kiosk

For Your Health: Go Outside

While we’re asked to keep our distance, the outdoors is still there for us. You can hike, bike, and paddle with your family, but do so safely. Keep your mental and physical health good by enjoying nature.