Located near the northwestern tip of Orange County, Sandhill Preserve is an island of protected land on high ground above the basin swamps surrounding nearby Rock Springs Run.
A simple set of trails originates from a designated trailhead off Haas Road. The blue route uses access roads to reach a loop at the southern end.
It is segmented by the White Trail, a narrower path offering a more immersive walk through the sandhill forest.
White TrailResources
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Overview
Location: Apopka
Length: 1.5 miles
Trailhead: 28.771278, -81.556556
Address: 5611 Plymouth Sorrento Rd, Apopka
Fees: Free
Restrooms: None
Land manager: Orange County
Phone: 407-836-1400
Open sunrise to sunset. Leashed dogs welcome.
Directions
From the junction of US 441 and SR 436, head west on US 441 for a half mile before turning right onto N Park Ave. Continue straight onto Rock Springs Rd in 1.9 miles, and stay to the left in 3.9 miles at W Kelly Park Rd. In a half mile, make a right onto Mt. Plymouth Rd, and left at Haas Rd in another 1.1 miles. The parking area will be on the left side of the road in 1.9 miles.
Hike
Beginning the hike next to a panel with maps and information about the property, follow an access road southward into a shady tunnel of mixed hardwood trees.
Posts with trail markers lead the way along a wide pathway strewn with fallen leaves.
Trailhead signDistinctive calls of red-tailed hawks resonate above the treetops as gulf fritillary butterflies flutter by with strikingly patterned orange wings, drifting among wildflowers.
In a quarter mile, a picnic table sits near the top of a heavily forested hillside.
Shaded picnic tableWhere the loop portion of the trail begins at 0.4 mile, turn right to follow blue makers across an old pasture, descending contoured terrain.
Enter a densely canopied sandhill community. Reaching an intersection at a half mile, make a left onto the White Trail.
The Blue Trail continues westward to trace the perimeter of the property.
Junction at the clearingWhite markers and blazes indicate the route as it weaves through a mix of pine, oaks, persimmon, and sparkleberry.
This trail showcases the most natural landscape within the preserve, although many years of fire suppression have allowed hardwood trees to take over.
White TrailEmerging at the other end of the pasture where the white blazes end, head east, following the blue trail along a fenceline with private property on the other side.
The trail rounds an open, grassy corner at 0.9 mile, and another near the one-mile mark.
On the fenceThe final leg of the loop passes a bench before reaching the access road at 1.1 miles.
From this point, retrace your footsteps along this sandy corridor for 0.4 miles back to the trailhead, keeping an eye out for gopher tortoises and other wildlife along the way.
Gopher tortoise near the trailheadTrail Map
Explore More!
Video
Hiking Sandhill Preserve
Nearby Adventures
Greeneyes Wildlife Preserve Explore rolling sandhills peppered with the preserve's namesake wildflower along a pair of short loop trails with benches and picnic tables. 
Lake Lucie Conservation Area A shaded loop trail winding through mesic hammocks borders a marsh that was once known as Lake Lucie. 
Kelly Park Tubing Rock Springs Run is why most folks visit Kelly Park, but the Kelly Loop Trail provides unique perspectives on many more natural features within the park.
Trimble Park A superb family destination for its playground and campground, Trimble Park boasts a showy nature trail looping over a mile between two lakefronts.
- Sandhill Preserve - November 9, 2026
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- Scherer Thaxton Preserve - October 21, 2026