• 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
Trail between ancient palms and oaks

Florida Trail, Wheeler Road to Joshua Creek

Along this 8.6-mile route spanning the eastern side of Bronson State Forest, experience the majesty of ancient oak and palm hammocks near the St. Johns River.

Florida Trail, Orlando  |  Christmas
( 28.569200, -81.013183 )      8.6 miles

340 shares

Dancing along the rim of the St. Johns River floodplain, this segment of the Florida Trail provides a parade of botanical delights.

Ancient oaks knit their limbs together to form grandly shaded hammocks. Towering cabbage palms rise like columns as far as the eye can see.

There are delicate bogs of pitcher plants in pine savannas, terrestrial orchids in wetlands, and bobbing butterfly orchids far overhead.

Trail in muddy area The trail can be muddy in the wetlands


The diversity of wetland and shaded habitats along this segment of trail is striking, as is the scenery.

Traversing the central portion of Seminole Ranch Conservation Area and the eastern side of Bronson State Forest, it offers connectivity to trails in several directions.

Palm hammock with trail sign Trail junction with the River Trail


Resources

Resources for exploring the area

Florida Trail Hikes book cover The Florida Trail Guide book cover Florida Trail small coffee table book 50 Hikes in Central Florida 5 Star Trails Orlando

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: Christmas
Length: 8.6 miles linear
Trailhead: 28.569200, -81.013183
Address: 25382 Wheeler Rd, Christmas
Fees: $2 per person at Joshua Creek trailhead
Restroom: At Orlando Wetlands Park
Land manager: Florida Forestry Service
Phone: 407-971-3500

Hiking only. Leashed dogs welcome. Insect repellent a must.

Active cattle leases mean the potential of encounters with cows and bulls along the trail, largely seen nearest the two trailheads.

All of this segment is within a hunting zone. Check ahead regards hunt dates and wear bright orange if you choose to hike during hunts.

Christmas Creek bridge

There is one primitive campsite along this segment, Fern Camp. Campers must reserve a space in advance online.
 
Always check on water levels in the St. Johns River in advance of hiking this section. Flood conditions can make the northeast corner of this route dangerous to traverse.


Directions

 
Wheeler Road Trailhead: From the intersection of SR 50 and Fort Christmas Road in Christmas, follow Fort Christmas Road north. Pass Fort Christmas Park on the left and turn right at the curve onto Wheeler Rd, passing under the Orlando Wetlands Park sign. Follow this entrance road to where two trailheads face each other. The Seminole Ranch Conservation Area trailhead is on the right.
 
Joshua Creek Trailhead: Instead of turning right at the curve, follow the sweep of Fort Christmas Road to the left. Continue a half mile to Philips Rd. Turn right. Follow Philips Rd for 1.5 miles to the sign for Bronson State Forest. Take the jeep track to the left of the sign. It empties into a very large parking area with a couple of picnic tables. Be sure to pay the day use fee and sign into the register before you leave a car here.

Hike

In the corner of the Wheeler Rd trailhead, open the gate to follow the blue-blazed connector trail across a short stretch of pasture. Cattle are often loose here.

Look for the first blue blaze on a pine tree. The trail enters a mixed hardwood forest, ducking under the spreading limbs of a large live oak.

FT sign Look for this sign across the pasture


The trail is swallowed up by a deeply shaded oak hammock and framed by saw palmetto. Mind the cow pies!

Reaching a pair of stiles at a quarter mile, cross a ranch road. Water is available at a hunt check station 0.1 mile north. The trail continues into a palm hammock.

By a half mile, its a wonderland of ancient oaks amid the palms, laden in resurrection fern and bromeliads. Wild coffee carpets the earthy understory.

Cabbage palm with blue blaze Palm hammock


Crossing an old bridge over an ephemeral stream, the trail continues through a very rooty area before passing a massive oak with weathered bark.

The blue blazes end after 0.8 mile at a T intersection with the orange-blazed Florida Trail. Turn left to continue north towards Bronson State Forest.

Floodplain forests crowd in, the earth spongy underfoot. The trail circles a small wetland and rises up slightly to zigzag through a maze of palm trunks.

FNST sign at junction Florida Trail junction


At 1.2 miles, cross a stile over a barbed wire fence in the middle of an extensive palm hammock.

At the edge of the hammock, the trail passes through a portal, through the heart of an ancient live oak.

Stile in palm hammock Stile in the palms


Tiny bromeliads cling to rotting logs, and on the left, there are oaks that look like natural sculptures.

Passing a large sand pile, the trail continues beneath more grand live oaks. A grapevine dangles down, cradling an arc of small bromeliads.

Double trunked oak The oak portal


The trail emerges at a parking area adjoining the “Garden Spot Trail” at 1.5 miles, just beyond a cable gate.

The orange blazes lead you over a small bridge over a ditch filled with blue flag iris. The trail winds beneath oaks and palms beyond.

Bridge with iris Iris blooming at the Garden Spot


Rounding a large wetland, the trail goes through a close-knit stand of cabbage palms with grayish-green trunks mottled with orange and pink splotches of lichens.

At 2.3 miles there is a picnic table along the trail, within sight of a parking area used seasonally by hunters. Bromeliads drape down from the oaks.

Skinny cedars and palms Skinny cedars among the palms


Past the picnic table, enter a cathedral of palms, their tall, skinny trunks surrounding the footpath. Rein-toothed orchid rises from the forest floor in winter.

The trail dances along the edge of the forest within sight of the road met at the picnic table, but stays in the shade. Reaching the road, it leads up it briefly before crossing.

Beaten path in the woods Following the well-worn trail


After a brief walk on a berm where the open floodplain of the St. Johns River stretches off to the horizon on the right, reach the outflow of Orlando Wetlands Park.

Don’t be surprised to hear an alligator splash out of sight. At this trail junction at 2.9 miles, a staircase stile connects to the trail system within the adjoining park.

Staircase up and over fence next to stream Stile and trail into Orlando Wetlands Park


While clear and naturally cleansed, the outflow of the wetlands park is treated effluent, so you may not want to use it as a water source.

The trail continues into a seasonally flooded area where the footpath is earthy and sometimes muddy underfoot.

Cabbage palms and earthy trail Trail through wetlands and palms


Slipping between wetland areas, the trail reaches an old stile at the land management boundary for Bronson State Forest at 3.3 miles.

The stile and a segment of fence are still partly in place but otherwise snipped away so you can walk around it. An old Florida Trail sign is on the post.

Orange blazed post with sign Bronson State Forest boundary


The trail dives into another dense segment of oak and palm hammock before reaching the next stile on the edge of a wetland area.

Once across it, the footpath follows a raised berm with the wetlands to the left.

Large oak with a blaze Hiking through the oaks and palms


Edged by ferns for a stretch, the footpath continues into an area where slender cedars thrive among the large oaks.

Sawgrass and ferns creep into the trail as it makes its way around a series of wetlands that lie to the west.

Cedars along the trail Cedars lining the footpath


While these wetlands aren’t always visible, they have an effect on the surrounding forest, and the footpath itself.

Past a giant air plant that makes its presence known under an orange blaze, cross yet another stile. The trail twists and winds between cabbage palms and marsh ferns.

Giant air plant below a blaze Giant air plant


After you pass a permanent survey marker, more wetlands lie to the west of the footpath, around 4.2 miles. It can be mucky in here.

They drain and seep into the low spots that the trail traverses. Be cautious of obvious drainage areas and solid-looking dark ground hiding mud holes between roots.

Drainage through hummocks Drainage between the rootballs in the swamp


In the soggy hummocks of what is certainly a swamp in the St. Johns River floodplain at certain times of year, the water lines on the trees should give pause.

This is not a piece of trail you want to take on when it’s truly wet. It can be bypassed, if needed, using the Orlando Wetlands Park stile to follow its fenceline to the River Trail.

Soggy ground in the footpath Watch for mudholes in this section


Follow the blazes carefully through this tangled jungle of palms. Eventually, the canopy lifts as large sweetgum and red maple trees form the high canopy.

Bits of open space glimpsed between the trees, belie how close the trail lies to the St. Johns River ‘s open floodplain around 5.2 miles, as do the cypresses in the forest.

Blaze on a cedar in hammock Oak and palm hammock


Cross a small bridge over a seasonal drainage. Soon after, the trail rises out of the floodplain and crosses a forest road.

Walk beneath large oaks and citrus trees on higher ground as the trail reaches a 4-way intersection at a stile at 5.6 miles.

Massive oak covered in air plants Ancient oak with bromeliads in its branches


This junction marks the intersection with the white-blazed River Trail, which starts at the back fence of Orlando Wetlands Park, 0.9 miles south of here.

The River Trail hops the fence and continues another 10.9 miles north to the Econlockhatchee River, crossing three more trail along its linear route.

Barbed wire fence FNST sign at the River Trail junction


The Florida Trail goes up and over this stile, too. Turn left after crossing to follow the orange blazes down the fence and into the woods.

In less than a quarter mile, the trail reaches Fern Camp, the only designated campsite along this section. It’s a beauty, set under a canopy of ancient live oaks.

Fern Camp sign and table Picnic table at Fern Camp


Beyond the campsite, the trail passes a squared-off concrete footer, perhaps the location of an old well. There is no water near the campsite, however.

The trail continues down a broad straightaway before narrowing to snake through another palm hammock.

Palm hammock on the Florida Trail
Palm hammock north of Fern Camp

Within a half mile there is a major shift in the habitat to a park-like atmosphere with an open grassy area under live oaks.

With a habitat shift to scrubby flatwoods soon after, the Florida Trail moves farther away from the river floodplain.

Blaze post in flatwoods In the scrubby flatwoods


Beyond the pines, a cell tower rises in the distance. It remains a landmark in that direction for the remainder of this hike.

Crossing a forest road marked as an equestrian trail, the Florida Trail reaches Christmas Creek, a viable water source with a bench near the bridge, at 6.2 miles.

Dark creek with bridge and sign Christmas Creek


After the creek, the trail winds through a thicket of silvery blue saw palmetto before entering a low-lying area with cypress knees and trees with strongly buttressed bases.

Leaving this floodplain area around 6.5 miles, it pops out into the open skies of a pine savanna. Keep alert and you’ll notice bogs of pitcher plants hidden in the tall grasses.

Blaze post in pine savannaOvergrown understory of the pine savanna


Crossing the scrubby flatwoods, the trail turns northwest and comes up to a forest road junction, once again intersecting with an equestrian trail.

Bear left onto the trail marked by the FNST sign. The footpath continues along the edge of a pine savanna with a dense understory of saw palmetto.

FNST sign in pines The turn off the equestrian trail


Beyond the savanna, the trail enters a large hardwood hammock with ancient live oaks and cabbage palms.

Cross a sandy forest road in the middle of the hammock at 7.2 miles. The dense forest continues on the other side.

Cabbage palm and oaks along trail Trail in the hardwood hammock


Opening up into pine flatwoods after a corridor edged by tall saw palmetto, the trail starts to lose elevation quickly.

The low point is South Slough, a sluggish waterway bridged by a low boardwalk at 7.9 miles. Water is sometimes flowing here.

Boardwalk amid ferns and aquatic plants South Slough


Beyond the slough, the trail climbs, passing under a bower of southern magnolia all tangled together to create a lower canopy.

Soon after, the trail emerges into sandhill habitat with sand live oaks and turkey oaks. A cluster of of Spanish bayonet may be in bloom.

Canopy of magnolia trees Under the magnolias


At 8.2 miles, a ranch road with an overhead power line bisects the landscape. We’ve often seen cattle roaming here, as there is a gate to an adjacent ranch within view.

Mind the meandering cow paths that branch off the Florida Trail as you continue through the sandhills–keep watching for orange blazes.

FNST sign and pines Trail sign on south side of ranch road crossing


A tenth of a mile later, reach the well-marked junction with the blue-blazed trail leading to the Joshua Creek trailhead.

Turn left to following this quarter mile meander through the sandhills, ending your hike at the trailhead after 8.6 miles. Sign the trail register before you leave.

Signs and signs and signs at trailhead Joshua Creek trailhead


NORTHBOUND: Joshua Creek to Chuluota Wilderness
SOUTHBOUND: Seminole Ranch South

Trail Map

Florida Trail Bronson State Forest Map
Florida Trail in orange, connectors in blue

Explore More!

Learn more about Bronson State Forest

Pine flatwoods in Bronson State Forest

Bronson State Forest

Despite more than 40 miles of hiking and multi-use trails, Charles H. Bronson State Forest is a lightly-visited destination hidden behind more popular public lands.

Slideshow

See our photos from this Florida Trail segment


Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Open marsh at Orlando Wetlands Park

Orlando Wetlands Park

For a hike filled with the flutter and squawk of birds about their daily routines, Orlando Wetlands Park is one of the best birding spots in the state. This 5-mile loop showcases our favorite route

Pine flatwoods panorama

Savage Christmas Creek Preserve

Protecting more than a thousand acres, Savage Christmas Creek Preserve east of Orlando has more than 8 miles of trails through panoramic prairie and pine flatwoods landscapes

Dense palm hammock

Florida Trail, Tosohatchee

Bridging an immense expanse of pine flatwoods bisected by floodplain forests, an 11-mile segment of the statewide Florida Trail crosses Tosohatchee WMA.

Florida myrtle blooming next to a trail with a puddle

Pine Lily Preserve

In every season, wildflowers are the highlight along more than 4 miles of trails at Pine Lily Preserve, where its namesake lilies bloom in late summer.

Trail Map (PDF) Hunt Dates Reserve Campsite Official Website

Category: Backpacking, Central Florida, Day Hikes, Florida Trail, Hikes, Trails, Water Management AreasTag: Archaeological Sites, Big Trees, Birding, Botanical, Bronson State Forest, Christmas, Dog-friendly, Five Star Trails Orlando, Florida State Forests, Florida Trail, FT Orlando, Orlando, Orlando Wetlands Park, Picnic, Pitcher Plants, Primitive Camping, Scenic Hikes, St. Johns River, Wildflowers, Wildlife Viewing

Reader Interactions

Have an update? Contact us.

Primary Sidebar

Our Florida Trail Books

The Florida Trail Guide

The Florida Trail GuideThe comprehensive mile-by-mile guidebook to planning section and thru-hikes along the entire length of the Florida Trail. 356 pages, $19.95 + tax and shipping.

Order Now


Florida Trail Hikes

Florida Trail HikesFifty of the best day hikes, overnights, and weekend trips on the Florida Trail, plus nine of the best section hikes. Full hike descriptions and maps, full color. 376 pages. $24.95 + tax and shipping.

Order Now
 


Discovering the Florida Trail

Florida Trail mini coffee table book cover of trail into palm hammock
Our virtual walk along the length of the Florida Trail, covering more than 1,500 miles from the Everglades to Pensacola Beach. Hardcover, 196 pages. $24.95 + tax and shipping.

Order Now


The Florida Trail

Florida Trail large coffee table book cover of trail down swamp causeway under ancient pines

Our history of the first 50 years of the Florida Trail, from its founding in 1966 to becoming a National Scenic Trail to volunteer efforts today.

Learn More

The Florida Trail App

Comprehensive logistics and offline maps all in one: The Florida Trail Guide is now also an interactive map-based mile-by-mile app by Guthook Guides.

Get the App!

Florida Trail Updates


Get periodic recaps of changes to the Florida Trail, which we accumulate between editions of our guidebook. Find all official Trail Closures & Notices here.

Hiking the Florida Trail

  • Florida Trail Overview
  • Plan your Hike
  • Choose the Right Gear
  • Best Scenic Hikes
  • Best Backpacking Trips
  • Section Hiking
  • Thru-Hiking
  • Eastern Continental Trail
  • Florida Trail in South Florida
  • Florida Trail in Central Florida
  • Florida Trail in North Florida
  • Florida Trail in Northwest Florida
  • Florida Trail for Scouting
  • Florida Trail Adventures
  • Florida Trail Updates

Florida Trail by Section

Porter Lake, Apalachicola National Forest

Florida Trail, Apalachicola

Florida Trail, Apalachicola
Florida Trail Big Bend view

Florida Trail, Big Bend

Florida Trail, Big Bend
Florida Trail Big Cypress

Florida Trail, Big Cypress

Florida Trail, Big Cypress

Florida Trail, Blackwater

Florida Trail, Blackwater
Florida Trail Nokuse

Florida Trail, Central Panhandle

Florida Trail, Central Panhandle
Eglin Weaver Creek

Florida Trail, Eglin

Florida Trail, Eglin
Florida Trail Kissimmee

Florida Trail, Kissimmee

Florida Trail, Kissimmee
Florida Trail at Rice Creek

Florida Trail, Northeast Florida

Florida Trail, Northeast Florida
Juniper Prairie Wilderness

Florida Trail, Ocala

Florida Trail, Ocala
Ocean to Lake Hiking Trail

Ocean to Lake Hiking Trail

Ocean to Lake Hiking Trail
Florida Trail, Okeechobee

Florida Trail, Okeechobee

Florida Trail, Okeechobee
Florida Trail at Forever Florida

Florida Trail, Orlando

Florida Trail, Orlando
Florida Trail Seashore Dunes

Florida Trail, Seashore

Florida Trail, Seashore
Florida Trail along a canal south of Clewiston

Florida Trail, Seminole

Florida Trail, Seminole
No Name Creek

Florida Trail, Suwannee

Florida Trail, Suwannee
Cypress Lakes Preserve

Florida Trail, Western Corridor

Florida Trail, Western Corridor

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