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Moss draperies in an oak hammock

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

Salt Lake WMA  |  Titusville
( 28.6384, -80.8749 )      1.3 miles

366 shares

On the eastern edge of Salt Lake WMA in North Titusville, the South Lake Trail shows off a panorama of marshy South Lake at the end of a moss-draped corridor.

While it is shown on the preserve map as a round-trip hike, we discovered connecting forest roads enable you to make a 1.3-mile loop.

It’s a gentle walk, and delightfully immersive, from the open scrub in the uplands to the winding walk through thick draperies of Spanish moss close to the shoreline.

At the hike’s end, enjoy both the view and a picnic table placed in a prime spot for relaxing at the lakeshore.

John standing on an observation deck in front of a large lake At trail’s end at South Lake


Resources

Resources for exploring the area

Central Florida Orlando Explorers Guide book cover 50 Hikes in Central Florida Complete Guide to Florida Wildflowers 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: Titusville
Length: 1.3 mile loop
Trailhead: 28.6384, -80.8749
Fees: None
Restroom: None
Land manager: Florida FWC
Phone: 352-732-1225

Open from 90 minutes before sunrise to 90 minutes after sunset. Leashed dogs welcome.

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

Shoreline of South Lake


Directions

 
From Interstate 95 exit 223, Mims, drive west on SR 46 one block to Carpenter Rd. Turn left. Continue 2.2 miles south to the four-way stop at Dairy Rd. Turn left. Drive 0.9 mile to the fenced trailhead on the left, just before the curve in the road.

Hike

When a new trailhead appeared along Dairy Road more than a year after a trail kiosk went up, it was time to find out why.

The trailhead kiosk has maps posted and information about hunting seasons. Behind it is a pass-through to access the South Lake Trail.

Picnic table in clearing Picnic table under the pines


Follow the yellow blazes into the scrub forest. While we did not see Florida scrub-jays, we heard them. A family of them lives nearby.

The trail winds through the open scrub between diminutive oaks and clusters of scrub hickory.

John looking at a flower in the scrub Pausing in the scrub to identify a flower


Narrow and sandy underfoot, the trail has a definitely downhill trend. It doesn’t take long to get to its obvious destination, the treeline.

Once it enters the oak scrub, the trail becomes a tunnel beneath the sand live oaks.

Yellow blaze in oak hammock In the oak scrub


The humidity of nearby South Lake – just a little beyond the trees – encourages Spanish moss and bromeliads to grow.

Thick blankets of lichens cover tree trunks. The oaks and rusty lyonia intertwine above the cabbage palms.

Yellow blaze on tree with Spanish moss Enter a wonderland of Spanish moss


There is a sameness to the terrain, but it is a delightful sameness, moss-strewn and intimate.

After a quarter mile, the trail comes to a bench. Just after the bench it pops out into an open mowed area with a pine uphill. Turn left to stay with the trail.

Bench under oaks Bench along the trail


Entering the next tunnel of oak hammock, the trail edges closer to the lake. You can hear the splash of water on the shoreline.

The trees are taller here and open up to reveal the sky above. A few spots are close enough to the lake to get damp at times.

Mix of wetlands and uplands One of the soggy spots


While scrub appears on the uphill side of the trail, the downhill slope has loblolly bay, willow, and buttonbush.

These eventually yield back to the tunnel of oaks, with a riot of ferns across the forest floor.

Trail leading between trees to clearing The final stretch of the South Lake Trail


Where the trail reaches a group of towering magnolias, it turns to the left and you can see a clearing up ahead.

When it emerges into the clearing, you’ve reached the destination of the South Lake Trail.

Marshy shoreline Marshy shoreline of South Lake


The clearing has a kiosk, bench, and picnic table. But most importantly, it has a boardwalk and observation deck.

Looking north, you can see the marshy edge of South Lake. Looking east and south, the vast sweep of the largest lake in Titusville.

Kayak on deep blue marshy lake Kayaker on South Lake


For paddlers to reach this point, they must put in at Fox Lake Park and follow the marked trail.

The clearing is at 0.8 mile. You can return the way you came, or follow our loop route around for a different perspective on the preserve.

Paw-paw bloom in front of saw palmetto A paw-paw in bloom


Walk into the woods behind the picnic table along a forest road shaded by a tall canopy of live oaks.

This road meanders a bit, leading you past massive magnolia trees before reaching a T intersection with another forest road.

Dense forest oaks and palms The dense hardwood hammock near the lake


Salt Lake WMA has many miles of forest roads and you don’t want to get lost on them. To loop back to the trailhead, turn right.

Walking under the oak canopy, you can see the “light at the end of the tunnel” up ahead.

Hiker beneath tall oak trees Following the forest road north through the oak hammock


Once you reach it, the rest of the hike is in the open scrub with no shade. The panoramas, however, are outstanding. Listen for birds.

Soon after passing a forest road at the edge of a prairie, you see the tall pine you saw earlier along the hike, along the cleared corridor.

Palmetto prairie The palmetto prairie at the heart of Salt Lake WMA


Pass that side trail and keep going straight ahead, towards the pines in the distance. The road becomes soft sand in spots.

More side trails come in from the left before the trail reaches the pines. These interconnect to the larger forest road network in Salt Lake WMA.

Man walking along forest road under pines Walking into the pine forest


Keep on the main trail. After you reach the pines, it’s not long before you see the trailhead fence and kiosk up ahead.

Finish up by walking through the pass-through to complete this 1.3 mile hike.

Sandhill cranes at barbed wire fence Sandhill cranes along the preserve fence


Trail Map

South Lake Trail Map South Lake Trail at Salt Lake WMA


Related Articles

Hiking Salt Lake WMA

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.

Pine flatwoods

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


Explore More!

Learn more about Salt Lake WMA

Forest road between tall trees

Salt Lake WMA

Spanning nearly 8,000 acres between Salt Lake, Lake Loughman, and South Lake, Salt Lake WMA is a popular birding and fishing destination with many miles of trails

Slideshow

See our photos of the South Lake Trail


Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Trail through scrub

Buck Lake East Loop

On this 1.5-mile loop atop a scrub ridge in the southeast corner of Buck Lake Conservation Area, watch for a flash of blue- Florida scrub-jays are found here.

Bike on bridge at creek on Brevard Coast to Coast Trail

Brevard Coast to Coast Trail

The eastern terminus of the state-spanning Coast to Coast Trail is in the trail town of Titusville, where a ride on the Brevard Coast to Coast Trail provides cyclists the best ride in the county

Hiking trail through pine flatwoods

Scottsmoor Flatwoods Sanctuary

Straddling the sandy uplands of the Atlantic Coastal Ridge, Scottsmoor Flatwoods Sanctuary protects 1,500 acres of flatwoods, scrub, and wetlands in North Brevard while offering more than 12 miles of trails

Trail Map (PDF) Hunt Dates Official Website

Category: Central Florida, Day Hikes, Hikes, Loop Hikes, Trails, Wildlife and Environmental AreasTag: Big Trees, Dog-friendly, Family-Friendly, Lakefront, Mims, Observation Decks, Picnic, Scenic Hikes, Titusville, Wildflowers

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