Sunset Ranch Trail

Within the 64,000 acre expanse of Three Lakes WMA, the Sunset Ranch Trail at the Prairie Lakes Unit north of Kenansville provides an easy interpretive day hike to sample the habitats found in the preserve.

The trail leads to an observation deck on Lake Marian. The 2.2 mile loop (a loop in the middle of a linear trail) offers excellent birding opportunities, especially for sandhill cranes. There is a bird blind along a prairie.

Resources

Resources for exploring the area

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Overview

Location: Kenansville
Length: 2.2 mile loop
Trailhead: 27.903900, -81.098200
Fees: $3 per person
Restrooms: None
Land manager: Florida Fish & Wildlife
Phone: 352-732-1225

Open sunrise to sunset unless camping. Leashed dogs permitted.

Directions

Hike

The broad hiking-only path traverses scrubby flatwoods, sandhills, pine flatwoods, and open prairie, crossing a boardwalk through a cypress dome en route to an observation deck along Lake Marian.

Lake Marian

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Trail Map

Explore More!

Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Prairie Lakes Loop

Enjoy the counterpoint of moss-draped oak hammocks and expansive prairies at Prairie Lakes along one of the older and more beloved pieces of the Florida Trail.

Cherokee Point Conservation Area

Protecting a marshy peninsula on the eastern shore of Lake Tohopekaliga, this remote preserve provides a panorama of natural wetlands from its boardwalk.

Twin Oaks Conservation Area

Named for two ancient live oaks that have long guided anglers to their favorite fishing hole, Twin Oaks Conservation Area protects nearly 400 acres along Lake Tohopekaliga.

Lake Runnymede Conservation Area

Ancient live oaks provide a tightly knit canopy over the 0.9-mile trail system at Lake Runnymede Conservation Area, a 43 acre urban preserve.