Encompassing vast pine savannas stretching from Lake Kissimmee to Bull Creek, Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area is a vital wildlife corridor in southeast Central Florida.
This property protects over 63,000 acres of land in rural Osceola County. Miles of the Florida Trail and connected side routes run through the area.
Along with these options for long distance treks, the Sunset Ranch Trail offers an easy day hike through similar natural communities found nearby.
The deep shade of an oak hammockResources
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Overview
Location: Kenansville
Length: 2.9 miles
Trailhead: 27.903861, -81.098167
Address: N. Canoe Creek Rd, Kenansville
Fees: $3 per person
Restrooms: None
Land manager: Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission
Phone: 352-732-1225
Open sunrise to sunset. Leashed dogs permitted.
Directions
From the intersection of US 441 and CR 520 (Canoe Creek Rd) in Kenansville, follow CR 520 north 7.5 miles to the trailhead parking area on the left.
Hike
Starting at the trailhead, pay the entrance fee at the iron ranger and take a minute to check out the information kiosk with maps and details about the property.
A nearby picnic table offers a place to rest in dappled sunlight under Spanish moss-covered oaks.
Kisok and iron rangerThe trail begins on a sandy access road, following the wide pathway for a tenth of a mile before turning left onto a narrow corridor leading into a shady oak hammock.
In a few hundred feet, a wildlife viewing blind stands alongside the trail. This small covered building houses benches and several interpretive signs about nearby wildlife.
Entering the hammockAs the canopy closes in overhead, the trail passes a picnic table before reaching an impressive boardwalk over a cypress slough.
Swamp tupelo and bald cypress tower over an understory of dahoon holly and sweetbay in a seasonally flooded wetland carpeted with ferns and pickerelweed.
Cypress strand boardwalkEmerging from the hammock at an edge of a wide pasture covered with wiregrass, follow yellow blazed posts southward.
They trace the boundary between these two distinctly different landscapes.
Blazing stars and goldenrod thrive in abundant sunlight at the edge of the prairie, producing vibrant purple and yellow flowers in early autumn.
Blazing stars in bloomAt 0.8 mile, the trail enters a larger hammock where the loop portion of the hike begins. Stay to the left to begin the route in a clockwise direction.
Near the one mile mark, pass a well-marked cross trail that provides an option to shorten the loop by a half mile.
Directional sign at the cross trailContinue straight, following the main trail for another quarter mile to the southern end, where a 0.1 mile spur trail leads to Lake Marian.
This side path ends at the remnants of a boardwalk and observation deck that once stood overlooking the lake.
Although views of the lake are now mostly obstructed by tall grasses, FWC has plans to replace the overlook in the future.
Grassy shoreline of Lake MarianDense hammocks define the western side of the loop. A palmetto-lined pathway weaves through stands of majestic live oaks covered with epiphytic bromeliads, orchids, and ferns.
Reaching the end of the loop at 2.1 miles, follow yellow blazes for another 0.8 mile back to the trailhead, crossing the slough once again along the way.
Large live oakTrail Map
Explore More!
Learn more about Three Lakes WMA
Three Lakes WMA Protecting nearly 64,000 acres south of the Orlando metro along the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes, Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area is a delight for birders and hikers.Video
Hiking the Sunset Ranch Trail
Nearby Adventures
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.
Florida Trail, Prairie Lakes 8.1 miles. Traversing the heart of the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes, the Florida Trail at Prairie Lakes is one of Central Florida's oldest and most scenic hiking destinations. 
Florida Trail, Three Lakes WMA At Three Lakes WMA / Prairie Lakes Unit, the Florida Trail traverses one of the largest expanses of open prairie in the Southeast, the Kissimmee Prairie. 
Lake Jackson Tower Trail A short but scenic hike, the ramble to the Lake Jackson Tower at Prairie Lakes pays off with panoramic views from atop a three-story tower.
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