A Walk at Wekiwa
A walk in the park at Wekiwa Springs State Park doesn't have to be a long one. Here's a way to sample the park's highlights and habitats along its trails.
Bear, There!
Last Monday, we decided to visit an area behind a familiar trailhead. Sandy had noticed the unlocked gate before, so we decided to check it out. The gate led us to a slightly worn path and then an old sugar sand road. Walking along I noticed small bear …
Black Bear Wilderness Area
Sanford 7.1 milesNorth of Orlando, Black Bear Wilderness Area in Sanford offers some of the best wildlife watching in the region on its loop along the St. Johns River.
Black Bear Wilderness Loop Trail
Sanford 7.1 milesTrot out your sense of adventure to immerse into one of the wildest trails you'll find near Orlando, a trek into the tangled jungle of the St. Johns River floodplain.
Charles Lee Sabal Point Sanctuary
Longwood 3.4 milesThreading through a wilderness floodplain where the Little Wekiva and Wekiva Rivers meet, this 3.4 mile round-trip hike hidden in a subdivision offers excellent birding near Orlando.
Do not feed the bears
"A fed bear is a dead bear," says Florida Fish & Wildlife. It's time to make homeowners responsible for keeping trash and food out of reach when they live in bear territory.
Florida Trail, Seminole State Forest
Seminole State Forest 7.5 miles7.5 miles. Walk through vast, open spaces that you’d never imagine existed so close to Orlando.
Hiking at Kelly Park
For families in the know, Kelly Park is a favorite destination for tubing, the southernmost tubing run in Florida. But it also has some great hiking trails where you will probably see wildlife.
Historic Ethel Trail
Sorrento 1.4 milesInside Rock Springs Run State Reserve, an interpretive loop trail leads visitors through a corner of the state park where the rural settlement of Ethel once stood.
Just Bearly
As I discovered later, bear sightings are common at Kelly Park. But this bear certainly surprised me at the end of my research hike for Five Star Trails Orlando.
Kelly Park
Apopka 2.6 milesTubing 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.
Kelly Park Western Addition Trails
Apopka 1.7 milesAlong the Oakhill and Prairie Lake Trails at Kelly Park, explore the Western Addition to walk around anomalous habitats persisting where a spring-fed lake flourished long ago.