• 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
White blaze on cabbage palm

Taylor Creek Loop

Blending a historic route of the Florida Trail with an easy return along a forest road, the 4.7 mile Taylor Creek Loop traverses palm hammocks along the St. Johns River floodplain.

Tosohatchee WMA  |  Cocoa
( 28.373904, -80.904310 )      4.7 miles

Built by the Indian River chapter of the Florida Trail Association, the scenic portion of this well-established footpath was part of the statewide Florida Trail.

That changed by 1999, when levees across the St. Johns River floodplain were broken to enable free flow of the river, shifting the Florida Trail route to a roadwalk.

Cypress swamp along a creek The closure of the Deseret section, once connecting across Taylor Creek, also prompted the creation of this loop


Expect a wonderland of botanical beauty along this 4.7 mile loop, truly one of Florida’s best hikes to enjoy the splendor of palm hammocks.

Located in the lesser-known portion of Tosohatchee WMA, the scenic eastern side of this loop remains dry as long as the river is within its banks.

Hiker in a palm hammock The palm hammocks are worth the hike


Resources

Resources for exploring the area

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

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: Cocoa
Length: 4.7 mile loop
Trailhead: 28.373904, -80.904310
Fees: Free
Restroom: None
Land manager: Florida Fish & Wildlife
Phone: 407-568-5893

Leashed dogs welcome. Day use only. Plan for mosquitos and possible wading.

NOTE: Camping is no longer permitted along this loop.

Signpost in palm hammock


Directions

 
From Interstate 95, follow SR 520 west across the St. Johns River. Watch for the first turnout lane on the left after crossing the river bridges. The trailhead is behind a gate in a tall fence that makes it always look closed. Open the gate and close it behind you.

Hike

Leaving the parking corral at the “Trail” sign, veer southeast along the white blazes, which immediately dive into a palm hammock.

It’s a jungle-like corridor, the footpath densely fringed by palm fronds. Resurrection fern swarms over oaks and palms.

Large resurrection fern on an oak limb Resurrection fern is unusually long and large in this hammock


Blazes can be tricky to spot. Since the footpath is not well worn, it’s easy to end up off-trail following an animal track if you don’t keep watching for the next blaze.

In a tenth of a mile, leave the corridor of palms to enter mesic pine flatwoods with mixed loblolly and slash pine. Cars zoom by within earshot along SR 520.

In the thick of palms In the thick of the first palm hammock


Emerging onto a firebreak paralleling the highway, watch for a double blaze beyond a wetland where blue flag iris blooms in March.

The trail makes a sharp right into a palm hammock and jogs left at a quarter mile, entering a much denser palm hammock with uneven soil underfoot.

Transition between palms and oaks A transition area


Pass a patch of lowbush blueberry around 0.4 mile before proceeding along a corridor defined by tall pines and cabbage palms.

Turning away from the highway, the trail makes a soft right towards a hammock of very large live oaks and cabbage palms, quickly immersing in this showy habitat.

Live oaks are draped in ferns and bromeliads. Goldfoot fern spikes from cabbage palms, and colorful American beautyberry attracts the eye with its purple berries.

Entering a virtual maze of cabbage palm trunks, the deeper you get into the hammocks, the smaller you feel.

Palm hammock Palm hammock along the floodplain


By three-quarters of a mile the trail runs along the edge of a large marsh, a foopath through mucky ground, rich black earth underfoot.

Wax myrtle crowds the trail but peeps of red and orange are visible in winter in the coloration of red maple leaves.

Dark earth path in wetland Crossing a wetland


Leaving the wetland, walk through another palm hammock with a grassy forest floor and come to a large spreading live oak.

To the left is an ephemeral wetland. The trail passes under thick grapevines that look like snakes hanging from the live oak.

Tangled vines with a view beyond to wetlands Along the edge of the St. Johns floodplain


Approaching a broad, duckweed covered canal, keep alert for alligators. The trail turns right, leaving the highway noise behind as it heads south.

Pass a cabbage palm with a 90° bend in its trunk as the trail enters another lush palm hammock.

In the shade of the palms and oaks, circle a wetland where a marsh is colored with the blooms of duck potato.

A little more sun filters through the canopy at a mile where the trail emerges into a corridor of cabbage palms.

Dense palm hammock Among the cabbage palms


The trail twists and turns through palm hammocks before opening into a wonderful montage of oaks, resurrection ferns, and cabbage palms.

Walking atop a soft surface of pine duff by 1.4 miles under a stand of tall skinny young slash pines, it’s a reminder that not all of this forest is old growth.

palms and pines Pine corridor in the palms


In the 1930s and 1940s the region between Jim Creek and Taylor Creek was heavily logged for cypress and pine.

In the transition to the next tall stand of palms, notice the shorter, stubbier palms in the understory. They seem common along the St. Johns floodplain.

Palm hammock Goldfoot fern (golden polypody) on a cabbage palm


After this hammock of fuzzy palms, the trail moves on to a hammock with a very high canopy of live oaks.

By 1.7 miles, the trail zigzags between a maze of palm trunks. There are alternate trails leading away from the main footpath so keep an eye on the white blazes.

White blaze on palm Among the oaks and palms


Over the next quarter mile there is a break in the palms with glimpses of the riverine habitat beyond. Beyond, trail burrows deeper into the palm and oak hammocks.

Masses of mushy spaghnum moss rise from the footpath, an indicator of how wet this portion of the trail can become.

Close up of spaghnum moss  Spaghnum moss


Cardinal wild pine grows at eye level. Fungi and ferns and bromeliads and lichens thrive. Look for giant air plants overhead.

The trail follows a corridor between cabbage palms and saw palmetto under the oaks, broader and straighter than any of the footpath so far.

It then makes a sharp left into a dense palm maze, dwarf palms enrobed in fuzzy green carpets of moss.

This is a quiet spot, silence broken only by airplanes overhead. Patches of sky are visible above.

Dense palm hammock Inside the palm maze, watch for blazes!


Cypress knees appear by 2.5 miles, signaling you’re drawing near to Taylor Creek, a tributary of the St. Johns River.

Emerge from the palms at a picnic table with a trail junction. A sign indicates a side trail, once the Florida Trail thru-trail to Deseret Ranch.

Junction sign The spur trail to the creek is a half mile round-trip


Follow the side trail to see the scenic floodplain of Taylor Creek and its ancient cypress trees. The trail keeps narrowing.

Coming to a T intersection at 2.8 miles, turn left at the double blaze to head down a tight corridor fringed by saw palmetto under the oak canopy.

Approaching the creek, the rougher and muckier the terrain becomes, with cypress knees jutting out of the footpath.

Blazes lead into the cypress swamp to a sign “Taylor Creek Trail End” at 2.9 miles. It might be underwater.

Cypress knees in floodplain Taylor Creek and its floodplain


Return the same way you came. At 3.3 miles, reach the picnic table in the clearing and turn left.

From this former campsite, the trail continues habitats unlike the hike thus far, reaching a forest road.

Wet pine flatwoods Mesic flatwoods


Follow a broad walkway through mesic pine flatwoods, the understory filled with gallberry and saw palmetto. A floodplain forest parallels to the east.

A stand of silver-tinged saw palmetto near a sign at 3.6 miles, marking where the trail turns to the right along with the forest road.

Saw palmetto Saw palmetto in the pine flatwoods


Through this next stretch, notice the gentle elevation gain and colorful wildflowers like milkweed and candyroot.

Surrounded by scrubby flatwoods with tall grasses, the trail passes an ephemeral wetland at 4.1 miles.

After a curve to the left, the sounds of traffic from SR 520 start filtering in. Rounding the second curve, keep to the far right.

The footpath hugs close against the saw palmetto. Use the hard-packed shellrock of the forest road to cross a drainage from another ephemeral wetland on the right.

Man hiking in piney woods Transitioning into higher elevation


As the pine flatwoods yield to a mix of cabbage palms and pines, the broad forest road rounds a wetland with a core of willow and red maple.

Emerge at the cable gate and the trailhead after 4.7 miles.

Curve in a forest road in woods One of the final curves before the trailhead


Trail Map

Taylor Creek Loop Trail Map


Explore More!

Learn more about Tosohatchee WMA

Pine-palm flatwoods

Tosohatchee WMA

Protecting more than 30,000 acres of the St. Johns River floodplain near Christmas, Tosohatchee WMA is a place to immerse yourself in the grandeur of old Florida and its bounty of botanical beauty.


Slideshow

See our photos of the Taylor Creek Loop


Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

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.

Nice view of pond with clouds reflecting in water

Hidden Pond Preserve

Putting together several loops providing perspectives on pine flatwoods, prairie, swamp, and a showy pond, Hidden Pond Preserve offers a very enjoyable 1.9 mile hike.

Pine flatwoods in Florida

Tosohatchee White Loop

A botanically-rich immersion into Tosohatchee WMA, the White Loop combines the Florida Trail and the White Trail for a hike of nearly 11 miles.

Parking Area 32

Biking Tosohatchee

A 20.2-mile circuit on forest roads by bike provides a unique perspective on this 31,000-acre preserve along the St. Johns River floodplain in Christmas.

Official Website

Category: Backpacking, Central Florida, Day Hikes, Hikes, Loop Hikes, TrailsTag: Big Trees, Birding, Botanical, Cocoa, Cocoa Beach, Dog-friendly, Five Star Trails Orlando, Florida's Space Coast, Picnic, Primitive Camping, Scenic Hikes, St. Johns River, Tosohatchee WMA, Wildlife Viewing

Reader Interactions

Have an update? Contact us.

Primary Sidebar

CENTRAL FLORIDA

CENTRAL FLORIDA OVERVIEW
East Coast Greenway. Florida Trail

Brooksville. Coast to Coast Trail. Cocoa Beach. Cross Florida Greenway. Crystal River. Dade City. Daytona Beach. Kissimmee. Lakeland. Leesburg. Ocala. Ocala National Forest. Orlando. Sanford. St. Petersburg. Tampa.

Our Newest Books

The Florida Trail Guide

The Florida Trail GuideOur definitive guidebook to planning backpacking trips on the Florida National Scenic Trail, now in its fourth edition. Full data charts and maps. B&W, 356 pages. $19.95 + tax & shipping.

Order Now


Florida Trail Hikes

Florida Trail Hikes 2nd edition coverFifty of the best day hikes, overnights, and weekend trips on the Florida Trail. Full hike descriptions and maps, full color. 376 pages. $24.95 + tax & shipping.

Order Now


Discovering the Florida Trail

Florida Trail mini coffee table book cover of trail into palm hammock
A visual journey the length of the Florida Trail, covering more than 1,500 miles from the Everglades to Pensacola Beach. Hardcover, 196 pages. $24.95 + tax & shipping.
Order Now


50 Hikes in Central Florida 3rd edition
Five Star Trails Orlando guidebook
Explorer's Guide North Florida & The Panhandle guidebook

Florida Trail Apps

Farout GuidesFarout Guides Comprehensive logistics and offline maps for the
Florida National Scenic Trail (1,500 miles), the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail (108 miles), and the ECT Florida Connector (92 miles).

Explore More

Our recent park & trail updates in this region

Waterway flowing through lush forest with path beyond

Dickson Azalea Park

Dickson Azalea Park
Florida rosemary growing in bright white sand

Shadow Bay Park

Shadow Bay Park
Marker 26 at edge of pine woods

Alafia River North Trails

Alafia River North Trails
Sunset in a pine forest

Red Trail, Palm Bluff Conservation Area

Red Trail, Palm Bluff Conservation Area

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