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Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides

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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.

Christmas      ( 28.498365, -80.998584 )      60.0 miles

Tosohatchee WMA is a place to immerse yourself in the beauty of natural Florida, with its ancient live oaks, deeply shaded palm hammocks, and tall cypresses in the river swamps.

It is also a wet place, where a little rise in water levels along the St. Johns River and its tributaries means soggy trails.

Bog boardwalk in woods Bog boardwalk in a creek basin


With numerous loops possible on its 60 miles of trails and a location between the coast and Orlando, it’s a favorite destination for hikers, cyclists, and equestrians.

A very scenic segment of the statewide Florida Trail traverses the preserve top to bottom. Ponds, lakes, and streams add to the beauty of this preserve.

Blue sky over blue lake Lake Charlie, a destination for fishing


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: Christmas
Main entrance: 28.498365, -80.998584
Fees: $4 per person
Restroom: Vault toilet at the entrance station and Youth Camp
Land manager: Florida Fish & Wildlife
Phone: 407-568-5893

Leashed dogs welcome. Mosquitoes and wading highly likely. Arrange camping in advance by calling the preserve.

All roads are unpaved. Do not drive into standing water. This area floods when the St. Johns River is high. Avoid recreation here when the river is in flood stage.

FWC permits seasonal hunting. Be aware of hunt dates and wear blaze orange clothing during hunts. Camping restrictions may apply during hunts.

Pines and oaks


Directions

 
From Interstate 95 in Titusville, follow SR 50 for 10 miles west into Christmas. Turn south on Taylor Creek Rd. The entrance is 2.9 miles south on the left. Pick up a map to determine the best route to your destination within the preserve.

About the Preserve

Formerly a state park, Tosohatchee WMA was traded between state agencies to swap for other public lands to enter the state park system. Why?

Deer hunting during the fall hunting season is one of the major reasons people come to Tosohatchee, and that land use wasn’t compatible with being a state park.

A massive alligator half out of a canal Wildlife abounds within the preserve


The other, year-round holy grail at Tosohatchee is botanizing. Florida botanist Walter Kingsley Taylor made it famous in his field guides.

This mosaic of pine flatwoods, palm hammocks, hardwood hammocks, and marshes along the St. Johns River floodplain offers a rich palette of wildflowers.

blue flag iris bloom Blue flag iris draws attention in spring


It is also home to ancient trees, from outstanding examples of Southern red cedar to expansive hammocks characterized by massive live oaks and cabbage palms.

Well-aged saw palmetto rises trailside, and dense, damp understories host a broad array of ferns and fungi.

Big cypress knees in swamp Massive cypress knees along Jim Creek


Hiking

Tosohatchee is traversed by a showy segment of the Florida National Scenic Trail, which has cross-trails enabling loop hikes and overnight backpacking trips.

The White Trail and Yellow Trail provide options for make-your-own-distance loops, as do the many parking areas available to access hiking trails.

Beautiful creek in forest in fall Hiking along Tootoosohatchee Creek


A distinct day loop with its own entrance off SR 520, the Taylor Creek Loop showcases palm hammocks along the floodplain.

A new loop south of SR 528 and Lake Charlie provides a tromp through floodplain and pines in an area known as T-Shirt Pond.

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.

Yellow blazed pine among palms

Tosohatchee Yellow Loop

A scenic immersion into palm hammocks in Tosohatchee WMA, the Yellow Loop provides perspective on ancient trees near the Jim Creek floodplain.

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.

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.

Biking

The extensive network of limerock roads throughout Tosohatchee is open to cyclists. We’ve explored a 20-mile loop hitting the high points of the preserve.

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.

Fishing

Fishing is open to anyone with a Florida fishing license. Several ponds and small lakes – Lake Charlie, Mud Lake, T-Shirt Pond, and Peek-A-Boo Pond beckon anglers.

A lushly vegetated pond Peek-A-Boo Pond


At the end of Powerline Rd, folks fish along the banks of the St. Johns River. Here and in all the bodies of water in the preserve, keep close watch for alligators.

Folks fishing along sandy riverbank Anglers along the St. Johns RIver


Trail Map

Tosohatchee WMA Trail Map
Hiking trails we have explored. Orange: Florida Trail. Purple: White Trail. Yellow: Yellow Trail. Blue: Side Trails.

Explore More!

Slideshow

See our photos from Tosohatchee WMA


Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Florida Trail, Seminole Ranch

Florida Trail, Seminole Ranch

At Seminole Ranch Conservation Area in Christmas, the Florida Trail follows a linear 4.9 mile route through a string of hydric hammocks in the St. Johns River floodplain

Open marsh at Orlando Wetlands Park

Orlando Wetlands Park

For a hike filled with the flutter and squawk of birds about their daily routines, Orlando Wetlands Park is one of the best birding spots in the state. This 5-mile loop showcases our favorite route

Canaveral Marshes Conservation Area

Canaveral Marshes

Hike up to 5 miles on levees through the marshes of the St. Johns River at Canaveral Marshes Conservation Area between Orlando and Titusville.

Pine flatwoods panorama

Savage Christmas Creek Preserve

Protecting more than a thousand acres, Savage Christmas Creek Preserve east of Orlando has more than 8 miles of trails through panoramic prairie and pine flatwoods landscapes

Hunt Dates Official Website

Category: Central Florida, Parks, Wildlife Management AreasTag: Big Trees, Botanical, Christmas, Cocoa, Dog-friendly, Fishing, Group Camping, Orlando, Primitive Camping, Titusville, Tosohatchee WMA, Wildflowers, Wildlife Viewing

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