Welaka State Forest offers both natural beauty and a deep subtext of cultural history.
It protects more than four miles of deeply forested waterfront on the St. Johns River across Little Lake George from the Ocala National Forest.
St. Johns River along the Bartram LoopIt was along these river banks that John Bartram, royal botanist to King George III, paddled with his son William in 1765.
They disembarked to visit Beecher Spring, which lies just outside the bounds of this state forest, and Mount Royal, a massive burial and ceremonial complex, of which a portion lies within the forest.
Fossil snails spilled from a riverfront middenResources
Resources for exploring the area
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Overview
Location: Welaka
Trailhead: 29.4688, -81.6590
Length: More than 27 miles of trails and forest roads
Fees: $2 per person for day use
Land Manager: Florida Forest Service
Phone: 386-467-2388
Open sunrise to sunset unless permitted to camp. Leashed dogs welcome.
Trails are open to cyclists and equestrians except where posted.
Directions
From Palatka, follow US 17 south to Satsuma. Turn right onto CR 309 and follow the brown signs through Satsuma and Palatka. The forest headquarters and visitor center are at the coordinates provided. Mud Spring trailhead is across the street, and the John’s Landing Trailhead is another 1.2 miles south along CR 309 on the right.
About the Forest
Stop in at the Visitor Center for a map or download one from their website in advance. Restrooms are available at the visitor center.
There is a very old, worn flush toilet facility near the fire tower, along with a nice picnic pavilion. Another pavilion is at Mud Spring.
Picnic pavilion at Johns Landing trailheadThe forest is broken into two segments bisected by CR 309, with the 6 mile Sandhill Equestrian Trail loop trail located on the east side of the forest, separate from the hiking trail system.
It is accessed from a trailhead off a forest road behind the state forest headquarters. All other trails are on the river side of CR 309.
Trail through bluff forestHiking
There are currently four hiking loops in Welaka State Forest. The William Bartram St. Johns River Loop showcases the very best that this 2,287 acre forest has to offer.
It connects two landing sites on the Bartram Trail together with a walk along a remote, picturesque piece of the St. Johns River for a loop of 5 miles.
Orange Point marks the junction of the Bartram Loop and John’s Landing TrailsThe John’s Landing Trail is a 4.3-mile loop that follows forest roads through the heart of the forest, with spur trails out to both Orange Point and John’s Landing.
The 1.7 mile Mud Spring Trail loops out to its namesake spring, which is also accessible to paddlers.
Picnic area at Mud SpringThe half-mile Forest Education Trail starts at the John’s Landing trailhead and makes a half-mile loop through the forest behind the fire tower, with interpretive signage along the well-worn footpath.
Each of the loop trails within the forest can be interconnected as one long hike by using the marked forest roads.
Kiosks are at all trailheads, with Trailwalker program informationFor instance, Eagle Nest Row connects the Mud Spring Trail with the John’s Landing Trail. The Forest Education Trail bisects Eagle Nest Row at the John’s Landing trailhead.
The William Bartram Loop also meets the Johns Landing Trail at several intersections and shares some of its route, particularly out to the St. Johns River.
William Bartram St. Johns River Loop
Discover the beauty of Welaka State Forest on a 5 mile footpath that winds along ecotones and hugs the bluffs of the St. Johns River to showcase natural wonders that botanist William Bartram documented in 1774.
John’s Landing Trail
Named for Philadelphia resident and royal botanist to King George III, John Bartram, the John’s Landing Trail leads to his landing site documented in 1765.
Mud Spring Trail
At Mud Spring, mud isn’t what you’ll see in the gently rounded basin that cradles an underwater garden, but a glassy natural pool.
All trails are open to cyclists, although the ones that are most comfortable (and driest) to ride are the ones on forest roads.
Anticipate spongy soggy roads and trails after a rain, since the habitats here are primarily wet flatwoods with ponds and bogs, and a maze of bayhead swamps.
Walking around puddles in a bayhead/pine ecotoneCamping
Two riverside campsites offer primitive camping along the John’s Landing Trail. It costs $10 per site for a maximum of 5 people. Group camping can also be arranged.
Contact the forest at 386-467-2388 or, if paddling in to either site, use the envelopes at the iron ranger to pay your fee. Protecting your food from bears is a must.
John’s Landing CampsiteExplore More!
Related Articles
On a Bartram Adventure Tour
On a guided Bartram Adventure Tour, we hiked, biked, and paddled to follow the travels of William and John Bartram along the St. Johns River in Palatka, Florida
Slideshow
See our photos of Welaka State Forest
Nearby Adventures
More worth exploring while you’re in this area.
40 Acre Park
A community park in Welaka, 40 Acre Park is a great stop for birding, with little-used trails that ramble around a series of wetlands once used in the fish hatchery
Mount Royal
One of Florida’s largest mounds, Mount Royal was first documented by William Bartram in 1765, when it was an important central feature of a large village along the St. Johns River.
Beecher Run Nature Trail
A stop along the Bartram Trail, the Beecher Run Nature Trail at Welaka National Fish Hatchery provides a walk beneath ancient pines along the edge of the hatchery ponds, which are fed by historic Beecher Spring.
Paddling the Bartram Trail in Welaka
Learning how botanists William and John Bartram traveled along the St. Johns River in the 1700s, I followed an experienced river guide for a look at part of the Bartram National Recreation Trail from the water on our Bartram Adventure Tour in Palatka.