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Pine flatwoods with saw palmetto

Wiregrass Prairie South Loop

Circling a panoramic landscape of pine savanna, this 3.3-mile hike at Wiregrass Prairie Preserve features colorful wildflowers and expansive views

Wiregrass Prairie Preserve  |  Osteen
( 28.905797,-81.052816 )      3.3 miles

In the mosaic of habitats that make up more than 1,400 acres at Wiregrass Prairie Preserve, most of them are wet.

But the Yellow and Green Trails at the southeast corner of the preserve traverse a mostly dry landscape.

This is partly as it lies on the edge of an island in a vast swamp in the St. Johns River Valley, and partly as it was used for raising timber and cattle.

Largely a loop hike, it won’t keep you completely dry, but it will have you enjoying the open pine savanna and wiregrass prairie.

Mesic flatwoods Mostly dry (mesic) pine flatwoods


Since we hiked the trail, the homestead adjoining the trailhead has been acquired as public land and a return trail built more directly to the trailhead.

We drew in that route in blue on the map at the bottom of the page, but our hike description below mirrors the exact hike we did using both the Yellow and Green Trails.

At the time, yellow markers lined the entire route, so that’s what you’ll see in our photos.

From the official map, it appears the route has shifted slightly from this alignment in a couple of spots, and a rain shelter has been added.

Trailhead kiosk with map and bench Trailhead kiosk at Rudman Rd trailhead


Resources

Resources for exploring the area

5 Star Trails Orlando Central Florida Orlando Explorers Guide book cover 50 Hikes in Central Florida Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover

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: Farmton
Length: 3.3 mile round-trip and loop
Trailhead: 28.905797,-81.052816
Fees: Free
Restroom: None
Land manager: Volusia County
Phone: 386-736-5953

Open sunrise to sunset. Leashed pets welcome. Insect repellent is a must.

Hikers, off-road cyclists, and equestrians share the trails.

To camp at the primitive campsite off the Green Trail, obtain a permit in advance by calling ahead.

Two tall pines in pine savanna


Directions

 
From SR 415 in Osteen, turn on New Smyrna Blvd. Make an immediate left onto Florida Ave, which becomes Osteen-Maytown Road. It is occassionally paralleled by a bike path, the East Central Regional Railroad Trail. After 5.7 miles, you reach Pell Rd in Farmton. Turn left. Continue north 4.1 miles. The pavement ends in front of a fire tower. Turn right on Rudman Rd, an unpaved one lane track through a farm. Do not attempt to reach the trailhead if there is deep mud or soft sand along it. The trailhead is 1 mile down this road on the right.

Hike

Starting from the map kiosk at the parking area, follow the yellow markers atop white-tipped posts down an elevated grassy berm.

Making a gentle left at a quarter mile, the trail enters former pastureland replanted with longleaf pine.

Pines and blue sky Longleaf pine restoration along the trail


After 0.6 miles, you meet the junction with the Green Trail at a bench. Turn right.

Crossing over a stream that runs through a culvert, the trail enters pine flatwoods with an understory of saw palmetto.

Sand live oaks among pine flatwoodsPine flatwoods along the trail


Expansive open pine savanna with cypress domes stretches off to the right. The forest road that the trail follows marks the ecotone between habitats.

Entering a dense longleaf pine forest, expect water to fill puddles and ruts in the road and along it when water levels are right in the area.

Longleaf pines Heading into the pine forest


Clumps of saw palmetto and longleaf pine rise from an adjoining cattle ranch. The trail follows its fenceline, turning away from it just shy of a mile.

A sign points the way south to the primitive campsite. Continue along through an eye-catching expanse of silvery-blue tinged saw palmetto.

After 1.2 miles, leave the berm and enter the prairie, with a wall of pines and oaks to the right and an expanse of longleaf pine savanna to the left.

The wall of trees becomes a bayhead swamp delineating the edge of the savanna.

Pine savanna and wiregrass Into the wiregrass prairie


Making a sharp bend to the left, the trail immerses in the prairie’s wide open spaces, which are dense with wiregrass.

Yellow stargrass adds a tinge of color to the landscape, along with fleabane and the feathery arcs of blazing star, which blooms in a showy display each fall.

Wildflowers in white Wildflowers of every shape and size abound here


Leaving the prairie behind for denser pine flatwoods, the Green Trail meets the Yellow Trail again at 1.6 miles.

Turn right at the T, following the yellow arrow. If it’s rained recently, you may encounter soggy spots in the footpath, some ankle-deep in places.

Grassy forest road The trails are mostly grassy forest roads


Entering a denser, older pine savanna, the trail comes up to the next junction. Pass an unmarked trail on the left.

The Yellow Trail splits around a clump of saw palmetto and an arrow encourages you to keep right at this junction.

A line of cypresses marks the horizon on the right as you emerge into another pine savanna. Follow the marker at the next junction.

Pine savanna Delicate grasses in a prairie


The prairie opens up again around you, providing sweeping views across a grand and beautiful landscape. As the trail curves to the left, it offers even better views.

The saw palmetto is short and the view is broad, so as you cross this panoramic palmetto prairie you can see trail markers in the distance.

Palmetto prairie Walking through a palmetto prairie


At 2.2 miles, you reach a junction with a trail coming in from the left. The marker points in that direction, so turn left to leave the prairie, heading for the treeline.

This portion of the trail is a bit rougher than the rest, with deer tracks leading through muddy spots.

Turn left at the T intersection, where you may find sabatia – a bright pink wildflower – in bloom.

Saw palmetto and pines Both short and tall grasses thrive here


The trail follows the old fenceline, with a view to the left of the prairie that you just crossed.

Stay left at the next fork. A cypress dome rises behind the pines as you come to the end of the prairie.

It can be wet underfoot where the cypress swamp drains across the trail beneath the longleaf pines.
Keep watching for the next marker as you work your way through this patchwork of puddles.

Hiker on flooded trail in pines Drainage area along the trail


Passing a trail coming in from the left at another drainage area, you complete the upper loop after 2.6 miles.

Rejoining the main trail, watch for the second turn to the right.

Dog fennel grows tall between the pines and the saw palmetto along this short corridor, which emerges at the first junction with a bench, completing the overall loop.

Continue straight ahead, following the grassy berm you came in on, to complete the hike after 3.3 miles.

Young longleaf in wiregrass with saw palmetto behind them Young longleaf pines emerge from the wiregrass


Trail Map

Wiregrass Prairie Preserve Yellow Trail Green Trail Map


Explore More!

Learn more about Wiregrass Prairie Preserve

Wiregrass and young longleaf pines

Wiregrass Prairie Preserve

Pull on your swamp shoes to explore one of Volusia County’s most remote trail systems along a massive basin swamp in the St. Johns River valley


Slideshow

See our photos from Wiregrass Prairie Preserve


Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

East Central Regional Rail Trail

East Central Regional Rail Trail

Spanning 36.2 linear miles across southern Volusia County, the East Central Regional Rail Trail offers a long ride that also makes up a portion of several major Florida bike trails

Beach along St Johns River under palms

Hickory Bluff Preserve

Just east of Osteen, Hickory Bluff Preserve provides a 1.5-mile loop to a bluff of notable size along a scenic stretch of the St. Johns River

Scrub ridge at Palm Bluff

Palm Bluff Conservation Area

Discover a parade of habitats in the uplands of the Deep Creek basin on the 2.2 mile White Trail, the shortest loop at this massive conservation area

Wet trail in pine forest

Deep Creek Preserve

Restoring a ranch back to natural habitats takes time, but brings to life the natural beauty of these soggy habitats in the Deep Creek basin near Lake Ashby

Trail Map (PDF) Official Website

Category: Biking, Central Florida, Day Hikes, Hikes, Loop Hikes, Natural Lands, TrailsTag: Birding, Botanical, Deltona, Dog-friendly, Five Star Trails Orlando, Osteen, Primitive Camping, Sanford, Wildflowers, Wildlife Viewing, Wiregrass Prairie Preserve

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