FSF Trailwalkers

2022 is the year of the Florida State Forest Trailwalker program for me. My boyfriend, Jon, and I will attempt to complete all 3 patches (30 trails) this year!

Seminole State Forest – Lower Wekiva and Sulphur Island

Date: February 12
Distance: 15.6 miles
Trails 12 & 13/30

Jon’s longest day-hike yet and my longest day since finishing the AT. We started out from the Bear Pond Trailhead at 8:30 am. The day started out cool but the temperature quickly approached 80. The Lower Wekiva loop was mostly shaded enough so it was still quite muddy in a couple areas. The Sulphur Island Loop was not as shaded as it was through mostly Florida Scrub with low-lying plants. By lunchtime, both of us were aching for a break in some shade. We stopped at a spring to refill our water and found a shaded area next to a campsite for lunch break. After lunch we hiked nearly 5 1/2 miles on the Florida National Scenic Trail from the far end of the Sulphur Island loop back to our vehicle. The last mile is always the toughest, and a hot day only makes it tougher. By the time we got back to the car we were exhausted from the heat. Thankfully I had an insulated tumbler of ice water in the car that was still ice cold! I got to try out my new pack as a day pack (trying it for overnight soon). Jon got to learn about filtering water on trail and I got to drink filtered water straight from a Florida spring for the first time! All in all, it was a good day!

Newnan’s Lake State Forest – Lake Pithlachocco

Date: February 6
Distance: 2.5 miles
Trail 11/30
Another trail, another burn area, we saw evidence of a controlled burn in the forest. I always love the smell of burnt wood especially after a rain! As for the supposed lake, we never saw it despite the trail name.

Newnan’s Lake State Forest – West Hiking

Date: February 6
Distance: 0.75 miles
Trail 10/30
Jon and I visited a forest I haven’t been to before for a change. The flowers were in bloom everywhere which made for a beautiful stroll.

Jennings State Forest – Dunn’s Farm

Date: January 30
Distance: 1.9 miles
Trail 9/30
The most challenging of the four trails for this day, Dunn’s Farm is a delight! With some minor elevation gain and loss, it’s a rollercoaster.

Jennings State Forest – Fire and Water

Date: January 30
Distance: 0.75 miles
Trail 8/30
Jon and I made quick work of this trail. Jon is getting used to having trekking poles in preparation for upcoming, more challenging hikes.

Cary State Forest – Nature Trail

Date: January 30
Distance: 1.2 miles
Trail 7/30
This nature trail is short and sweet. Signs along the trail give details on the various flora and fauna a hiker might spot.

Ralph E. Simmons State Forest – Yellow-Red

Date: January 30
Distance: 3 miles
Trail 6/30
Jon and I had a cool start to the day. Ralph E. Simmons took us out to the St. Mary’s River which runs along the border between Florida and Georgia. The first of 4 trails for the day, this was the perfect warm up.

Matanzas State Forest – Hammock to Flatwoods Loop

Date: January 8
Distance: 4.1 miles
Trails 4 & 5/30
After stopping at Denny’s for a quick lunch, we moved on to the second half of our day. We took the Hammock trail from the trail head parking area to the Flatwoods loop trail. The loop trail was swampy in some areas. The forest service had recently conducted controlled burns along the trail and we saw crews still out working. As we neared the end of the loop trail, we encountered many downed trees across the trail. We carefully picked our way over them. It looked like the trees were fallen by natural phenomena.

Welaka State Forest – Mud Spring

Date: January 8
Distance: 1.7 miles
Trail 3/30
The second trail of the day was short and sweet. The loop trail took us to a natural spring. The water is crystal clear and spills into a nearby waterway eventually ending up in Little Lake George. I spotted an eastern ribbon snake that was sunning itself across the trail as we were returning to the car.

Welaka State Forest – John’s Landing

Date: January
Distance: 3 miles
Trail 2/30
Jon and I set out with binoculars ready as this trail goes by a pond and Little Lake George on the St John’s River, and we wanted to spot some birds. We arrived at the pond to see nothing. No birds. Mildly disappointed we returned to the trail only to notice a bald eagle flying over the trees ahead of us. We were both excited to have spotted the majestic creature. We didn’t see any more creatures on this trail. I was surprised as the morning had already warmed up so I had expected more animals to be out and about.

Jennings State Forest – North Fork Black Creek

Date: January
Distance: 5 miles
Trail 1/30

A trail I have frequented in the past and nearly encountered my first bear on, this was the perfect start to a year of hiking. Most of the trail is wide and even terrain. It joins up with a horse trail at one point. We didn’t see much wildlife on this hike.