What’s now Carl Duval Moore State Forest was supposed to be a state park by the lifelong resident of Mannville who’d gifted this tract of land to the state in his will.
His 126 acres bordering Up & Down Lake was mixed with one other reward by Mr. Moore to make up a state forest bearing his title.
Extra lands have been added previously a number of many years to create a 336 acre state forest, one among Florida’s smallest.
Sandhills and xeric oak hammocks dominateOf the 2 trails on the forest, this hike on the North Tract to Up & Down Lake is a magnificence, with interpretive markers alongside it figuring out many sorts of timber.
Whereas this Trailwalker loop is proven as 1.2 miles on the kiosk map, following signage and blazing resulted in a quarter-mile shorter route. A path map is a should.
Interpretive markerSources
Overview
Location: MannvilleLength: 0.9 or 1.2 milesTrailhead: 29.635289, -81.869937Address: 434 N West St, InterlachenFees: $2 per vehicleRestroom: NoneLand supervisor: Florida State ForestsPhone: 386-329-2552
Open dawn to sundown. Leashed canines welcome. The parking corral could be very small.
Instructions
Hike
Use the hole within the fence to the fitting of the trailhead kiosk to begin a counterclockwise loop.
Sand stay oaks lean to type archways in a meld of sandhills and scrub, scrub oaks competing with noticed palmettos to take over the understory.
Entry level subsequent to kioskMarked with inexperienced diamonds, the path crosses a firebreak and makes a sluggish descent to a curve bordered by a cover of sand stay oaks.
Older orange blazes on laurel oaks are a reminder of the age of this lesser-known Trailwalker path.
Laurel oaksWriggle by way of a properly shaded hall of youthful timber, bearing proper the place a lesser-used footpath turns left.
After a curve, the panorama opens up, scattered pines towering over a sea of noticed palmetto damaged by patches of tall grasses.
Habitat shiftAt a junction of forest roads, cross it in the direction of the inexperienced diamond, bearing proper simply past the blaze submit to renew the slender footpath.
Bay timber are an indicator that the lake is close to. Take note of the inexperienced diamonds by way of a number of clearings within the forest.
Sharp proper previous blaze submitThe sky opens up forward, the path rising to a view of Up & Down Lake at 0.3 miles. In line with the path map, there was an remark deck right here previously.
A pointy left indicated by double diamond markers guides the route alongside a forest highway heading north close to the lakeshore.
Former remark deck websiteTake pleasure in occasional glimpses of the water because the habitat shifts from sandhills to an oak-dominated xeric hammock.
At a half mile, a bench and picnic bench sit in a lakeside clearing with a pleasant panorama of the water from its tip.
The far shore is ringed with pines and a handful of cypresses.
Picnic spotFrom its title, Up & Down Lake is probably going much like others throughout this area, all sinkhole lakes as seen from a satellite tv for pc map view.
It’s liable to its waters rising and receding in unison with drops within the degree of the Floridan Aquifer within the surrounding bedrock.
Glimpses of lake from pathProceed north on the forest highway to a T junction in deep gentle sand. The double blaze right here didn’t make it apparent which option to flip.
A proper retains following the lakeshore north, reaching another remark level earlier than turning west.
Complicated junctionAt this junction, the path to the fitting is proven on the map as persevering with alongside the lakeshore to succeed in a walk-in neighborhood trailhead.
Circling the sandhills with their scrubby understory, it meets up on the identical level as a left flip from this junction however extends the hike to 1.2 miles.
SandhillsA left flip at this unclear junction adopted a forest highway by way of wholesome sandhills, assembly the incoming perimeter loop at 0.6 miles.
Bearing southwest alongside the forest highway, look ahead to a yellow diamond overlapping an orange blaze on the left.
Essential turnoffDepart the forest highway for this footpath into the sandhills, which has tree identification markers alongside it.
Cross a central pathway at a blaze submit at 0.8 mile. Winding by way of the sandhills between low bush blueberries and below turkey oaks, the footpath is effectively outlined.
Interpretive marker alongside the footpathGlimpse a historic cemetery past the forest boundary fence earlier than crossing a sandy firebreak at a curve.
Path markers alternate between inexperienced and yellow on this patch of woods with pink cedars and sand pines.
Curving south close to the cemeteryDouble yellow diamonds level in the direction of the exit of the loop, the trailhead kiosk now apparent.
Persevering with by way of the oaks to reaching the trailhead, full a 0.9 mile or 1.2 mile loop.
Return to trailheadPath Map
Discover Extra!
Video
Mountaineering the Up & Down Lake Path
Slideshow
See our photographs from Up & Down Lake
Close by Adventures
Path Map (PDF) Official Web site
Writer of over 40 books, Sandra Pal established FloridaHikes.com in 2006 to develop on the sphere analysis she’d accomplished for her first six mountaineering guides. She has been honored with lifetime achievement awards from the Florida Path Affiliation and the Florida Out of doors Writers Affiliation.
