As soon as upon a time, Churchhouse Hammock boasted a really good boardwalk loop by means of pine flatwoods and palm hammock in Crystal River.
However just like the Crystal River Mall that’s been bulldozed throughout from this hike, its loop and linear boardwalks have vanished.
The previous loop boardwalkThe paths stay. Our route under outlines a counterclockwise circuit beginning on the outstanding path entrance.
Drawing near the trailhead, comply with the previous footprint of the boardwalk clockwise for a 1.1 mile hike.
The posted map on the trailhead doesn’t precisely illustrate the precise loopAssets
Overview
Location: Crystal RiverLength: 1.2 mile loopTrailhead: 28.911471,-82.607572Address: 857 N Suncoast Blvd, Crystal RiverFees: FreeRestroom: NoneLand supervisor: Florida State ParksPhone: 352-795-3817
Open 8 AM till sundown each day. Leashed pets welcome. A picnic pavilion adjoins trailhead parking.
Instructions
Hike
Start the loop adjoining to the trailhead map. An indication past says “boardwalk closed” however ought to learn “boardwalk eliminated.”
As a substitute, two mountaineering trails are blazed utilizing a blue sq. and a yellow triangle. Instantly go a turnoff on the left marked with each symbols.
Begin of the hikeThis marks the beginning of each loops. The Yellow Path is lower than 1 / 4 mile lengthy and follows the footprint of the previous boardwalk.
The Blue Path follows a broadened model of the previous Pathway to the Previous which led from the boardwalk loop to the estuary.
Catfaced pineCross a catfaced pine because the path ambles by means of a coastal hammock heavy on slash pines, cedar, and cabbage palms.
Inside a tenth of a mile, the blazing diverges, the shorter Yellow Path turning left. Stick with the blue blazes straight forward.
Path junctionStroll by means of a showy palm hammock. By 1 / 4 mile, attain a T intersection the place a service highway is signposted to the suitable. Flip left.
This straightaway is as broad as a highway and properly canopied. It might be moist in locations when surrounding swamps overflow.
StraightawayOne other 90-degree left flip happens the place a gated highway results in the suitable. The path is now inside the floodplain of the estuary.
The previous boardwalk into the estuary has vanished. At a half mile, a faint hint of a path results in the sting of the marsh.
A peek on the Crystal River estuaryTurning away from the marshy edge, the pathway narrows considerably. Enter the grandeur of this old-growth hammock.
Reside oaks, magnolias, and hickories provide shade. Watch your footing, as floor limestone abounds amid the leaf litter, from fist-sized stones to boulders.
The fantastic thing about Churchhouse HammockBy 0.9 mile, meet an apparent junction the place the boardwalk as soon as got here in from the car parking zone to the suitable. Flip left.
Now following the Yellow Path, curve by means of a pine-dominated coastal flatwoods inside the footprint of the previous boardwalk.
Beginning the Yellow Path clockwiseThe understory is comparatively thick however the path is carpeted with pine needles. Inside a tenth of a mile, meet the Blue Path.
On the T intersection, flip proper for the brief stroll again to the trailhead to finish a 1.2 mile hike.
Pines and palmsPath Map
Discover Extra!
Study extra about Crystal River Protect State Park
Crystal River Protect State Park Crystal River Protect State Park spans 20 miles of the Gulf Coast between Yankeetown and Homosassa, defending key manatee habitats alongside estuaries of the Gulf.Slideshow
See our images from Churchhouse Hammock
Close by Adventures
Withlacoochee Gulf Protect Immerse in the fantastic thing about an expansive coastal estuary at Withlacoochee Gulf Protect in Yankeetown to absorb the panoramic views.Official Web site
Creator of over 40 books, Sandra Pal established FloridaHikes.com in 2006 to increase 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.
