As soon as the location of a lot heavy digging, first for an open pit dolomite mine after which the Cross Florida Barge Canal, Felburn Park is a part of the Cross Florida Greenway.
Lengthy mounds of fill characterize these disturbed landscapes, creating unusually hilly terrain that’s been undisturbed lengthy sufficient to host native species.
Phil’s Lake is an open pit mine stuffed with waterHouse to the easternmost entry level to the paved Withlacoochee Bay Path, Felburn Park additionally has a lesser-known mountain climbing path.
From all appearances, the Phil’s Lake Path seems to have been established a few a long time in the past. Path markers are light or lacking.
Nevertheless, it has two established overlook shelters and a excessive level panorama properly well worth the generally tough to comply with circuit.
One of many views from the ridgeSources
Overview
Location: Crystal RiverLength: 1.8 mile loopTrailhead: 29.01237, -82.65688Address: 10201 N Suncoast Blvd, Crystal RiverFees: FreeRestroom: Flush toiletsLand supervisor: Florida State ParksPhone: 352-758-1000
Open 8 AM to sundown. Leashed canine welcome. Picnic pavilion adjoins restrooms.
Instructions
Hike
From the parking space, head in direction of the path opening past the proper facet of the restrooms, marked solely by a Nice Florida Birding Path signal.
The broad grassy hall opens right into a path junction with the paved bike path past. Bear proper.
Begin of the hikeOn the subsequent junction, bear proper the place a lone cabbage palm dominates a triangular island of vegetation, beginning a counterclockwise circuit round Phil’s Lake.
Low grasses and tufts of cordgrass blanket a hillside of outdated mine tailings, now repopulated by cedars and wax myrtle.
Rewilded hillsideTogether with cabbage palms, these species have made the strongest foothold on the lengthy strains of rock piles blocking Phil’s Lake from view.
On the subsequent junction, bear left. Though there are occasional posts and light or torn path markers, not one of the junctions are clearly marked.
Stroll a straightaway between cedar bushes, assembly a broad path at a T junction with an outdated submit. Bear left. Proceed alongside a straightaway that climbs slowly.
Lengthy straightaway earlier than Y junctionAt 1 / 4 mile, bear left at a Y to go downhill in direction of the lake. More and more hemmed in, the grassy pathway narrows. Duck below palm fronds.
The grasses develop over a layer of limestone pebbles and rocks and boulders left behind when the mine was deserted.
Phil’s LakeFramed by cedars, the primary of a collection of views of Phil’s Lake open up from this rocky terrace excessive above its waters.
Proceed alongside the grassy terrace, coming to a spot the place there’s an apparent overwhelmed path to the proper up and over a small sand ridge reverse of the lake.
Path over the sand ridgeFrom the ridge, a paralleling sand street is apparent beneath. Descend to it previous a big gopher tortoise burrow and make a proper to comply with the street.
Narrowing by means of a line of oaks, the street curves to a view of marsh alongside the higher finish of Phil’s Lake at a half mile.
Marsh viewMaintain with the sand street because it curves across the finish of the lake and right into a mesic flatwoods dominated by slash pines and sand stay oaks.
A break within the forest reveals a wonderful panorama of the lake spreading off to the far horizon.
Lake viewRamble by means of the flatwoods, the hill on the left extra mine tailings now coated in forest. One steep sand hill has gopher tortoise burrows in it.
Observe light curves within the two-track street between the pines and oaks, circling round a large stay oak to go a stand of younger longleaf pines.
Younger longleaf pinesAt 0.8 mile, meet a T intersection in entrance of a sand mound with an unlimited gopher tortoise burrow. Flip left.
Stroll by means of a extra mature forest, seemingly untouched by previous mining. Noticed palmetto covers the forest flooring.
Gopher tortoise burrow at T junctionReturning to the rewilded disturbed mining panorama, comply with the grassy two-track between clusters of cabbage palms.
An alligator warning signal calls consideration to a facet path. Descend in direction of a sheltered bench at an remark level close to lake stage.
Lakefront benchBecause the mine was dug, it broke into the Floridan Aquifer. The identical freshwater supply of springs round Crystal River crammed the mine.
Stepping to the proper of the bench, you possibly can peer into the depths of this basin of cool, clear water, seeing boulders beneath.
Boulders shimmer below the floorClimb again to the junction and bear left. The steepness of the uphill is a shock. Waterbars assist stop erosion of the footpath.
Observe an ever-narrowing ridge with fabulous views of the lake. A boundary fence is beneath to the proper. Maintain climbing.
Begin of security fences outlining pathBy a mile, the ridge narrows sufficient that fencing defines the perimeters of the path. Maintain climbing. The peak this ridge reaches is downright startling.
On the proper it drops off into the yard of a neighboring homestead. On the left, the views throughout the lake to the far horizon past it are phenomenal.
View throughout the panoramaThe towers within the distance belong to the previous Crystal River nuclear energy plant, now a coal-fired energy plant. It sits on the estuary edging the Gulf of Mexico.
Attain a sheltered remark bench on the excessive level of the ridge at 1.2 miles and savor the expansive view.
Trying northwest from the benchPrevious the bench, begin a steep descent, the ridge rocky and peppered with a thicket of cedars on this drop to sea stage.
On the T intersection previous a pile of boulders, make a left. Stroll the grassy observe below the spreading branches of stay oaks.
Descent off ridgeEmerge from the forest into an open space with pines and cedars. On the Y intersection, take the left fork to remain close to the lake.
On the subsequent junction, the proper fork goes on to the bike path. Take the left fork, strolling amid cabbage palms and cedars.
Distant bench on ridgeViews of Phil’s Lake open up as soon as extra. The remark bench on the excessive level is throughout the water.
Stroll an alley outlined by older cedar bushes alongside the lakeshore, the place a rocky protrusion invitations one last view in direction of the lakefront bench at 1.4 miles.
Remaining glimpse of Phil’s LakeThe grassy path descends by means of a cattail marsh, sweeping right into a slight ascent to satisfy the paved bike path by 1.6 miles.
Seen uphill to the proper is a submit marking the place the “official” route emerged on the bike path, chopping off the scenic quarter mile you simply walked.
Exiting to the bike pathFlip left to stroll the paved path by means of the isthmus between freshwater Phil’s Lake and the brackish Cross Florida Barge Canal.
A developer needed to interrupt this open to create a marina, which might’ve triggered severe saltwater intrusion into the aquifer.
Cove alongside the Cross Florida Barge CanalAs an alternative, the mine property was bought with the assistance of the Felburn Basis and have become a part of the Cross Florida Greenway.
Climb uphill away from the basin off the canal by means of two curves, the second revealing a grassy opening on the left.
Go away the pavement and bear proper previous the submit to seal your loop, exiting in direction of the trailhead restrooms to complete this 1.8 mile hike on the parking space.
Path junction to seal the loopPath Map
Discover Extra!
Be taught extra about Felburn Park and the Withlacoochee Bay Path
Felburn Park The japanese terminus of the Withlacoochee Bay Path is house to a surprisingly hilly path above a freshwater marsh alongside the saltwater Cross Florida Barge Canal.
Withlacoochee Bay Path Paralleling a accomplished phase of the ill-conceived Cross Florida Barge Canal, this 5.1 mile paved bike path surprises with hills, overlooks, and a panorama stretching to the Gulf of Mexico.Video
Climbing Phil’s Lake Path
Slideshow
See our images from Phil’s Lake Path
Close by Adventures
Path Map (PDF) Official Web site
Creator of over 40 books, Sandra Good friend established FloridaHikes.com in 2006 to develop on the sphere analysis she’d accomplished for her first six mountain climbing guides. She has been honored with lifetime achievement awards from the Florida Path Affiliation and the Florida Outside Writers Affiliation.
