Fronted by Weldon B. Lewis Park, a neighborhood gathering place with a playground, picnic pavilion, and ballfields, Historical Oaks Protect is a showcase of the previous.
A 51-acre pure space stretching in the direction of the North Fork of the St. Lucie River, it doesn’t provide river views.
Entry to Historical Oaks ProtectNonetheless, it options an immersion in a showy hydric hammock with its namesake historical marvels.
Spending most of its route in deep shade, its mile-long interpretive loop will get just a little soggy in spots.
It’s a lush, inexperienced hikeSources
Overview
Location: Fort PierceLength: 1.1 milesTrailhead: 27.37848, -80.33203Address: 4650 Oleander Ave, Fort PierceFees: FreeRestroom: On the trailheadLand Supervisor: St. Lucie CountyPhone: 772-462-2526
Open dawn to sundown. Leashed canines welcome; decide up after your pet. Use insect repellent for seasonal mosquitoes and ticks.
Instructions
Hike
From the parking space of Weldon B. Lewis Park, comply with the sidewalk in the direction of the kiosk between the playground and restrooms.
Peer previous the picnic pavilion within the play space to see one other kiosk on the treeline of the palm hammock. Head throughout the grassy open area on a worn path to succeed in it
The path begins at treelineA brief boardwalk begins the path, the kiosk displaying a map of the loop inside this lush hammock. Bear proper on the fork to stroll it counterclockwise.
Bounded by palm fronds, the hall is a puzzle of textures, shadows and solar taking part in throughout shades of inexperienced. Sand reside oaks dip low, forming a tunnel impact.
Tunneling by means of the hammockStraightening out, the pathway enters a extra relaxed, youthful forest. A trio of posts warns in opposition to persevering with straight forward.
For those who do, this spur path at 0.2 miles ends at an overlook on a ditch on the property boundary. Nothing a lot to see there.
Make a left earlier than the postsBear left to remain on the loop, the footpath edged by noticed palmetto below bigger reside oaks. Slash pines rise tall above the oak cover.
Wind between partitions of noticed palmetto, rising at a mattress of marsh ferns behind Marker 7.
Marker 7Crossing a broad boardwalk bridge at 0.4 miles, enter the hydric hammock. Mature cabbage palms rise in tall columns from a riotous understory of ferns.
The subsequent bridge guides you into the center of the traditional hammock.
Second bridgeArched types of stalwart reside oaks shade the wonderland of palms and ferns under them.
A slight rise of elevation is revealed as pine needles carpet the footpath, the pines rising by means of the cover above.
Among the many pinesCurving left, go extra thick reside oak trunks earlier than crossing one other bridge over the central trickle of waterway.
Large sword ferns placed on a showy show amid the palms and oaks past.
Sword fernsBlanketed in a dense understory of grapevines swarming noticed palmetto, this a part of the hammock is a dense thicket below its shady cover.
The sky opens up in a brief stretch dominated by youthful cabbage palms. Cross a bridge.
Diving again into the thicket, spherical a curve the place the darkish soil could dampen.
Thicket of hammockCurve by means of the noticed palmetto to merge into the incoming path, reaching the kiosk for the protect.
Exit throughout the grassy expanse in the direction of the restrooms to succeed in the parking space, finishing a 1.1 mile hike.
Ending up the loopPath Map
Discover Extra!
Video
A stroll by means of Historical Oaks Protect
Slideshow
See our photographs from Historical Oaks Protect
Close by Adventures
Official Web site
Writer of 45 books, Sandra Buddy established FloridaHikes.com in 2006 to broaden on the sphere analysis she’d accomplished for her first six climbing guides. She has been honored with lifetime achievement awards from the Florida Path Affiliation and the Florida Out of doors Writers Affiliation.
