This hike is a refreshing tour into habitats discovered on the excessive hills of the Lake Wales Ridge in Frostproof.
It’s a pleasant a counterpoint to residential growth changing scrub forests and orange groves on these excessive hills alongside Scenic 17.
Open prairie on the Lake Wales RidgeOn the coronary heart of this 525-acre protect is a pleasing immersion right into a wholesome scrub forest alongside the Scrub Path.
Birders will enjoyment of with the ability to see each wading birds like inexperienced herons and a household of Florida scrub-jays alongside one loop.
Sandhill cranes alongside the Lake View PathThere are two major trails within the protect. The Lake View Path loops over boardwalk on Crooked Lake. It was closed for repairs on our most up-to-date go to.
Heading in the wrong way however interconnecting with it to the west, the Scrub Path loops via the center of the scrub.
Vibrant white sands of the Lake Wales RidgeSources
Overview
Location: FrostproofLength: As much as 3.4 milesTrailhead: 27.806389, -81.559343Address: 985 Ohlinger Rd, Babson ParkFees: FreeRestroom: Moveable toiletLand supervisor: Polk CountyPhone: 863-534-6000
Open 6 AM to six:30 PM Commonplace Time, 5:30 AM to eight PM Daylight Financial savings Time. Leashed pets welcome.
Maps ought to be obtainable on the trailhead. All the trails are very open, so use solar safety: sunscreen, sun shades, and a hat.
Instructions
Hike
Begin on the protect kiosk, which has brochures in regards to the path. An essential notice: our map and their map are totally different.
They not present Lake View Path loop, so the boardwalk could not reopen. The the west facet of that loop will not be maintained.
Trailhead kioskOn the oak hammock with the signal SCRUB TRAIL STRAIGHT AHEAD, duck underneath the oaks to observe a slim hall edged by noticed palmetto and sand dwell oaks.
Cross a picnic bench tucked within the shade. The path hall is difficult to observe in locations, so look ahead to each arrow indicators and a worn footpath.
Arrows prepared the groundCome out onto a sand street with views throughout a prairie. Flip left and search for the following arrow signal and hiker image pointing again into the shade of the oaks.
An orange arrow signal guides the trail away from the protect’s perimeter fence with a working orange grove.
Perimeter pinesMaking a proper flip, cross the sand street in the direction of a SCRUB TRAIL signal. Stroll beneath the shade of sand dwell oaks alongside a well-defined path.
Coming into the oak scrub, issues change. There are numerous social trails, so maintain alert for hiker symbols and arrows.
Coming into the oak scrubThe bushes are diminutive, with myrtle oak and Chapman oak dominating. Enter the shade of one other oak hammock.
Emerge into the blinding white sand of the Lake Wales Ridge. Mushy and powdery, it’s not straightforward to stroll via. The footprints of others information the way in which.
Open scrubIslands of brief oaks sit amid a sea of sand, with clumps of noticed palmetto breaking apart the panorama.
Crossing one other sand street, cross a picket bench after a half mile. Snaking via this sandy habitat, look ahead to arrow markers and light orange blazes.
Bench at a half mileTake a pointy left on the subsequent SCRUB TRAIL signal. Maintain alert for a flutter of blue wings and the “shreep” of a Florida scrub-jay.
This protect is actively managed for the advantage of the Florida scrub-jays. Discovered solely in Florida, their inhabitants is in decline. That is their major habitat.
Prime scrub-jay habitatThe hall narrows once more earlier than bursting into an open patch of sand the place mounds of grass appear to be large pincushions.
Slipping again into an oak scrub, the path turns into extra apparent because it twists and turns between the clusters of oaks. Arrows information the way in which.
Shaded benchCross a bench within the shade of an oak at 3/4 mile and a bench within the solar quickly after, with a pointy flip simply previous it.
A wander via a shady oak hammock is a welcome break from the solar reflecting off the white sand.
Oak hammockThe footpath quickly returns to the open. A patch of gopher apple is a reminder that that is prime habitat for gopher tortoises.
Navigating via the scrub by following arrows, come to a T intersection with a VIEWING AREA signal at 1 mile.
Spur pathFlip left for a brief spur via a stand of longleaf pines to the place the scrub meets the shoreline of the lake.
The spur ends at a bench and an indication. Crooked Lake is a streak on the horizon. Return to the path junction and proceed straight forward.
Lake viewThe hall jogs left into the scrub. It’s tight between the noticed palmetto and scrub oaks in some spots and broad in others.
Arrows and posts level down the trail in the direction of one other line of stately longleaf pines. At 1.5 miles, attain the pines at a T at a forest street coated in pine needles.
Path junctionThe Scrub Path turns proper. The Lake View Path turns left. Till the boardwalk reopens, deal with it as a spur path for as much as a 3/4 mile round-trip. It will not be maintained.
Meandering beneath tall pines, catch sweeping views of the central cordgrass prairie spanned by the boardwalk close to its outflow.
Among the many pinesLook ahead to a ditch and a collection of oak hammocks on the appropriate earlier than a poorly marked flip.
The panorama opens up into barren sand punctuated by hundreds of clumps of prickly pear cactus.
Cactus barrenRound 1.7 miles, the footpath leaves the forest street and tacks between oak hammocks throughout the traditional sands.
Be part of a berm alongside Crooked Lake resulting in the closed boardwalk, which spans a lily-dotted marsh. The berm stays a great place for birding.
MarshRetrace your steps to return to the junction with the Scrub Path, making a left onto it at 2.3 miles.
Comply with this sandy hall east alongside the south fringe of the cordgrass marsh, massive tufts of grass swaying within the ever-present breeze.
Prairie on the marsh’s edgeCrossing an open scrubby panorama, shut the loop for the Scrub Path when going through the trailhead at 2.6 miles.
For an additional perspective on Crooked Lake, flip left for a really fairly stroll alongside the blue blazes.
Beginning the east facet of the Lake View PathThis facet of the Lake View Path alternates ducking out and in of oak hammocks and leaping on and off sand roads.
Maintain alert for arrows and blazing as the trail leads beneath sand dwell oaks closely draped in Spanish moss.
One of many bigger oaksWith a glimpse of the lake forward, enter a shoreline hammock of huge previous dwell oaks with a picnic desk of their shade.
The footpath continues on to fulfill the lakefront berm at 3 miles.
Picnic spotStroll it as much as this facet of the closed boardwalk to absorb the open water views for a special perspective on Crooked Lake.
Return alongside the blue blazes to the trailhead to finish a 3.4 mile hike.
Crooked LakePath Map
Discover Extra!
Slideshow
See our pictures from Crooked Lake Prairie
Close by Adventures
Official Web site
Articles collectively researched, written, and photographed by Sandra Buddy & John Keatley, Florida authors and publishers of FloridaHikes.com.
