Hawks Hammock Preserve – Florida Hikes

Managed by Martin County, Hawks Hammock Protect protects over 430 acres the place civilization provides strategy to rural flatlands between the coast and Lake Okeechobee.

A system of trails cross the property, consisting of a important oval formed loop with three aspect loops.

The protect has two entrances, one on the finish of an extended dust highway on the south finish, and a extra accessible trailhead with a picnic space on the north aspect.

The linear portion of the loop

Sources

Overview

Location: Palm CityLength: 4.7 milesTrailhead: 27.141972, -80.372611Address: 5300 SW Inexperienced Farms Ln, Palm CityFees: FreeRestrooms: NoneLand supervisor: Martin CountyPhone: 772-288-5400

Open dawn to sundown. Leashed canines welcome.

Instructions

Hike

Beginning on the parking space, head over to an informative panel subsequent to the chickee and take an image of the path map.

Though the path community isn’t very advanced, it has only a few markers, and an image of the map could be very useful for navigation.

Chickee on the trailhead

From the chickee, head south alongside a forest highway for a half mile, the place the path crosses a ditch firstly of the loop.

Flip proper to comply with a large, grassy path alongside a canal. The distinct calls of red-winged blackbirds emanate from dense foliage on the alternative aspect.

Noticed gar and tilapia trigger the darkish tannic waters to swirl.

Alongside the canal

The path traces alongside the canal for 2 miles in a straight line earlier than reaching an info kiosk close to the south entrance.

At this level, make a left onto a forest highway main out into open pine flatwoods.

South trailhead

Clusters of Florida pennyroyal border the pathway, producing tiny purple flowers that appeal to pollinators in late winter and early spring.

Make a left on the subsequent intersection, the place the path curves northward alongside a slim strip of excessive floor between two massive despair marshes.

Florida pennyroyal

Cricket frogs chirp within the distance, their pure sound mixing with the muffled drone of distant site visitors that step by step turns into louder whereas heading north.

Close to the middle of the protect, scattered slash pines dot a large savannah coated noticed palmettos, gallberry, and fetterbush lyonia.

Lyonia in bloom

At 2.8 miles, flip proper to take a aspect path throughout soggier terrain the place hatpins and ferns flourish on the forest flooring.

A tough flip on the far finish of this loop is marked with a handful of fiberglass posts.

The site visitors noise is at its loudest the place the path follows an extended borrow pit earlier than closing the loop at 4.2 miles.

Cross the canal as soon as extra and retrace your footsteps on the strategy path for a half mile again to the trailhead.

Path marker on the flip

Path Map

Discover Extra!

Video

Mountaineering Hawks Hammock Protect

Close by Adventures

Path Map (PDF) Official Web site

Alongside together with his spouse Chelsey, Chris Stevens shares out of doors adventures on Instagram and Fb as @sunshinestateseekers and is a co-host of a podcast about Florida’s outside, The Florida Madcaps. An avid hiker and camper, Chris serves as a Trailmaster and a board member for the Florida Path Affiliation.

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