Lake Harney Wilderness – Florida Hikes - Primal Outdoor Members Portal

A 300 acre protect, Lake Harney Wilderness Space presents an unbelievable perspective on the St. Johns River floodplain.

It comes from an impressive accessible commentary tower reached by way of a really lengthy ramp into the forest cover.

People gathered on a roofed platform with a panorama beyond

The massive roofed platform at Lake Harney Wilderness

Two separate loops radiating from the parking space present mild walks by means of this magnificence spot, a first-rate place to see birds, wildflowers, and wildlife.

Historical stay oaks disguise the secrets and techniques of the once-thriving lumber mill city of Osceola and villages that pre-date it.

The St. Johns River at Osceola

Assets

Overview

Location: GenevaLength: As much as 2.4 milesTrailhead: 28.790576,-81.06407Address: 2187 Osceola Fish Camp Rd, GenevaFees: FreeRestroom: NoneLand Supervisor: Seminole CountyPhone: 407-665-2211

Open daybreak to nightfall. Gate locked at nightfall. Leashed canines welcome.

Instructions

From the intersection of SR 46 and SR 415 east of Sanford, drive east on SR 46 in the direction of Geneva for two.8 miles. Flip left on West Osceola Highway. The highway turns into Osceola Fish Camp Highway after 7.6 miles. The big parking space is on the correct after one other 0.7 mile. Each trails are accessed by means of the parking space, which additionally serves as a trailhead for the Flagler Path, a cross-county bicycle route that bisects this wilderness space.

Hike

From the parking space, stroll to the far fence nook reverse from the place you drove into the trailhead.

Passing by a big southern magnolia, it’s right here you’ll discover a hole by means of the fence to the Floodplain Path, blazed with orange discs with silver arrows.

Begin of the Floodplain Path

Floodplain Path

Because the identify suggests, this loop heads into the floodplain of Lake Harney, so if the St. Johns River is in flood stage, it could be impassable. You’ll discover out shortly sufficient.

The excellent news is, you can even see the floodplain from the immense commentary tower alongside the shoreline, greater than three tales tall.

The Floodplain Path as seen from the tower

To make a beeline to the tower, flip left on the hole and observe the trail. Or reserve it till later as a part of this full loop. Proceed straight forward.

Enter a shady hammock of oaks, their limbs knit overhead to type an unbroken cover, with streamers of Spanish moss draped down catching the solar.

Exiting the hammock to the lakeshore

A spot reveals off the lake. Drop quickly to the lake’s edge by means of a stand of sweetgum timber.

Flanked by tall cabbage palms and cypresses to the left, be part of a mowed path with wildflowers on both aspect.

Indicators mark the route within the floodplain

The primary glimpse of Lake Harney is an enormous “wow” second. Relying on the time of yr, the colours of the wildflowers within the foreground might differ.

In summer time, tall plenty of coreopsis rise between prairie grasses, portray the panorama in flecks of yellow. Fall brings swamp sunflowers to the basin.

Blooms among the many grasses

In fall, sea myrtle bursts into fluffy white blooms, attracting colourful butterflies just like the tiger swallowtail. Fleabane cascades in purple blooms. Star rush reveals off its white tops.

Islands topped with cabbage palms lie in the course of this huge prairie. A ridge of cabbage palms in tight rows outlines the far shore, cypresses rising behind them.

Strolling the sting within the moist season

The ribbon of lake could also be virtually indiscernible within the distance. The space buzzing sound is airboats, which might navigate any water degree.

Make a pointy left to observe the close to shoreline, paralleling the forest edge. Cabbage palms, cedars, and pond cypress rise from barely greater floor.

Nearing the tower

Attain the bottom of the tower at 0.3 miles. Stairs result in the highest, but it surely’s extra attention-grabbing to loop round to its ramp for the distinctive tree cover method.

Draw parallel to an island of palms within the distance. Speedboats sprint by means of the far channel, white blips towards the distant shoreline.

White line beyond blue in far distance of floodplain

A slash of white defines the distant shoreline

Circle the sting of a stand of tall cypresses earlier than the final sweeping view of this wildflower-dotted prairie. Make a pointy left to depart the floodplain.

An orange marker on a fence submit confirms your route. The return journey is alongside a causeway bordered by a small canal.

Leaving the floodplain for the forest

Partially shaded by oaks and cypresses, this lengthy straightaway continues beneath an influence line and opens up right into a grassy spot dense with blackberry bushes.

At 0.8 miles, meet a concrete stroll. Take the picket ramp resulting in the tower for a climb into the tree cover.

Boardwalk into the treetops

The view from the platform sweeps throughout the St. Johns River floodplain, encompassing not simply Lake Harney however the SR 46 bridge and past.

Descend the ramp and switch left. Move a big lily-dotted pond earlier than returning to the parking space to finish this loop after 1.1 miles.

The tower gives an outline of the floodplain

Flagler Path & River Path

Cross the parking space to the doorway aspect. A historic marker close to the beginning of the Flagler Path gives context for this separate 1.5 mile hike.

Comply with the simple railroad grade to start out. Passionflower blooms beneath the pines. In the other way, this spur off the Florida East Coast Railroad ends at Chuluota.

Flagler and River Loop Trails

It as soon as served the thriving timber business that took the outdated progress cypress from this area. Now ghost cities, Osceola and Kolokee stay solely in identify.

Strolling between two fenced-off pastures with paralleling energy strains, cross the 5 mile marker on the Flagler Path at 0.2 miles.

Bike path marker next to palm-lined corridor

Mile marker for the Flagler Path

A tall pine within the pasture on the correct cradles an immense eagles’ nest. In spring and summer time, it bustles with exercise because the eagles elevate their younger.

Oaks and pines shut in alongside the broad, lengthy, straight hall. Hold alert for the yellow markers of the River Loop. At 0.4 miles, flip proper onto it.

Begin of River Loop counterclockwise

Making a pointy left, tunnel into the deep shade of the forest, a fairly footpath with gentle pine duff underfoot.

At 0.6 miles, emerge from the forest at an influence line. The St. Johns River is off to the correct. Watermarks on the timber present how excessive the river can rise in flood stage.

Flip beneath the ability strains

Flip left to observe the ability line easement. The subsequent path marker is close to an outdated fence line. Picnic benches sit beneath a big stay oak tree.

Make a curve to ascend a big midden. It creates a excessive bluff above the St. Johns River, house to a settlement the U.S. Military known as “King Philip’s Outdated City.”

Inexperienced house atop the mound and north finish of the Flagler Path

Revered tribal leaders Emaltha and his son Coacoochee established it and used it to raid army camps threatening their sovereign lands.

Outspoken towards the compelled elimination of the Seminoles from Florida, Emaltha was captured by U.S. Military forces in late 1837.

Deck atop the traditional shell mound

The commentary deck atop the railroad trestle abutment on the shell mound gives a pleasant view up and down the St. Johns River.

In 1850, this was the crossing for Prepare dinner’s Ferry. In 1911, the Flagler Railroad spanned throughout this abutment on its technique to Chuluota.

Upriver from the crossing

Leaving this excessive spot, watch your footing. Straight forward, the Flagler Path makes a beeline again to the parking space. Flip proper to remain on the yellow-blazed River Loop.

A brown signal marks the placement of Osceola, a thriving firm city between 1916 and 1940, now a ghost city.

Osceola marker

It centered on the timber mill run by the Osceola Cypress Firm, which minimize practically 60,000 board ft of lumber every day.

In its time, it was the most important industrial complicated within the county. However because the bald cypress was logged out, there was nothing left to course of.

What cypresses stay are youthful than this ghost city

Deserted with the closure of the mill, this website was a fish camp previous to being protected by this protect.

Straight behind the Osceola signal, a broad path continues upriver, an 0.3 mile round-trip spur results in the river shoreline.

Riverfront path

The trail ends close by of a fence marking the property boundary of the protect. Return to the Osceola signal and make a proper to renew the River Loop.

Skirt round an apparent basis of an outdated constructing. At a pointy left, head into the shade of the moss-laden oaks, the place a bench awaits.

Bench beneath an oak

Strolling beneath these historical timber, search for foundations and different human-created proper angles within the forest.

Making one other left, the path narrows to observe the straightaway of one of many outdated streets. Properties for 200 individuals as soon as lined them.