In the interest of seeing as much magic as possible, Steve and I went on a hike with the Highlander Chapter of Florida Trail Association on a recent Saturday night. Every year, the Highlanders assemble and hike through Lake Norris to the primitive campsite, share a splendid potluck dinner, and then hike back in the dark and enjoy a firefly display.
In 1996, the St. Johns River Water Management District bought over 2000 acres to protect beautiful Lake Norris, its hardwood swamp, and Blackwater Creek. Florida black bear, gopher tortoises, and burrrowing owls, all protected species, can be found here. The site is managed by the Lake County Water Authority, who makes recreational opportunities available to the public (permit required for some activities). There is a kayak launch near the entrance to the Lake Norris trails, and Steve and I have enjoyed paddling Blackwater Creek up to Lake Norris and then cruising among the dwarf cypress along the lakeshore. This site is a treasure and this hike is the first time our vehicle hasn’t been the only one in the lot!
The group was larger than we expected! Florida Trail Association is a well-organized group and this hike highlighed that attribute. Several trucks were available to carry food and chairs to the end point of the hike so we would be free to enjoy the hike. There were sign in sheets, and bug spray was made available for anyone who left theirs at home. After a quick welcome and review of simple procedures to make sure no one was left behind at any point, our hike leader gave a brief talk about fireflies. A really nice touch was that she had a firefly in a jar so that anyone who had never seen one of these small beetles in daylight could get a look. And then we were underway.
This was an easy hike along a sandy road. At some points, we were in the open with a cattle pasture on our left and Blackwater Creek on our right, but much of the hike was under trees. It would have been a pleasant hike even mid-day, but the early evening made conditions just about perfect. The creek was not visible, but we knew it was there and enjoyed recalling several pleasant paddles into Lake Norris from this small and lovely creek. Cactus, thistle, coral bean, and other wildflowers are all in bloom and evident along the trail. I’m not sure what would have made the walk more pleasant!
Soon enough, we arrived at the primitive camping area which was the setting for our dinner. As everyone unloaded their food from the trucks and settled into their chairs, there was a light breeze and the setting could not have been nicer. A pavilion provided cover for the food, and organizers had brought along Tiki Torches so that we’d be able to find our way around as the sun set. Dinner was terrific — everything from fried chicken to tuna puttanesca to gluten free cookies…it’s a good thing we were able to walk off some of those calories.
Lake Norris was just a short walk from the picnic site, and we got our first view of Lake Norris from land. Previously, we had only seen the lake from our kayaks. The dwarf cypress which line the southern shore of the lake are just as pretty from land as they are from the water. As the sun started to set, we heard a barred owl looking for a companion. Shortly after we heard the owl, we saw the first firefly.
The fireflies at Lake Norris were not as numerous as those at Blue Springs, but even one firefly is a miraculous thing to see, and we were blessed with thousands. In another difference from the Blue Springs fireflies, Lake Norris fireflies spent more time in flight, and appeared to like treetops as well as shrubbery and grasses. At times, a single firefly would blink its way from a high tree top all the way down to the ground. Often they flew across the path right in front or right behind us. We expected that we would see large numbers of fireflies near the small waterway that runs into Blackwater Creek, but the highest numbers we saw were in a grassy glade just short of the creek.
I’d repeat this trip because it was fun to be in a group with a common goal, and because the dinner was so wonderful, and because of the owl. The fireflies were just icing on the cake – they will not be my primary memory of this hike.
Where do YOU go to see fireflies? Do they live up to your memories of the summer nights of your childhood?