When the State Parks closed due to the “safer at home” order issued by Governor Ron DeSantis in response to COVID-19, Steve and I were heartbroken. The majority of our adventuring, after all, occurs in our State Parks. But this closure has motivated us to spend more time in our local reserves, preserves, and conservation areas. I’ve been raving about the Seminole State Forest, and recently, we met a friend at the Bear Pond Trailhead for a morning of hiking in the Forest.
We had not hiked with this friend before, and decided that we would start with a very simple hike, a loop trail just over half a mile long. The trail begins right at the Bear Pond parking area and we were intrigued because it boasts 21 points of interest which are outlined on the interpretive brochure available at the trailhead.
The Bear Pond Trailhead is located just west of the Wekiva River on State Road 46. It is open daily during daylight hours. It is a very pleasant area with covered picnic tables, restrooms, and of course, Bear Pond. When you enter, there is an iron ranger to be used when paying the $2 day use fee (this fee was waived when we visited, presumably because of the COVID-19 restrictions).
We began our hike by walking out on the dock of Bear Pond. There was mist over the pond, and as we watched it move, I could not help but think of the Spirit of God hovering over the water. Gradually, this mist started to clear and we moved from the dock onto the trail.
I don’t know what we expected, but this trail is WONDERFUL! In a very short distance, this trail ranged from mesic to xeric and took us through hardwood hammocks, flatwoods, and a pine regeneration area with an ephemeral pond.
Some of the points of interest were plants, like the Cabbage Palm (Sabal palmetto) or Turkey Oak (Quercus laevis). Others were related to animals, like the Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) or dragonflies and damselflies (Insect order Ordonata).
The pond is closed to swimming but fishing is allowed from the dock and the shore (you must have proper fishing licenses). Alcohol and metal detectors are prohibited. Pets must be leashed.
I highly recommend Bear Pond Trail if you enjoy walking but do not want to commit hours to a hike. It would be terrific fun with kids or naturalists unfamiliar with Florida plants and animals. Even for those of us who frequently tromp around on Florida trails, there will be something of interest here.
This would be great for our family. We don’t really take long hikes, but we do love to walk & explore outdoors. That spider web though! It’s so huge & intricate! Love it & will need to check this place out.
I’ve always wondered about this place when we drive by. Sounds like a place we would love!
I love finding surprising and easy little hikes. Those really are the best IMO. If we ever come to the Orlando area and don’t visit Disney, I’ll be sure to check out Seminole State Forest now.
This sounds really neat! And looks like a really easy hike/walk!
This sounds like a lovely short hike to get a quick dose of nature. I haven’t been to Seminole State Forest. Gotta add it to the list of places to visit.
It looks like you had a beautiful days hiking – we’ve been enjoying hiking and bush walks as well at the moment. I love the image of the most!