Florida Hikes and Other Outdoor Information

Tosohatchee WMA Hiking

Tosohatchee WMA is one of the best places to hike and if you so desire, camp. The Florida Trail runs right through it. It has a number of other blazed trails you can hike. It also has a number of unblazed trails which you could spend days, if not weeks exploring. There are a number of man-made ponds within its boundaries. I have been fortunate enough to have been on a good deal of the blazed and unblazed trails. Tosohatchee has many sections to visit - each section has a numbered parking area nearby (get map during signin or look at the one below). I have parked and hiked from just about all of them. Each section has a personality all it’s own, I hope you get to visit as many as you can. Because Tosohatchee is such a diverse area, you will find some areas very wet at times and just not accessible. I wish I could tell you my favorite section, but it seems whichever one I’m in at that time is my favorite. I always enjoy making my way out to the St Johns River; the river forms the easterly border of Tosohatchee. This area again is like all the others, some days it is just wonderful, while at other times it can be just nice (mud, tall grass, etc). The ponds below RT528 (actually manmade ponds created during the making of RT528) are always pretty. If you work your way back to what I call "T-Shirt" pond, you will be in for a real treat. There is a number of cypress mounds (the most famous is "Blues Head") found around Tosohatchee, they are always interesting to visit. There also are a number of creeks running through Tosohatchee, the biggest being James (Jim) Creek. You can follow James creek from Mud Lake (part of St Johns River) all the way down to the western border of Tosohatchee. The cypress trees found along the creek are what I consider spectacular! This is one area you would most likely only want to venture into during the dry season. Tosohatchee has a very interesting history, so you will come across some places that I’m sure have a colorful history. Friends and I have tried to get a handle on Tosohatchee’s history, but at this time much of it escapes us. Just words of warning, do now cross any barbed wire when you encounter it. All the land around Tosohatchee is privately owned and patrolled. The westerly border land is owned by Deseret Ranch and they will prosecute you if they catch you on their land. So you cannot get over to RT520 without taking a major risk. They also own land to the south, so once again - do not cross fences! The office is open 5 days a week, stop in and say hi to Patsy, she will be more than happy to help you the best she can. Here are some of the places found in Tosohatchee. Note: Use GPS coords to find the place on Google Earth or other mapping tools.

Campsites - These are "primitive" campsites - make sure you follow the rules for this type of campsite

Group Camp - Just off St Nicholas Road - N28 30.338 W80 58.818
Horse Camp - Just off St Nicholas Road - N28 30.277 W80 58.804
Tiger Branch Camp - Down off Fish Hole Road - N28 28.671 W80 57.279

Ponds/Lakes - Some of these have areas for canoe launches - for fishing or just boating

Lake Charlie - The nicest one - N28 26.972 W80 56.263
Peek-a-Boo Pond - big pond - N28 27.037 W80 55.713
T-Shirt Pond - No easy access - forget boating it, just explore it - N28 26.962 W80 57.244
Unnamed Pond - Can portal a canoe to it, but it is a ways - N28 27.038 W80 54.845
Duck Ponds - Man-made ponds for ducks and other birds - N28 28.893 W80 54.770
Mud Lake - The day I went to this place, it was just mud and grass, very little water - N28 30.426 W80 54.505

Other areas to visit/explore -

Old Beehead Ranch - just wood now - actual ranch has been moved to FT Christmas - N28 29.579 W80 56.364
Old Chimney - Just part of the chimney from an old hunting camp - N28 26.708 W80 56.982
Old Horse Trail - Mostly blazed trail which runs down to St Johns River - N28 26.906 W80 54.811
Big/Little Blues Heads - Cypress mounds - Big: N28 31.537 W80 56.643 Little: N28 31.486 W80 56.407
Bald Eagles Nest - In large cypress tree on Little Blues Head - eaglet has been seen on the nest - N28 31.480 W80 56.415
St Johns River - Can drive out to it or hike in from a number of different spots - N28 29.519 W80 52.998
Florida Trail - Orange blazed trail through the area - Enters at: N28 27.185 W80 57.711 Exits at: N28 31.553 W80 59.235

If you want to know more or reserve a campsite, call the main office at (407)568-5893 - normally there is someone in the office at the entrance from 8am to 4pm. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful. If for no other reason than to say "hi" and see the exhibits they have in the office, stop in to see them on your visit. It costs $3.00 a car to enter the area - if you are 65 or older, there is no charge. The only vehicle entrance is off Taylor Creek Road - the coords for that are N28 29.900 W80 59.922 FYI - my records show that as of 4/09 I have hiked the area 41 times for over 245 miles.
See links on the side to "My Hikes" to see some of the trails available for hiking.
I suggest that you review my hunting calendar (Hunting Schedule) to see if any hunting is scheduled in the area.

Here is a map showing my hikes through Tosohatchee - it should give you an idea where you can hike - as you can see, all over the place - click on it to see larger version

Map supplied by Tosohatchee WMA (click on it to enlarge)

Pictures from the Tosohatchee WMA (Click on picture to enlarge)
Entrance/Signin Area

One of the Roads Running Through The WMA - Open To The Public

Lake Charlie

One of the Many Bridges Used to Cross Creeks

Flood Waterline on Cypress Trees at James Creek

One of the Large Gators Around the Area

Tosohatchee South Hiking - Off RT520

This section of the Tosohatchee WMA is completely separated from the main Tosohatchee WMA area by RT520, thus it is commonly referred to as "Tosohatchee South". It can be a little hard to find the entrance the first time you elect to visit the trails. There is a gate on the south side of RT520 that you must open, enter the parking area and then close after you. You will see the Tosohatchee Wildlife Management sign in the parking area so you know you are in the right spot. There is no fee for using this area. Once into the parking area, you will have the option of entering the loop trail from one side or the other. One section of the trail is mainly road so I normally take that direction to start the loop - that would be the road to the right of the Tosohatchee sign.

Trail and other information
This section will take you along the trails starting at the white blazed trail/road. As you walk down the road you will see quite a variety of trees and flowers. If you look to the left you should be able to see the remnants of some cattle dipping tanks. You will come to a point where the white trail will turn to the left. I suggest that at this point you take the road to the right out to the fence for a little exploring. Work your way down the fence line into the woods. You will enter a section of the area that is a very nice cypress swamp. If the water is low you can get down close to Taylor Creek You might be able to get across Taylor Creek into a primitive camping area when the water is very low. Just be careful as it can get pretty muddy back there. Work your way back to the fence and them back to the white trail. The white trail will now enter a very nice oak hammock area. You will come upon another trail on the right leading to another section of Taylor Creek. Take a look around that area, then work your way back to the white trail. You can take the road to the right down to a nice pond area of Taylor Creek. Depending on the water level you will see a different scene at each visit. Exploring around this area can be very nice. When done in that area, work you way back to the white trail and head north on the wooded section of the trail. This trail provides you with views of the many different ecosystems that make up the area. This trail will take you back to the parking lot. I have hiked this area a number of times, discovering new spots each time. The variety of wildflowers and mushrooms has been quite extensive. You cannot get lost in this section of Tosohatchee because roads, fences or water surrounds it.
If you are into venturing off blazed trails, you can attempt to cross Taylor creek and wander around that area of the this WMA. At times Taylor Creek is quite dry and passable. The Florida trail use to run through this area. You can see remnants of the old campsite at N28 21.061 W80 54.711. The day we visited the campsite, we crossed Taylor Creek at N28 21.317 W80 54.640

The loop hike can be viewed/downloaded at - WIKILOC Hike

These GPS Coords which can be used in "Fly To" area of Google Earth -

Gate/Parking Area - N28 22.421 W80 54.273
Fence Line - N28 21.587 W80 54.714
Cypress Area - N28 21.332 W80 54.625
Primitive Campsite - N28 21.050 W80 54.693
Trail Crossings - N28 21.501 W80 54.298
Taylor Creek Trail End - N28 21.380 W80 54.464
Small Pond - N28 21.361 W80 54.161

Loop trail map and some of the "exploring" -

Looking at Gate From Parking Area -

Tososhatchee WMA Parking Area Sign -

White Trail Road/Trail South From Parking Area -

Fence Line -

White Trail Into Oak Hammock -

End of Trail Sign at Taylor Creek -

Small Pond Covered With Water Hyacinths -

One of the Water Hyacinths -

White Trail View -

"Buddy" Mushrooms -

Colorful Mushroom -

Canaveral Marshes Hiking

This is a very nice place to visit. I have hiked most of it, enjoying all of the various areas. I personally like the St. Johns River side; the views of the river and cypress trees are just beautiful! The only real available access spot now is just off RT50, watch for the sign marking the area. Parking is pretty scarce, I assume because it is an area not that widely used. If I could change one thing, that would be to get rid of the helicopter training which were quite annoying during my 2008-2009 visits. It seems a school has an airfield right in the middle of the area and use it all the time. A fair percentage of the trails are actually roads leading out in different directions as you leave the parking area. You can head straight south and will eventually wind up at the St. Johns River floodplain with Paw Paw Mound on your right. You could take a right at the first crossroads and head down that road, after going through a gate and heading south you will come out again at the St. Johns River floodplain with Paw Paw Mound on your left. This route down to the river is normally the drier route, if it is still the wetter part of the year use it. If you want to go over to Addison canal and the Indian mound trail area, than look for the blue blazed trail just after entering the area on your left. You will follow the blue blazes (at times hard to spot) down to where you will find a log bridge which allows you to cross the Addison Canal. Look for the blue blazes and follow them over to the edge of Great Outdoors RV Park. You will then head south down into just about the only real wooded section in the area. You will find a loop trail that will take you around what is recorded as an Indian mound. So regardless of which way you go you should enjoy the area. As I mentioned, I have hiked most all of the trails and roads, as well as explored some of the areas which just had cattle trails cutting through them. I have run into some pretty big cows during my walks, but they just looked at me and let me pass. I feel they provide a great benefit to the area; the trails through the grass are great to find. The main problem and concern for me at all times are the hunters that show up along the St. Johns River. I hate to even mention hunters but I feel I would be amiss if I didn’t make people aware of their presence. I normally wear bright colors whenever I go into the St. Johns River floodplain.

Blazed trails - the only actual blazed trails start on the left side as you leave the parking lot. You start on a blue blazed trail, then see a white blazed trail which leads to a red blazed trail loop in the woods. In many areas the blazes are not that great; they are faded or even non-existent. If you don't spot a blaze, try and determine the way you think the trail should go and go that way - if a blaze is not encountered after a reasonable distance, go back and look around.

~ You can check the hunting schedule at my web calendar devoted to that – see Hunting Schedule Calendar
~ SJRWMD has provided a PDF brochure and trail map at http://www.sjrwmd.com/recreationguide/canaveralmarshes/
~ My hikes at Canaveral Marshes can be viewed/downloaded at - My WIKILOC Hikes - just look for Canaveral Marshes Hikes in list

Here are some of the GPS coords for spots in the Marshes - use them in Google Earth Parking Area -

N28 32.635 W80 53.791
Paw Paw Mound - N28 31.252 W80 54.273
Blue Blazed Trail Start - N28 32.637 W80 53.787
Addison Canal - N28 31.642 W80 52.603
Bridge Over Canal - N28 31.639 W80 52.869
Indian Mound - N28 30.600 W80 52.400
Helicopter Airfield - N28 32.161 W80 54.120
Hunter's Camp - N28 32.190 W80 54.807

Here is a map of the area, showing some of my tracks –

Entrance Information -

Road/trail down to Paw Paw Mound -

Paw Paw Mound -

Horses on the floodplain -

Some cattle looking at me - just lookers -

Cattle trail through the grass -

Cypress trees on the river bank -

Student helicopter in the area -

Power lines covering blue blazed trail -

Bridge over Addison Canal -

Blue blazed trail through the woods -

Florida Biting Bugs

If you hike around Florida you will get bitten by something, that is a given! I can tell you that I’ve had some unpleasant times fighting hordes of mosquitoes, the intense bite of the Florida yellow fly, the horrible itching from chiggers, trying to extract a tick from behind my arm and then that bite which I have no idea where it came from. I cannot tell you which one of the group is the worst, but I now try and prepare for all of them. I once entered a marsh area near the St. Johns River to do some GEOCaching and before I knew it I was litterly covered with mosquitoes. They where so dense that the attached me everywhere, even biting me through my clothes. I had on my deet, but that didn’t stop them, they smelled blood and that was that! I found my caches and got out of there in a hurry. Needless to say, my body was covered in welts. Most of the time in the wet months I run across some bad patches, but this was more than a bad patch, it was pure hell! I now have a mosquito net and 95% deet handy for those types of ambush. One lesson I learned the hard way was protect yourself from the Florida Chigger. This mite, which you can not see, leaves the most itchy welts! The itch is so intense it is beyond description. If you get enough of them and you don’t treat them in someway, you will scratch your skin raw. Since that experience I now do this before any hike - tuck my pants into my socks and spray my socks and boots with 25% deet. Hopefully this will discourage them from crawling onto my boots and than up my leg. There are a number of suggest remedies for the bites if you get them, I use anti-itch lotion containing Pramoxine HCI. The main thing is, don’t let them get to you. Sept - I was in the wrong spot at the wrong time as far as chiggers are concerned. It seemed that while out hiking/GEOCaching I entered the wrong area (suspect a tall grass area) and picked up a mess of chiggers. I didn't realize my problem until the next morning, when my ankles and legs started itching like crazy. The dreaded red, itchy welts started appearing. I couldn't beleive how many welts I had. I used my itch cream with limited success. I then had to pull out more items from the chigger bag because the welts and itching started driving me crazy. I used hydrogen peroxide to help with infections, nail polish to block some of the bad ones and white vinegar to try and kill the itching. It seems the itching was curtailed somewhat, but the welts kept showing up (this happens with chiggers). I can only assume I didn't spray enough Deet on my socks and pants to protect myself. My friend evidently did protect himself better because he only had a couple of welts. I can only tell you that it is pure misery, again I warn you to protect yourself. I have been unlucky a few times to run into an area with a high concentration of Florida Yellow Flies. This is a type of horse fly that really knows how to bite! Like all horse flies, they are fast to the bite. My only defense against them again is deet. It is pure hell having those things looking for an exposed spot to bite you. My most unhappy moments are when I discover one or more ticks on my body after a hike. It seems they show up in the worst spots. I don’t like to assign tick "pulling" to family, so I try and do it myself. I ordered a special tick removing "tool" to assist me with the operation. Ticks can be very bad so make sure you remove them correctly as not to invite an infection. If it is deep and mean, you might even consider going to a doctor to do it. Again, with these the best offense is a good defense. I now do this before any hike - tuck my pants into my socks and spray my socks and boots with 25% deet. Always save the extracted tick in a jar in the refrigerator for a week or so just in case of a serious infection - they can use the dead tick to see if it was infected with something. Finally, there is that bite you never felt, but a major welt has appeared. It could be just a fire ant or it could be from one of the deadly spiders lurking out there. Always border on the side of caution and watch the welt closely. If anything really strange seems to be happening, see your doctor!

St Johns River Area Hiking

This entry is about some of the hiking I have done along the banks and open areas on the St Johns River from RT50 down as far as Lake Winder in Viera. I have been able to find ways into many areas along the river to do some hiking, looking and photographing. I have submitted a mess of pictures to Google Earth and also have assembled a few of my hikes in WIKILOC. I have provided links to these items at the bottom of this document. At times I have gone in with friends, at other times I have hiked the areas alone. I normally hike the areas in the winter, during the dry season. At some of the places I will mention you can only get to after a "burn", either manmade or by nature. The grass can get so thick that you cannot walk through it. If you attempt to access some of these areas in wet conditions, you will find it very uncomfortable - I have done it, but it really wasn’t that much fun. My main concern during the winter months is hunters, it seems that the SJRWMD has the most liberal hunting policies of any area around here. I always take extreme caution when hiking these areas, wearing a very bright orange baseball cap and bright clothes most of the time. It seems a lot of hunters come in from the river, so just be careful as you get closer to the river areas. I am not trying to put any fear in you; I just want everyone to be careful. Many areas have an array of cattle in them. Some people I hike with automatically show a fear for these beasts, I guess because they are pretty big. I have never been harassed by a cow, they are always a little more fearful of me than I am of them. With all that said, I must say, so far some of the prettiest and calming areas I’ve been to have been on the St Johns River. I love the views of the river and in many areas the cypress trees that dot the landscape. I have seen a vast array of wildlife, some domestic, while visiting the St Johns. Those included alligators, large variety of wading birds, sandpipers, songbirds, bald eagles, hawks, owls, vultures, deer, pigs and a few snakes. You will also come across some horses every so often and as I mentioned, quite a few cattle.

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St Johns River Below RT50
These are of some of my hikes into the river area just below RT50. This is what I found to be a very pretty area.

Details about the hikes below RT50 using numbers in above map
#1 - This hike started at parking area # 24 off Powerline Road in the Tosohatchee WMA. I headed north up to the Blues Head Mound on the right side. I then headed over to the Blues Head Mound and out through the grass using a cattle trail to the river. I then spent some time walking and enjoying that section of the river. On the way back I passed through the smaller mound next to Blues Head. There I found a bald eagles nest that was still occupied by an eaglet. The total hike was a little over 7 miles and it took a little over 5 hours. GPS Coords: 28 31.972N 80 55.975W

#2 - This hike started at parking area # 22 off Powerline Road in the Tosohatchee WMA. We went north up through the cypress forest that is located in the area just above James Creek. The creek and the cypress forest area was just about dry, so water wasn’t a problem. If it is the wet season I doubt this could be done. At one point we headed out to the river that has some of the nicest cypress trees around. We worked up the river and then headed back into the woods using an old road we located up there. We looped back down through the cypress forest to the parking lot. The watermarks from TS Fay on the trees were very impressive. The total hike was about 6.5 miles and it took about 5.25 hours. GPS Coords: 28 31.326N 80 55.076W

#3 - This hike started at parking area # 22 off Powerline Road in the Tosohatchee WMA. We headed out to the James Creek basin and then down it to what is Mud Lake. Both James Creek and Mud Lake were pretty dried up, so walking out to the river was no problem. This part of the river is nice, but certainly not the nicest section. As in all the areas we saw a variety of wildlife. The total hike was about 5.6 miles and it took about 5 hours. GPS Coords: 28 30.655N 80 54.110W

#4 - This hike started in the parking area for Canaveral Marsh off RT50. It was a very long hike. It took me along a large section of the river, over Paw Paw Mound and back to the parking area. I headed west along what is the blue blazed trail and then turned southwest staying on the blue trail. When I came to the Addison Canal I followed that down to the river. It then took me a little while to find dry cattle trail through the grass over to Paw Paw Mound. From there I looped back up to the parking area. The views of the river in this section are also very pretty, certainly worth the trip. This also is a dry season hike and preferably a winter hike as it is just about 99% in the sun. I saw a variety of wildlife as well as horses and a large amount of cattle. The total hike was about 9.7 miles and it took about 6 hours. GPS Coords: 28 31.228N 80 54.117W

#5 - This hike also started in the parking area for Canaveral Marsh off RT50. I headed west along what is the blue blazed trail and then turned southwest staying on the blue trail. When I came to the Addison Canal I headed west following it. The trail took me to the RV area that you can see from RT50. I followed the fence down into a mound area and then out near the river. This hike only goes near the river for a very short time. What is nice are the trails it takes you through the mound area. The trails are blazed, but at times hard to spot, so keep your eyes open. This also is a dry season hike and preferably a winter hike, as it can get pretty hot out there. I saw a variety of wildlife and got some nice wildflower pictures. The total hike was about 9.7 miles and it took about 5 hours. GPS Coords: 28 30.591N 80 52.266W

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St Johns River Below RT528
These are of some of my hikes into the river area just below RT528. This area is interesting and has some nice views, but it is not as pretty as the above hikes. In order to start the hikes you must enter Tosohatchee WMA using the Taylor Creek Road entrance and then drive down Fish Hole Road, using the underpass go under RT528 and then take the first left all the way to parking area #13

Details about the hikes below RT528 using numbers in above map

#1 (blue line) - as I mentioned, this hike starts at parking area #13 in the Tosohatchee WMA. I crossed the wooden bridge, heading west. I then headed south down around the pond in the map. You will then pickup a blazed orange horse trail (actually both horse and people, but the horse people blazed it, so I call it a horse trail) heading south. Once pretty far down you will use cattle trails to get you out to the river. This area is pretty flat and not the prettiest, but it is still nice. I found a few small ponds with some small gators in them. As you can see from the blue line, I traveled inland a little before heading north back to the parking area. I saw a variety of wildlife as well as large amount of cattle. The total hike was about 7.15 miles and it took a little over 5 hours. GPS Coords: 28 25.761N 80 54.159W

#2 (yellow line) - this hike also started at parking area #13 in the Tosohatchee WMA. I crossed the wooden bridge, heading west. I then headed south down around the pond in the map. You will then pickup a blazed orange horse trail (actually both horse and people, but the horse people blazed it, so I call it a horse trail) heading south. Once pretty far down you will use cattle trails to get you out to the river. This area is pretty flat and not the prettiest, but it is still nice. I found a few small ponds with some small gators in them. For this hike I headed back into the blazed trail after exploring the area for a while, then I headed north back to the parking area. I saw a variety of wildlife as well as large amount of cattle. The total hike was about 6.2 miles and it took a little over 5 hours. GPS Coords: 28 26.234N 80 54.074W

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St Johns River at Lake Winder
These are of some of my hikes into the river area around Lake Winder. This area is interesting and has some nice views, but it is not as pretty as some of the hikes. In order to start the hikes you must enter the River Conservation Area (Moccasin Island) from Wickham Road. Follow the dirt road out to the parking lot.

Details about the hikes at Lake Winder using numbers in above map
#1 - I went north out of the parking area up to the observation area overlooking Lake Winder (actually the St Johns River). You will just get a view of the river, because of a canal in the area you cannot get close to it. This also is best undertaken in the winter as you are about 98% of the time in the sun. The total hike was about 6.2 miles and it took a little over 4 hours. GPS Coords: 28 15.189N 80 49.882W

#2 - I went north out of the parking area then headed west out to the Moccasin Island area. As you can see from the blue line I looped back to the parking lot. This hike provides you with a pretty view of Lake Winder and some nice areas to visit. Because of the lower area, it is recommended you only try this hike in the dry season. Also the grass around the island area can be so thick that it is almost impossible to get through, so be aware of that. This also is best undertaken in the winter as you are about 98% of the time in the sun. I have taken this hike a number of times, varying it a little each time. I have seen a variety of wildlife in the area. The total hike was about 6.2 miles and it took a little over 6 hours. GPS Coords: 28 14.685N 80 50.582W

#3 - I took this hike one day when all the conditions were perfect - grass had been burned down, the area was very dry and there were no hunters around (actually no one around). I was very fortunate to be in the area when all the stars seemed to be aligned in my favor, as they say. I have hiked this area many times, but this was the first time I tried this loop along the river. I headed west out of the parking lot on the south side of the canal. Once I hit the conservation area I found a trail and headed south, crossing the canal at the area provided. From there I headed west again until I hit the road and headed south. I then found the road out to the St Johns River and followed it west until I hit the river. I followed the river up to Lake Winder (I must tell you that there were some pretty big gators in the river that day) and then I followed the canal back to the parking lot. The river was very pretty that day, a different stretch for me. I was very lucky this day for more than one reason. I saw a large variety of wildlife during the hike. The total hike was about 11.2 miles and it took me almost 8 hours. GPS Coords: 28 14.422N 80 51.094W