Good hiking around Orlando? Yes, if you look
People typically don’t travel to Orlando to go hiking. There’s a lot of walking going on at the theme parks, but it’s on pavement, not trails.
So when a “bleisure” trip brought the Unshakable Husband and me to central Florida, we found the hiking options somewhat limited. (“Bleisure” is a fancy new word for a trip that includes both business and leisure.)
We knew the area must have areas of natural beauty. Then we read about the Black Bear Wilderness Area trail, about 20 miles north of Orlando in Seminole County. The 7-mile loop trail meanders past swamps, through woods, near a river, and over 14 boardwalks. (Jump to trail stats.)
That sounded just right. It was a long distance, but there would be no elevation to tire us out. In Florida there’s little elevation at all. The state has the lowest “high point” in the nation, at 310 feet.
Black Bear also promised shade, which is what we wanted for the steamy September day.
From our hotel we headed north from the downtown, arriving at the trailhead just before 9 a.m. Though it was a weekend, few other cars were in the lot. A welcome sign told us we were about to see “the wild side of Seminole County.”
First, we took a picture of the trail map at the kiosk. We started the trail in a counterclockwise direction and immediately came to a long boardwalk labeled #1. It emptied us out into to a muddy mess. There had been rain in the region, and the dirt trail hadn’t yet dried out in some places.
Our hiking shoes became caked on the bottom.
Parkinson’s hiking tip
We saw a few benches to rest at in the first two miles, but they were scarce after that. My guess is many locals out for exercise walk the trail’s first couple of miles, then turn around and go back – a nice option if 7 miles seems too far to go.
We hop-stepped around the muddiest parts of the path through some lovely scenery, including breathtaking swamps, palm trees, and other tropical flora I couldn’t identify.
Marker signs told us how far we’d gone. If you stay on the trail, it’s hard to get lost. I don’t remember seeing any spurs or confusing intersections with other trails.
Light rain came and went – September marks the end of the rainy season – but sunshine took over a while later.
Parkinson’s hiking tip
This trail has gentle slopes, tree roots, and animal holes. Wear sturdy shoes and watch your step. If you want to admire some scenery (or try to spot an alligator), stop walking first, then gaze out.
The middle section of the trail goes along the St. Johns River, and weekend boaters were out zipping around. There’s an obvious tension between hikers and revelers laughing over their loud music. It was hard to shut out, and we exercised patience.
The boardwalks varied in length. They felt safe but could be slippery when it rained. The wood rails in places needed some conditioning.
Luckily, my hike was sliver-free.
Because the boardwalks were numbered 1-14, we could keep track of how much farther the trail would take us. This eliminated any thoughts of “Are we there yet?” (Kids aren’t the only ones who say that.)
I really was hoping to spot a gator – from a comfortable distance of course. While crossing bridge #10, which sat several feet high over a swamp, we heard a loud splash, too big for a fish.
We lingered to see if one of the toothy reptiles would come up for air, but alas, none did.
A little later, however, we were startled to see a wild pig. Or maybe we startled it. The pig was about 20 feet from the trail, and it ran away as soon as it heard (or smelled) us. The close encounter put me on the lookout, and I swear I heard that grunting sound several more times down the trail.
Closer to the end of the hike we turned south. The trail at this point was drier and mostly sand. There was a road crossing in a grassy area where power lines went through.
The final portion of the trail got muddy again and was well shaded. We saw other hikers here, including trail runners.
After bridge #14, we were done! Total time: just under three hours.
It was a perfect hike for seeing some of central Florida’s best scenery. Taking the trail slow was the way to go. The humidity certainly drains a person’s energy level.
Full disclosure: The leisure part of our trip wasn’t only about hiking; we couldn’t ignore the theme parks. We visited Sea World’s “Howl-o-Scream” one evening and saw a different “wild side” of Seminole County.
Hike info
PD difficulty level (see chart): Moderate
Distance: 7.1 miles in a loop
Elevation gain: 29 feet
Trailhead location: 5298 Michigan Ave., Sanford, Florida
Cell phone service: yes
Bathrooms: at trailhead
Emergency medical support: within 15 minutes from trailhead
Costs: none
Insider tip: This site sits on the floodplain of the St. Johns River and may experience significant flooding during the summer rains, especially in July and August. Know before you go.
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