🌿 Hike of the Month – Spring Hammock Preserve

We’re Back! After taking a little time off from leading hikes this summer, we’re kicking things off again with a visit to Spring Hammock Preserve that has been recently updated!

Home to the Central Florida–famous “Mud Walk”, a rite of passage for fifth-grade students in Seminole County, Spring Hammock Preserve is an exceptionally beautiful dive into primordial floodplain forests alongside Lake Jesup.

The preserve once had a long boardwalk leading out to the shore of the lake, but a trio of hurricanes in 2004 caused considerable damage to the end of the wooden walkway. It eventually fell into disrepair and was closed off around 2012. For over a decade, rumors would pop up from time to time about the boardwalk’s return — until Seminole County announced major improvements and a groundbreaking in October 2024.

Now open to the public, the park now features an accessible asphalt path that winds down the shady Osprey Trail for nearly a mile, passing a side boardwalk to a massive cypress tree and a cloudy blue spring along the way. At the end of the pathway, a robust boardwalk with built-in benches extends out over the floodplain, weaving through tall palms, sweetgum, and stately cypress trees surrounded by huge knees.

📍 Location: Spring Hammock Preserve, 2985 Osprey Trail, Longwood, FL 32750
🗓 Date: Sunday, August 24, 2025
⏰ Time: 8:30 AM start
📏 Distance: 2.2 miles round trip (1.7 miles asphalt + 0.5 miles composite boardwalk)
🐾 Pets: Allowed on a leash
♿ Accessibility: Newly constructed and fully ADA accessible after years of being in various states of disrepair. If you need assistance, please reach out — we’ll do what we can to help you enjoy the journey.
💧 Bring: Water – it will be hot.
👒 Dress: Wear comfortable clothing and consider sun protection, even though much of the trail is under a thick canopy.
🌳 Trail Conditions: Mostly shaded with a few sunny stretches.
📍 Parking Coordinates: 28.721694, -81.305944
🚶 Group Limit: 25 participants