Longleaf Pine Preserve

From the east trailhead sign:

"Longleaf Pine Preserve consists of approximately 12,000 acres bounded on the south by State Road 44 and on the east by Pioneer Trail. It includes several large land acquisitions purchases using funds from Volusia Forever and cooperative efforts with St. Johns River Water Management District, Florida Department of Transportation and the city of Port Orange. The primary goals of acquiring this conservation land are to provide a large expanse of habitat for wildlife such as the Florida Black Bear, natural resource conservation and recreation. This site includes several natural communities including mesic and wet flatwoods, cypress stands, cypress domes and scrub."

"There are two marked trails on Longleaf Pine Preserve. The red trail is a 6 mile long loop starting and ending at the West Entrance. The blue trail is approximately 11 miles long extending from the East Entrance on Pioneer Trail to the West Entrance on State Road 44. This trail, from end to end, is a challenging hike due to its length and primitive nature. Visitors should bring adequate drinking water and carry out their trash."

"Along these trails the diversity of plant and animal life of natural Florida Habitats can be experienced and explored. Visitors may observe bald eagles, wading birds, alligators, otters, deer and sign of black bear."

My trek was conducted on a mountain bike. Most of the terrain (90%) was firm and good for bike travel. A couple miles (8%) was softer than preferred but still passable on a bike. About 0.4 mile was inhospitable (tall grass and wet ground) to biking so I walked the bike. Most of the soft areas were near the east trailhead. The area where I walked the bike was the northernmost portion of my track. During wet times of the year that northern section is likely to be under water. A portion of trail near the west trailhead has an elevated walkway available for use to avoid the wet terrain. At the time of my visit this area was dry so I didn’t use the elevated walkway. I rated trail as easy because most of the surface was flat terrain and firm enough for biking. The total trip length made it beyond easy.

I traveled the route from east to west, and then returned using much of the same route. Most of the route was along the blue trail. The western portions were where the red and blue trails overlap. I also traveled a portion that was only part of the red loop. There was another section where it was not one of the designated trails. It was along this section that I think I entered some private property that was unmarked. The boundaries of the Longleaf Pine Preserve are rather irregular. When I got home and looked at my GPS track it appears that I went through a private area. I recall going past a place where a gate was broken off and lying adjacent to the travel route. In general the red and blue trails are well marked and easy to follow.

The area along the power line had some water in the path of travel that necessitated carefully selecting a dry path. It was also along the power line where I saw an otter.

Wildlife spotted during the days visit included hawks, vultures, many great blue herons, a couple turkeys, an otter, and a deer. I heard a couple big splashes that were likely made by gators.

The voyage from the east trailhead to the west one and back is a long one. There are many other trails that I didn’t explore. Perhaps a better plan for most visitors would be to explore the areas near the trailheads more thoroughly and ignore the urge to make a traverse.