Hal Scott Preserve

The iconic prairie

I fell in love with these broad, open prairies on my first visit, and have sent many friends here since. The preserve’s grasslands host a stunning array of wildflowers, with blooms of one sort or another in every season. Thanks to the selection of this photo for the cover of my first hiking guide, it’s also an iconic place for me. I hope you enjoy the wide open spaces – and the tiny treasures waiting to be found among them – as much as I do.

Starting out at the parking lot kiosk, follow the trail that begins at the hiker symbol. It parallels the immense parking area before heading out into the pine flatwoods. After you pass the parking area, keep alert for a trail junction on the right— it’s easy to miss. Turn right and follow the blue blazes through the pine flatwoods. Tall longleaf pines are sparsely interspersed in an unending sea of saw palmetto and wiregrass, a scene described by one Florida naturalist as the “palmetto prairie.” Watch for wildflowers poking through the prairie grasses.

At 0.6 mile, a ditch on the left drains a small wetland. Look closely along the ditch for the unmistakable form of a hooded pitcher plant, a carnivorous plant that is one of Florida’s threatened species. The pitcher plants bloom in spring, with thick, rubbery-looking flowers of red or yellow. After 1.1 miles, the trail drops down to cross a very narrow drainage towards the Econlockhatchee River, where the crossing may get your boots wet. Rising back up into the pine flatwoods, short saw palmetto seems to stretch to infinity off to your left.

The trail reaches a T intersection at 1.9 miles. To the right, a red-blazed trail leads off to the tributary. It’s a 5-mile loop that crosses the creek (no bridge), primarily used by equestrians. To stay on your 5.1-mile loop, turn left at this intersection. The trail eventually meets the treeline, where shade is provided by sweetgum and live oaks. The next trail junction is at 2.7 miles. Turn right to follow an interesting but short spur down to historic Curry Ford on the Econlockhatchee River. If you’re an Orlando resident, you’re familiar with the name from Curry Ford Road. Sure enough, this spot is where travelers on horseback and stagecoaches crossed the river, near the Curry Plantation, as they traveled between Titusville and Tampa. In 1924, the Cheney Highway opened and all traffic between Orlando and Titusville shifted to Bithlo.