Piney Wood Loop

When you emerge on the Piney Wood Loop, turn right. This trail follows a series of jeep roads through the forest. Watch for the orange and black trail markers as you walk through a forest of pines and oaks. Keep left at the fork. Another decision point comes up soon—the Gator Creek Loop. Head straight if you want to add 0.8 mile to your trek; otherwise turn left to continue on the Piney Wood Loop.

Making a sharp left turn beneath the pines, the trail begins to zigzag between cypress domes, dense clusters of tall, slender pond cypress with knees protruding in the grass. These are the low spots of the Green Swamp, where rainfall collects and soaks in slowly. Saw palmetto is abundant in the understory beneath the pines. After another sharp left tern, the trail once again follows a broad jeep track to complete the loop. Turn left, then right, to return to the parking lot via the Cypress Loop.