White Loop, Krazert Tract

Stand of southern magnolia along the trail

Three trails radiate from the trailhead kiosk that displays the Water Management District map of the Kratzert Tract of Lake Monroe Conservation Area. The Oak Hammock Trail, a 1-mile linear trail leading to the St. Johns River, takes off to the left and follows the fence line south along a firebreak. It leads past the Oak Hammock Campsite, situated 0.75 mile from the trailhead. The White Loop lies straight ahead and to the right.

For the most enjoyable traverse of this 1.5-mile loop, turn right. Follow the white blazes painted on posts as you cross what was formerly the open range of a cattle ranch, now replanted in longleaf pine to return the uplands land to its original sandhills habitat. As the trail swings to the left, it drops down a hill through an oak hammock, and works its way along a stand of sweetgum, showy with crimson leaves in winter.

Crossing a narrow bridge over a ditch at 0.4 mile, the trail continues through another open field planted in longleaf pine, where raspberry bushes poke through the tall grasses. Heading downhill, you enter a shady forest of oaks, saw palmetto, and large longleaf pines, where beds of sword fern crowd the footpath as it parallels the meandering route of a sand-bottomed stream. White-tailed deer dash through the open woods towards a cypress strand. Bright orange and yellow catches your eye—wild citrus grows beneath the high forest canopy, and you smell the sweet fragrance of orange and grapefruit blossoms. The trail turns to the right, weaving past the massive stumps of cypresses logged long ago into a hydric hammock dense with cabbage palms and ferns. The dark, rich earth underfoot may be mushy.