Fanny Bay Trail

If you’re driving along I-10 from Jacksonville to Lake City and want to take a break by taking a hike, this brand-new trail in the Osceola National Forest provides an interesting spot to stretch your legs. The trail begins behind the rest area and follows an old limestone road (well graded for motorized wheelchairs) through a pine plantation. Along the way, there are numerous colorful interpretive signs to inform you of the habitats you’re passing through. After 0.3 mile, you reach the beginning of a boardwalk into Fanny Bay, a floodplain forest of bay, sweetgum, maple, and cypress. The boardwalk winds through the swamp, providing up close views of ferns, fungi, and one massive cypress near the boardwalk’s end at an platform with benches. Retrace your path to return to the rest area.