This past Sunday, in one of those increasingly rare occurrences when all of my work and house chores were finished and Ma Nature wasn’t thunderously cranky, I found myself with some time to load up my bike and head to the Seminole State Forest for a little Ecotherapy.
Situated just northwest of the Greater Orlando area, between SRs 46 and 44, the 27,200 acre Seminole State Forest is part of a larger network of State and Federal lands which create an undeveloped environmental corridor running from Seminole County almost to Gainesville. More primitive than nearby State Parks, the Forest allows for a number of activities such as camping, biking and fishing—and usually in perfect solitude at that!
(Sunday was no different, and aside from a few fisherman, intermittent picnickers and a Boy Scout troop loading their gear from an adventurous night in the woods, I had the place all to myself).
There are a few options open to cyclists/horse riders from the SR 46/Bear Pond entrance, and I chose to make a loop starting with Sand Rd. (the main access road north) and ending on a two-track grass path near Bear Pond and my truck. A mostly packed and graded dirt road, Sand Rd. is a main artery for several spur trails, including the Florida National Scenic Trail. There is seldom vehicle traffic and the easy cruise through seemingly endless Pine scrub seems like Cracker time travel to the 1800’s—before bear attacks in gated country club communities.
Soon, declining elevation and lush palm foliage mark a transition from upland pine scrub into the lowland riverine environment of Blackwater Creek . (It also means a little less input is needed on the cyclist’s part)! A tributary of the Wekiva River, Blackwater Creek is choice destination of the local River Hippie crowd, who laud its calm and unspoiled route as one of the area’s best paddles. It sure fit the bill nicely that day as a place to have a little snack and try out my portable fishing rod!
From the Blackwater Creek Day Use Area, it is only a few minutes ride to several cross roads 
which link the south part of Seminole State Forest with the equestrian-friendly Fechtel entrance to the north. One of these, Grade Rd. leads to a campsite on one of many freshwater springs within the State Forest boundaries. A popular primitive campsite (and thus, difficult to secure a permit for), Moccasin Springs was on this day empty—which gave me an opportunity to write some old and dear friends—at least one of whom I hope will be envious upon seeing the pictures.
My return trip took me in roughly the same path until one of the spur trails from Sand Rd. called irresistibly to my inner-kid and I felt the need for mud and obstacles. I got both in no short supply, as the route narrowed down to single-track dirt with dense scrub brush closing in, creating several blind spots in seeing the trail ahead. Emerging from the dry scrubland into the darkness of deep tracts filled with Norfolk Pine and White Oak, I was treated to temperatures at least 10 degrees cooler…which were refreshing and needed when my hard-packed dirt trail dispersed into sand looser than Lindsay Lohan’s morals!
At the very moment when I was about to give up and throw myself face-first into the powder a-la Tony Montana, a horse trough full of dirt and semi-potable water marked not only hydrating refreshment, but also the beginning of the tamped dirt/grass trail leading towards the parking area at Bear Pond. With newly-discovered vigor (and possibly some new parasites), I was able to conquer the small terrain undulations along the trail and even catch some serious air off of a fallen log.
Knowing that there is a navigable trail around Bear Pond along with a sizeable fish population in said body of water, I threw down some nourishment and tore off for fishing glory after my “main” ride. Bear Pond sits below the surrounding landscape (it was a borrow pit) and thus the circumnavigating trail has plenty of great downhill slopes, too! It’s a win-win situation.
Since all of this fish-wrangling and bike exploration makes a person thirsty, and I knew Otto would be due a chance to relieve himself, I headed off for my base camp and a frosty Sierra Nevada “Nooner” Pilsner, secure in the knowledge that I had seized an opportunity to live well for a moment in some of Florida’s unspoiled public wilderness!
Link to Seminole State Forest Home Page: http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Florida-Forest-Service/Our-Forests/State-Forests/Seminole-State-Forest
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