Shady Oak Hammock by B A Bowen Photography

Once an old Cattle Ranch, the FWC has worked hard to restore this 9400 Acre parcel back to Florida natural habitats. Hike, bike, or Ride by Horseback the miles of trail to enjoy Longleaf Pine Forests, Shady Oak Hammocks, Grass Marshes, ponds and River Floodplains. Keep your eye out for the threatened Florida Scrub Jay as you travel through the Scubby Flatwoods and look for Eastern Bluebird pairs playfully flying over the wetlands.

For a splash of history, explore along Davies Forest Road and find a primitive graveyard from the early settlers of these lands.  The spring time Paw Paw’s can be seen glistening in bloom along the trails.  Stop and fish along Mill Creek as it heads west to empty into the river.  With the Withlacoochee River bordering the west, the trail along the river floodplain can also be enjoyed.  Half Moon WMA wetlands are important in the recharge of the Floridan aquifer and the Withlacoochee River.

Half Moon WMA is located 8 miles East of Inverness off SR 44 in Sumter County.  Click here for more information on recreation or for trail maps.

Half Moon Yellow Trail by B A Bowen Photography

Click here to view more photos on the Half Moon Yellow Loop (3.3 miles)

A typical pine forest surrounded by waterways, Inglis Island offers many opportunities for birding and viewing wildlife.  Inglis Island is sandwiched between Lake Rousseu at Inglis Dam and the Cross Florida Barge Canal at Inglis Lock just off SR 40.  Once a prosperous waterway this area now belongs to the Marjorie Harris Cross Florida Greenway and designated for mainly for preservation and recreation.

Park at Inglis Dam and enjoy the park that sits on the beautiful shoreline of Lake Rouseau. An American kestrel keeps watch perched high up on a power line while a pair of eastern bluebirds perch themselves near the boat ramp. The coots fill the shoreline and awkwardly run on top of the water to escape from an intruder as you approach them. Morehen, brown pelican and pied billed grebe float comfortable amongst the coots fishing for their next meal. A Belted Kingfisher roosts atop the Dam rail ready to fly in a moments notice. Cross over Inglis Dam to Inglis Island to hike, backpack, camp the Great Florida Birding Trail.

This 4 mile trek takes you through pine flat woods over to Inglis Lock and along the canal. Watch for wild turkey trotting along the trail atop the berm. Listen for hawks and woodpeckers as you pass through the pine uplands. From the Pine Forest trek up a man-made berm made of misplaced soil from the creation of the barge Canal.  Take time to relax on a birding bench along the canal and watch for gulls, terns, morehen, coots, pied billed grebe, and Osprey activity in the canal. From here the trail leads you back past a modest Cypress Dome into a hardwood hammock full of mighty oaks and cabbage palms. The return loop then leads you along Lake Rousseau.  Here the boyscout camps are often full of troops spending the weekend out in the wilderness.  Look for Blue Jays and Cardinals as you finish the trek back to Inglis Dam to complete the loop.

Inglis Island by B A Bowen Photography

History: Back in the late 1800′s John Dunn of Dunnellon Phosphate built Inglis Dam and Inglis Lock to transport millions of dollars worth of phosphate mined in the area that is now known as the City of Dunnellon. The Dam built on the Withlacoochee River created Lake Rousseau which is now a haven for freshwater fishing, boating, paddling, hiking, camping, backpacking, and birding.  This area is managed by the Office of Greenways and Trail in Ocala Florida.

Me and the Goethe Giant by B A Bowen Photography

Tucked away deep into the heart of the Goethe State Forest, the Goethe Giant is one of Florida’s natural gems worth seeking out.  Travel 5 miles down a bumpy forest road to the trailhead for the boardwalk that leads to this ancient giant cypress tree.  The trailhead is modest located just off Cow Creek Road with only a kiosk and a picnic table to show for it.   This monster tree measures at 9 ft in diameter, 105 feet tall, and 342 inches in circumference.  It has been estimated that the tree is just over 900 years old and truely a Grand-Daddy of this forest!

As you trek one-quarter mile down a nature trail, enjoy the lush fern covered swamp floors, colorful red maple trees, and the sweet smelling blooms of the Southern Magnolia trees in the springtime. Look closely for wild pine air plants rooting them selves in the bark of the young cypress trees. Listen for the call of the Red-bellied woodpeckers as they flitter from tree to tree. Soon the giant cypress can be seen at the end of the boardwalk. Take yourself back in time as you try to imagine the forest full of these colossal giants before the 1930′s logging craze cleared this forest floor. Once you reach the boardwalk’s end take time to look around and you will see another untouched giant cypress and a few giant stumps that have survived almost a century after being cut. Although this trail is fairly short, the sight really packs a punch and well worth the time seeking out this piece of Florida History and Natural Gem!

Coordinates of Giant Cypress Tree:
N29 13.555, W82 37.424

Click here to view more photos of the Goethe Giant on Flickr.

Paynes Prairie Bolen Bluff Trail by B A Bowen Photography 

Paynes Prairie was a treasure trove of wildlife this past Saturday as we enjoyed the LaChua and Bolen Bluff Trails with friends. Upon entering Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, my out of town guest and lifetime friend, Laura, and I were pleasantly surprised by the giant moss covered Oak trees as we explored the parking lot waiting our Florida Hikes friend, Brickman to arrive. Brickman frequents Paynes Prairie and was excited to join us as our tour guide for the morning. We smiled as we recognized the familiar on-line face pull up in a rugged S-10 pick-up with his buddy Craig. We exchanged hellos and quickly began chatting and sharing stories as we all share a common passion in Florida nature. As we entered the park Sandhill Cranes are in abundance on the Prairie and can be seen flying in flocks of 30 or more! We follow along the boardwalk out to the Aluchua Sink only to spot an alligator head peering out of the water on this frigid morning. I stop to change out a lens, when a brown animal is spotted in the distance. “It is a hog…” says one of us….”It looks more like a tree stump.” I reply as I peer through my zoom lens. “No it definitely is moving!” chime in the other two. So I snap a photo and rely on my digital zoom only to uncover that it is actually a small horse. Not familiar with this terrain quickly assume this land is still a working ranch. My thinking is quickly corrected by the local boys. There are wild horses that live in these lands…left over from the Spanish Invasion prior to Florida becoming a state. Our excitement continues to rise as we are told Wild Buffalo live here too! Along down the trail we spot coots, morehen, a little blue heron actively hunting for breakfast while a Great Blue Heron holds a statuesque pose while observing. Further out in the prairie an America Bittern can be seen with a keen eye. His ability to camouflage himself amongst the brown marsh grasses is uncanny. I pause for a few moments to capture a photo of this elusive bird. But it proves difficult as he displays his agility adeptly stepping through the grasses. After a few rough shots, I step up my pace to reach the group. At 1.5 miles we reach the viewing platform and climb to the top unknowingly for the panorama of a lifetime.  In the distance we spot a small herd of horses running. For a moment it felt like I was in an old movie filmed in the Wild Wild West. The dark brown hair contrasting against the wheat colored grasses and a bright blue sky made for a nice scene.

On our way back the Bitterns seemed more active and to appear more frequently….. or perhaps we just got better at spotting them!  I happy to finally get a few more photographs of this master of camouflage. This was a first time encounter with an American Bittern for me. We hurry back along the trail as our guides have a prior commitment with a horse farm for a fertilizer pick-up. Once more we come upon the sink only to find the warming air has lured more alligators out for sunning along the banks. This was certainly a treat for my northern guest! We are sure to take a group photo before we part ways. We certainly want to hike with our north Florida friends again…perhaps in the Spring when the when this brown dormant prairie is exploding with colorful wildflowers.

About: Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park is a 22,000 acre wilderness that is also a designated National Natural Landmark belonging to an elite group of Landmarks. Only 600 have been named throughout the United States. The Alachua Sink plays an important geological part in refueling the Florida Aquifer. It was formed when a group of sinkholes in close proximity merge to form a sink. This Alachua sink along with its sedges and grasses serves as a filter purifying the water as it drains back into the Florida Aquifer.

Click here to view more photos of Paynes Prairie on flickr.

Potts Preserve B A Bowen Photography

Despite the rain, I had fun hiking and photographing on Christmas day in Potts Preserve. Although there are over 30 miles of hiking trails back in these protected lands, I planned on hiking the River Trail which is maintained by the Florida Trail Association. It has always been my experience that they pick the most scenic routes when building their trails and I was not disappointed with this trail. The River Trail along with the Cabin Loop side trail takes you into the scenic river floodplain of giant cypress knees along the Withlacoochee River then through lush Cabbage Palm and Oak Hammocks.  Today the oaks were dripping with migrant Robin Families!  Take in the rustic scenery of the cabin loop trail as you explore a run down cabin along the river bluff that was built when this land was once a homestead. 
Potts Preserve is an 8500 acre protected land that sits between the Withlacoochee River and Tsala Apopka Chain of Lakes. This land was acquired by Southwest Florida Management District due to its importance wetland habitats that play a major role in the adjoining lakes and rivers. These lands also function as a protection for wildlife including a small population the threatened Florida Scrub Jay.
Along with scenic views and unique Florida Terrain, the preserve offers a wide variety of recreation opportunities including boating, fishing, paddling, horseback riding, primitive camping, hiking, backpacking, bicycling, and birding. Potts Preserve is one of Florida’s Great Florida Birding Trail. There is also a 12 mile hiking loop that is maintained by the Florida Trail Association with several primitive campsites. Great for a long day hike or an overnight-er.

Potts Preserve sits just east of the small town of Inverness and is owned and maintained by Southwest Florida Water Management in Citrus County, Fl.

Click here to view more photos of Potts Preserveon flickr.