Review of Hiking at Hidden Waters Preserve
A small but interesting venue.
One interesting hike I’ve done recently is Hidden Waters Preserve. Hidden Waters Preserve is a 90 acre plot in the middle of Eustis, FL maintained by the Lake County Water Authority. Despite its small size Hidden Waters provides some interesting and rare sites.
The parking lot is at about 185 feet above sea level. The trail falls down to Lake Alfred at 75 feet for an 95 foot drop. Although a 95 foot drop isn't interesting to hikers in most of the US, a 95 foot drop over a quarter mile in Florida is considered a sheer cliff. The elevation change allows for a number of different plants and animals For example the variegated fritillary butterfly.
Hidden Waters Preserve is a sinkhole. It was once known as Eichelberger Sink. Like a lot of sinkholes it was used as a trash dump for years. By the 1940’s it was turned into a golf course. The golf course closed in the late 1950’s. Closed golf courses have been an interest of mine for a while now – how they can be repurposed after bankruptcy, etc. This one had the advantage of being a freestanding golf course, not part of a larger housing development.
I entered on the west side off Country Club Road. There’s ample parking there. There’s also a parking on the southeast side at the Mormon Church on Waycross Avenue. I hiked the Alfred Trail, the Ravine Trail and the Longleaf Pine Trail. Despite the number of trails it only added up to about 4 miles. There is no fee to hike and there is no water or bathroom facilities on the property. Biking will be difficult on most trails.
When you first enter the preserve there’s a dry, sandy area. Lots of gopher tortoises live here. You can usually find at least one. Also there are a number of flowers and butterflies that you’d expect to find in an arid environment.
Going down the hill there’s a forested area, probably considered a hardwood hammock. Animals like the oak worm moth above can be found. Also lots of turkey tail mushrooms. Tea made with turkey tail mushrooms have been used in Chinese medicine for centuries. They’ve even been tried in treating breast cancer with some success.
Going still further downhill the environment changes again to a freshwater marsh as we near the sinkhole with animals like the ebony jewelwing damselfly. Frogs can be heard near the sink.
The other physical feature of note is the seepage stream on the east side. There’s a continual flow that seeps from a small lake across Abrams Road. That gives enough water for small fish and frogs like the leopard frog below to thrive.
Overall Hidden Water Preserve is a really nice hike. It’s a small piece of land compared to most hiking areas in Florida at only 90 acres. Despite its size Lake County Water Authority has marked at least 6 different trails. And it’s mostly shaded, something that’s really important in Florida much of the year.
Hidden Water Preserve has several distinct environmental communities each with its own flora and fauna. And they’re all just a few minutes away no matter where you are in the preserve. With its small size you can see most of it in a few hours. But there always seems to be something interesting to see.
In this blog I’ll be talking about nature, nature photography, natural places (especially in Central Florida) and whatever else catches my eye. If you like this please hit the share button. Or you can subscribe and be notified via email when I post. Thanks for coming by.
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