Pine Island Trail

To get the full flavor of Blue Spring State Park and its environs, take a hike on the Pine Island Trail. The trail is medium length, just shy of four miles, but it's a one-way ticket, not a loop, meaning for every you take in, there's one more step you need to take to get back to the main part of the park. It's also the wildest part of the park — you might encounter bobcats, deer and even black bear, though the odds on spotting the latter are small. Pine Island Trail begins with a hardwood forest dominated by sweetgums, live oaks and cabbage palms. The floor is mostly open, with a few shrubs and ferns. It ends at a marsh along the banks of the St. Johns River.

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