Eastern Lake Trail

The Eastern Lake Trail System was the first trail established in Point Washington State Forest. The trail system consists of three double-track loop trails. hikers or bicyclists can travel the 3.5-, 6- or 11-mile loop. The Eastern Lake Bike/Hike Trail is included in the Florida Forest Service’s Trailwalker Program. The trail system can be accessed at the parking lot and trailhead on County Road 395 between US Hwy 98 and Scenic 30A, north of Seagrove Beach.

The Eastern Lake Trail system can also be accessed from Scenic 30A by Greenway Station at the 30A Trailhead.

Point Washington State Forest is available to the public for various types of outdoor recreation. The forest is widely used for hunting, off-road bicycling and hiking. The wildflowers in spring and fall are spectacular and you may see deer, racoons, foxes, snakes, butterflies and many bird species.

There are several small creeks that can swell after heavy rains and might make some passage difficult, although most have small bridges to keep the boots dry. The bayheads, tit swamps and cypress stands dot the landscape and provide diverse habitat along with the upland forest. A concerted effort has been made to restore the longleaf pine population which long ago dominated the southeast US.

Longleaf pine ecosystems historically dominated the Southeast, stretching from Eastern Texas to Southern Virginia. Forest fires are a necessary part of longleaf reproduction, so the forest service conducts periodic prescribed, managed burns which clear undergrowth and allow the forest to thrive.

Longleaf pine trees require fire at regular intervals to reproduce effectively. Fire prepares the seed bed and stimulates growth, allowing young trees to thrive and reach maturity.

Point Washington State Forest is part of the Point Washington Wildlife Management Area. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission regulates the hunting seasons and game limits in the forest.

Point Washington State Forest is made up of 10 natural communities. The majority of the area consists of sandhill, basin swamps/titi drains, wet flatwoods, wet prairie and cypress swamps. Although much of Point Washington State Forest has been cut over, there are some excellent examples of intact sandhill ecosystems.

Several plants and animals that are listed as threatened, endangered or species of special concern can be found in the forest. These rare species include American kestrel, gopher tortoise, flatwoods salamander, white-topped pitcher plant, and the world’s largest population of Curtiss sandgrass.