Pine Island Trail

Pine Island Trail explores the upland scrub and sandhill habitats of Blue Spring State Park, offering a contrasting experience to the riverside boardwalks near the spring. The trail passes through classic Florida scrub, a globally imperiled ecosystem characterized by sand pines, scrub oaks, and open sandy patches. This habitat supports a remarkable array of specialists, including the threatened gopher tortoise, whose burrows dot the sandy substrate and provide refuge for dozens of other species.

Bald eagles nest within the park and are frequently spotted soaring overhead or perched in the tall pines along the trail. Scrub jays, another threatened species, may be encountered in open scrub sections. The loop traverses a mosaic of habitats, shifting from dense scrub to open pine flatwoods, before returning through live oak hammock. Wildflowers including prickly pear cactus and deer moss carpet the ground in drier sections. The trail is wide, well-marked, and suitable for all fitness levels, making it an excellent introduction to Florida upland ecology.