Lace up your hiking boots. We’ve compiled a curated hiking guide for the Orlando area with 12 trails and routes to help you plan your next adventure.
Note: Before heading out, we recommend checking park websites for further info, current trail conditions, and safest practices for the area.
Key: Easy = 🥾 | Moderate = 🥾🥾 | Hard = 🥾🥾🥾
The trailhead of the Green Mountain Scenic Byway is 180 ft above sea level, making for some pretty incredible vistas.
Photo via Florida Scenic Highways
Picture-perfect views
Green Mountain Overlook and Trail, 20700 CR 455, Minneola
- Difficulty: 🥾 🥾
- Length: 4.3 out-and-back
- Wheelchair accessible: Portions
- Pet-friendly: Yes, with leash
A mountain in Central Florida? Believe it. Start your hike at the overlook tower for a bird’s eye view of the land surrounding Lake Apopka before beginning your descent + climb back up.
Econ River Wilderness, 3795 Old Lockwood Rd., Oviedo
- Difficulty: 🥾
- Length: 3 miles
- Wheelchair accessible: Portions
- Pet-friendly: Yes, with leash
When the Econlockhatchee River is high, it makes for the perfect spot for a peaceful stop — and did you know that it’s one of only a few rivers in North America that flows north instead of south?
Shingle Creek Management Area, 12930 Hunter’s Vista Blvd., Orlando
- Difficulty: 🥾 🥾
- Length: 6.6 miles
- Wheelchair accessible: Portions
- Pet-friendly: Yes, with leash
We can see your new profile picture now. Time your trek right and you’ll come across clearings full of wildflowers in pink hues in the spring or yellow + purple hues in the fall .
Cool off after your trek with a dip in these springs — you earned it.
Photo via Florida State Parks
Spring forward
Wekiwa Springs, 1800 Wekiwa Cir., Apopka
- Difficulty: 🥾 🥾
- Length: 18.8 miles
- Wheelchair accessible: Portions
- Pet-friendly: Yes, with leash
Start your journey on the wet-to-dry trail, which begins on lower ground near the spring and ends upland. Opt for the shorter Orange Trail (5.3 miles), the longer White Trail (13.5 miles), or the accessible boardwalks.
Rock Springs Run, 30601 Wekiva River Rd., Sorrento
- Difficulty: 🥾
- Length: 14 miles
- Wheelchair accessible: No
- Pet-friendly: Yes, with leash
Some of the trails here run down the Rock Springs Run in the west and the Wekiva River in the east, offering picturesque riverside views along the way. Pro tip: Plan your hike around hunting season, which takes place October-January in this state park.
Blue Spring State Park, 2100 W. French Ave., Orange City
- Difficulty: 🥾
- Length: 10.9 miles
- Wheelchair accessible: Portions
- Pet-friendly: Yes, with leash
There are five different trails for you to explore here. Make your way down the Spring Run Boardwalk for views of Blue Spring Run, or venture around Pine Island Trail to start + end at the Lagoon
Wildlife walks
Tibet-Butler Preserve, 8777 Winter Garden Vineland Rd., Orlando
- Difficulty: 🥾
- Length: 3.6 miles
- Wheelchair accessible: Portions
- Pet-friendly: No
Visit the butterfly garden at the Vera Carter Environmental Center, then keep an eye out for bobcats, bald eagles, and gopher tortoises among the swampland as you hike along trails + boardwalks.
Lake Louisa State Park, 7305 US Hwy. 27, Clermont
- Difficulty: 🥾
- Length: 20 miles
- Wheelchair accessible: Portions
- Pet-friendly: Yes, with leash
Blaze a trail through 11 plant communities found throughout this park, each home to Florida’s unique wildlife. Grab a bird + butterfly checklist from the ranger station, and don’t be surprised if white-tail deer and fox squirrels join you for your hike.
Little Big Econ State Forest, 1350 Snow Hill Rd., Geneva
- Difficulty: 🥾
- Length: 11.8 miles
- Wheelchair accessible: No
- Pet-friendly: Yes, with leash
There’s nothing small about this forest, located near the University of Central Florida campus. It’s part of the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, so those with keen senses may hear red-headed woodpeckers or see swooping peregrine falcons.
Urban oases
Mayor Carl T. Langford Park, 1808 E. Central Blvd., Orlando
- Difficulty: 🥾
- Length: 1 mile
- Wheelchair accessible: Yes
- Pet-friendly: Yes, with leash
Long day working downtown? Touch grass at this park where you can cross paved pathways + bridges over creeks and under shady trees. Pro tip: The trails also connect to Dickson Azalea Park, so you can double up your step count.
Palm Island Park, 411 S. Tremain St., Mount Dora
- Difficulty: 🥾
- Length: 1-mile loop
- Wheelchair accessible: Portions
- Pet-friendly: Yes, with leash
Mount Dora is one of our favorite cities to visit when we need an escape from Orlando, and this park overlooking Lake Dora is always on our agenda. Stroll down the boardwalk or hike the short trail under the shade of towering cypress trees.
Get the right gear
Get the most out of your trip with comfortable, handy, and helpful hiking gear:
- For the best footwear, check out Nordstrom Rack’s sneaker edit for hiking.
- If your trail demands a proper hiking boot, we like Columbia’s collection on Amazon.
- Travel light (but still have room for snacks) with lululemon’s Everywhere Belt Bag.
- Get a good bulk deal on Perfect Bars, Clif Bars, or Kind Bars at a warehouse store like Sam’s Club.
- Don’t forget to bring a compact, portable phone charger (you’ll thank us later).
- We like this Teton hiking backpack.
- We like this lightweight water bottle.
- Psst — to be ultra-prepared, here are the 10 items you should never enter a national park without, according to the National Park Service.
