Trail : Highland Hammock State Park

Trail Rating : This is great for a short run. The trail width allows for several to run abreast.

Description : The park is located in north central FL near Sering(SW of Orlando. As the name implies, it is high ground in a swampy area. The area is mostly pine and palmetto trees surrounding some low swampy areas. They speak of abundant wildlife, but my observations were limited to squirrels, woodpeckers and one deer. The trail is a loop that they have designated for bikes, but I saw none of these on my run. It is in two sections, one is mostly in the open, with minimal shade and is about 5 miles long. This starts at the Rangers station and heads south toward the 'wilderness camping' area. It loops back north and crosses the main entrance road and ends at the campground. The second section(3 miles) is shaded most of the way, the last mile is paved. This leaves the campground by the admin building and service shop, and heads southwest. It is a long straight run through a variety of wooded areas. You will also see evidence of areas that are swampy in the wet periods. There are several smaller trails that branch off and focus on different area characteristics( cypress swamp, wild orange grove, etc) These will add 1 to 2 miles to the run if you take all of them.

Nearest City : Sebring, FL

Driving Directions : On the north side of Sebring signs direct you to the park. It is about 2 miles off of RT 27.

Latitude : N 27.47 Degrees

Longitude :W 81.45 Degrees

Altitude : 196 ft