Cross Florida Greenway hike

When my feet start crunching the leaves on the ground……….. it’s hands down, one of my all time favorite sounds of hiking through the forest.Now, add to that the sound of the trees rustling in the breeze and the birds chirping and you have what I call Forest Therapy. If these were the only sounds in the world I’d be ok with that.

Today I returned to the Cross Florida Greenway to hike a new section. At the (slow) rate I’m going it will take me months to hike the entire length of the trail but oh well, there’s plenty of time. Starting at the Ross Prairie trailhead I made my way east.

Oh yeah – I upgraded my hiking footwear from the Salomon Speedcross to Merrell’s MQM Flex. I found them to be a great pair of hiking shoes right out of the box. All I need to do is attach a velcro tab at the heel so I can wear my Dirty Girl gaiters.

Right upfront a fair warning about the original and wild inhabitants of this forest. You should expect them to be there, but you may not necessarily see them at all. 

The first stretch of trail was as flat as you expect Florida hiking to be, but it did not stay that way. Just south of Ocala, this section of the Florida Trail is the westernmost segment on the Cross Florida Greenway and shows off the unusual terrain created during the failed construction of the Cross Florida Ship Canal in the 1930s. It’s one of the few places in Central Florida you’ll find switchbacks along a hike, and the sculpted terrain, completely covered in forest, provides amazing scenic views down into the surrounding forest and diggings.

Pretty soon the trail starts making its way up and down several times and it’s fun to finally use a different set of muscles! Tread carefully though and pay attention to the roots often hidden underneath a layer of oak leaves. 

Someone added some fun characters to the base of the tree, and although its completely against the LNT principle you can’t help but smile because it adds a whimsical touch.

I wish that the pictures could convey the ruggedness of the trail a bit better, but I suppose you’ll have to come out here and hike yourself if you really want to find out how much fun this was…..

Overcast skies didn’t provide much illumination and turned my images a bit dark but as far as hiking weather is concerned I prefer it over a hot and humid day!

The Ross Pruitt memorial, right off the hiking trail closest to the Pruitt trailhead. A circle of boulders here provide a nice shaded resting spot to eat a bite and relax for a few minutes. 

Shortly after, at the Pruitt trailhead you’ll find additional parking shared with an equestrian area. But while there is a hand pump for water, one port-a-potty, and two picnic benches there is nothing else. No shelter and no bathroom. Here is where I clocked in around 6 miles and turned to hike back the same way.

I’m still searching the Internet for identification of this star shaped grassy flower. If you can help me identify it, drop me a line!

Those Oaks!! Said to be centuries old they have quite a story to tell. Now, if we could only hear them…..

And this is typical for a lot of hiking in Florida: the fauna and flora is constantly changing, switching between tall pines and ancient oak forests. Some big and tall, others dwarfed by lack of nutrients in the sandy soil. 

Also a recurring thing in my recent hikes: skeletons. This time of a deer. Question is, how did it end up here right on the trail and what brought it down??? This isn’t a hunting area and bears eat mostly plant matter or insects, so……..

All in all another great hike in Florida and there is so much more trail for me to explore. My next hike however is planned for another section of the Green Swamp area. Keep reading....