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Length: 10.7 miles in 2 loops The trail terminus is across the road from the River Forest Group Camp, seven miles southwest of DeLand at the southeast edge of the Ocala National Forest. Loops traverse old fields and pass through an oak hammock, river floodplain, hardwoods and pine flatwoods. Along the way, you'll see colorful fungi and a sulfur spring and will walk through the ghost town of St. Francis, a historic riverside commerce center.
 The St. Francis Trail crosses old fields which were once used to raise vegetables. The furrows and ridges in the ground are remnants of early watermelon plantings. The trail continues along the edge of the St. Johns River floodplain to the abandoned town of St. Francis. At the turn of the century, St. Francis included a hotel, general store, livery stable, cottages and two-story cypress homes. Steamboats would unload supplies here on trips down the river from Palatka. Freezes in the winter of 1894-5 damaged citrus. Fires destroyed some of the wooden buildings, and a hurricane in the 1920's finished the town. Pilings from the old dock are still visible. The large cypress stumps and the "tramway" (narrow gauge railbed) are left from the logging industry.
Immediately north of the old town site is the Alexander Springs Wilderness Area. Its south boundary is the Paisley-St. Francis wagon road, which the trail follows for a short distance. Excellent primitive camping sites can be found near the artesian wells and spring.
The short loop, the Rattlesnake Well Trail, peels off the main trail at 1.2 miles. Notice the many types of ferns and fungi in the lush damp river forest, and the distinctive aroma of sulfur from Rattlesnake Well, a small spring.
 The trail terminus is across the road from the River Forest Group Camp, seven miles southwest of DeLand at the southeast edge of the Ocala National Forest. The trail is 0.2 mile north of SR 42, 0.2 mile west of the SR 44 bridge over the St. Johns River. Watch for the U.S. Forest Service sign
Disclaimer: While FTA strives to maintain accurate information and is constantly updating its geodatabase, the trail and development along the trail corridor is constantly changing. The data has been collected from a variety of sources and accuracy varies. FTA provides this data for recreational purposes only and does not intend the data as a survey.
Centerline data Florida Trail System (c) 2007 Florida Trail Association, Inc. Park at the trailhead parking area on the left just past the entrance to River Forest. Boardwalks Numerous Botanical Ferns, bromeliads Bridges Cabbage palm bridges Campsites None designated History St. Francis - ghost town The trail crosses old fields and passes through an oak hammock, river floodplain, hardwoods and pine flatwoods. Much of the hike is through river hammocks and floodplain forest, so insect repellent is a must. For safety’s sake, wear a blaze orange vest during hunting season. Primitive campsites can be found near the artesian wells and spring on the old wagon road. No camping is permitted during general gun season (usually mid-November to mid-January). No fires are allowed during drought conditions. |
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