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Loop and Side Trails

Central Florida Side Trails

Hal Scott Preserve Trail

Length: 4.3 mile loop

Along Dallas Boulevard south of Bithlo in Orange County. Traveling east on SR 528 away from the Orlando International Airport, take exit 24, Dallas Boulevard, and turn left. Continue 2.4 miles to the entrance on the left. Hiking is primarily amid open pine savannas with a saw palmetto understory; a side trail enters the floodplain forest of the Econlockhatchee River.

Overview

Hal Scott Preserve is a property rich in history. Archaeological excavation discovered Timucuan Indian mounds in the northern part of the preserve, and several campsites on the property date back several thousand years. More recently, in the latter part of the 19th century, the ford served as the connecting link between Central Florida and the east coast. An early settler living near the ford was named Curry, hence the name Curry Ford. This road extended into Orlando. Its modern namesake is the Curry Ford Road, a very busy road on the east side of Orlando. The opening of the Cheney Highway in 1924, near the community of Bithlo, turned all traffic away from Curry Ford to the north, and it became cattle country.

Pines in Hal Scott Preserve (Sandra Friend) There are numerous forest roads through the preserve, but the connector and loop trails are blazed blue. A side trail blazed white leads to a beautiful campsite shaded by live oaks.

Around the turn of the century, the area was timbered and turpentined, resulting in numerous railroad trams that form part of the trails we walk today. The area is flat pinewoods with the creeks and river lined by dense hammocks of cypress, sweetgum and maple. Some oak hammocks are found on the property as well. Deer, turkey, bobcats, and numerous birds populate the area, including the rare downy woodpecker. The area becomes inundated with the sheet flow during wet periods, but whenever the Econlockhatchee River floods, crossing it can be nearly impossible.

Map

C5 Hal Scott Preserve Along Dallas Blvd south of Bithlo in Orange County. Traveling east on SR 528 away from the Orlando International Airport, take exit 24, Dallas Blvd, and turn left. Continue 2.4 miles to the entrance on the left.

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.