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Hike the Trails of Naval Live Oaks
By Joshua Kinser Splash!
This is the perfect time of year to explore the wilderness of Northwest Florida. The temperature is cool and refreshing. The bugs are at bay. This is the perfect time for a walk in the woods.
Naval Live Oaks National Seashore is one of the closest spots for residents of Gulf Breeze to get outdoors and take a hike through the Florida forest. The thin strip of forest, surrounded by water from the bay to the north and the sound to the south, is filled with pine groves, marsh land, oaks, wire-grass, palmetto, rosemary, wildflowers, cactus, a pond, and remarkably diverse wildlife.
There are over seven miles of trail to hike in the Naval Live Oak area. The fishing trail runs along the south shore of NLO, dipping down to Santa Rosa Sound and climbing up to tree lined bluffs. The sandy and wide two mile Andrew Jackson trail traverses the entire length on the North side of the Naval Live Oaks reserve. This trail is also known as the Pensacola-St. Augustine mail road and is a piece of Florida’s first road built in 1824.
These trails are a must for wildlife and birding enthusiasts. The trails run through dense scrub oak forest and open palmetto and wildflower carpeted pine stands. Birds rush between branches and skinks and squirrels scurry across the trail. Keep your eyes open for the crescent shaped burrow opening of the gopher tortoise. This elusive tortoise is close to becoming an e n d a n g e r e d species. Currently listed and protected as a Florida species of special concern, the large, burrowing tortoise mostly resides in it’s network of underground tunnels that it constructs throughout it’s life and surfaces occasionally to feast on the rosemary and cactus of the forest, to socialize with other tortoises and to mate.
Other trails in the park include the north bay trail, the beaver pond Trail, the brackenridge nature trail, the old borrow pit trail, the old quarry trail, browns pond trail, and the boy scout trail. The pond and marsh lands along the trail system are an important area within the park that provide breeding and nesting grounds for migrating birds. For best bird and wildlife viewing visit these spots at sunrise or sunset.
Explore your very own backyard and hike the trails of Naval Live Oaks National Seashore. Fore more information go to the NLO National Seashore visitors center located on the south side of Highway 98 or visit www.nps.gov and www.gorp.com.
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