Great place with lots of scenery to see. We saw a few tortoises along the trail. Very quiet and peaceful to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

This is really pretty area with a lot of nature thats very close to the city. I only spent my time near the entrance but I would really like to come back here and see more of it. Its a huge area and it feels like youre in the deep woods. Ill come back when its cooler so I dont die from the heat.

If youre looking for a nice family hike near Orlando area, this is the place to go. Diverse vegetation: pines, oaks, palm trees, ferns, etc., wild life and multiple trail options to adjust the length of the hike. Even though it is well marked, its easy to get lost, so make sure you take a picture of the map at the beginningof the trail. Finally, cellphone signal was good for me during the trails. Enjoy!

Very interesting place. I hope it doesnt get partially demolished because of the Osceola Parkway extension that Ive heard about. Id recommend it for a relaxing walk on a fall or winters day.

Tricky trails! The map did NOT have the trails all correctly labeled. Gorgeous views, very sandy trails which made running hard. No biking allowed. Horseback and walking/running only. Saw a tortoise! Lots of cool looking lakes. Will definitely go back and try to be more cautious and try to avoid those unlabeled trails. No bathrooms, no parking fees. The trails connect to Moss Park trails.

Gorgeous park, wildlife is abundant and healthy. Trails can be a bit tricky the first time but getting “lost” is part of the fun. The main trails are well marked and really only a few of them. Easy ways to walk 2, 4, 5, and 6 mile walks and combinations. Lakes are gorgeous. Def want bug spray and sunblock. Equal parts of full sun vs cover.Stay aware, be present and enjoy tons of deer, tortoises, rabbits, various birds (friendly scrubjays, cranes, black birds, hawks, osprey). Look carefully for a fox squirrel... tons of tracks. Have fun with nature.

Deer all over the place! So much wildlife here everywhere you look. It’s amazing. Little paradise. I hope it stays. Very easy to follow, hard to get lost. IMade a wrong turn and ended up at a campground. Looked at the map, took 15 minutes to get back on track, no big deal. Bring a bottle of water though!

Walking through Split Oak Forest was like walking into a sanctuary; a little slice of heaven.

Good stop off when driving by this area. I’ve went walking on this trail several times now. Would like to bring a bike on here / seems too sandy though. There are some highlights and some spots where someone can easily get lost...best to follow the marker numbers / use a trail map / app to track direction & it’ll be enjoyable.

Beautiful and this where the eagles nest.

A nice system of trails in Orlando, and a free alternative to Moss Park. The trails can be a little confusing, but if you stay straight and go through the open field you will have about 3 miles before hitting lots of soft sand. Just follow the numbers and pay attention at trail intersections. Lots of deer hang out in the field in the mornings.

Fun place saw gopher tortoise

Love the outdoors? Want to see a variety of what Florida has to offer? Then visit Split Oak Forest. This place has a lot of wild life, beautiful views, and a nice looping trail that extends for either ~4 miles or the longer loop at ~8 miles. I saw a boar, multiple deer, and many other smaller critters. The bugs were not bad.Theres not much shade between the hammocks but once in the forested areas, youll have some cover. Make sure to look around where the Moss Park trail is in order to find the famous Split Oak. It is impressive and beautiful.One of my favorite places to hike.

Please make certain to Vote YES on Proposed County Charter Amendment Question 2, which ensures that this beautiful wildlife and conservation area remains just that, and is not split up and broken into developments. Please vote!

Very nice and quiet. Trails are a bit wide and open. Wish there were denser trails

Beautiful hiking area. I hiked about a mile or so to find the split oak which is truly amazing. Along the way I saw juvenile hogs, tortoises, several species of birds, and various animal tracks. I hope this area remains a conservation area and isnt destroyed by a planned Osceola Parkway Extension Highway.

Nice hiking trails. Feels like your in the middle of nowhere with peace and quiet. Several trails to choose from and beautiful lake. Trails are mostly out in open so its better in my opinion to go when weather is cooler outside otherwise the sun is beating down on you. Where shoes because trails are sandy and Florida flip flops are harder to walk in then sneakers. Weve seen deer and turtles during the week, weekends tend to be busier and less wildlife are out.

It was nice starting off. Very sandy, no bathrooms or porta johns, and maps do not match the trails. You can get lost very easily with even with a map. Better signs would be great. No animal no birds. Will not be back!

I didn’t take as long of a hike as I would have liked, but i did get to gage the general area, and I loved it! I will definitely be back to explore more

Solid park. Trail is mostly good for running with pretty clear signage, but the soft sand is killer at points. Will definitely be back for a run.

The trail head located about 1/4 miles from the campground. Clearly marks easy to follow

Great place to spend time with the family or a hike on your own. Had no issues following the map and the location was very well maintained.

The only place in town I would have my hair cut. Great service, friendly staff and overall the best in town.

Wonderful and friendly people, fellow hikers, and employees. So grateful we have a place like this!

Excellent example of real, natural, wild Florida scrub forest. Lots of wildlife. Hiking trails are clearly marked and easy to follow.

I love split oak Forest, very nice and amazing place to walk and forget about all the exterior . Peaceful.

Great location for a good walk. No fees but no restrooms or any other facilities, but there is the option of walking through to Moss Park where there are grills, restrooms, pavilions, camping(?). We took around 3 hours to walk the longest path but we were stopping and starting whilst playing about with camera settings. The longest walk is about 6 miles (according to my Gear Fit) but you can take a shorter route. In the past Ive seen a Cottonmouth and tortoise, but today there was only dear - and i forget about the dead hog providing a feast for plenty of vultures on the long road to get to the parking area.

Awesone!!! I love the peace and quite spaces, I can find both and more here. Birds, , deers, eagles and much more!!!!In love with this place.

Split Oak has some of the most well preserved and high quality native central Florida habitats in the Orlando area, including pine flatwoods, cypress dome swamps, sawgrass marsh, oak hammock, and even scrub. This is due to the great efforts the FWC has put into maintaining this park over the last ~25 years via methods such as prescribed burns and manual invasive species removal. The high quality is also a result of how well the park has been protected since its inception as a wildlife environmental area and as a mitigation bank.There are miles of trails with small connectors as well so you can take a different route each time if you like a little variety.As a local biologist and nature photographer, this park is my absolute favorite to visit and hike around in the Orlando area. There is an abundance of wildlife including songbirds, owls, reptiles, amphibians, mammals, and a great diversity of invertebrates and flowering plants.

My favorite trail to go with my family.Great place to take kids for pictures.I usually let them climb on top of the fallen trees.They have a blast every time.There is a dock that leads to the lake.Maps are labeled in correctly but there is about 2 dozen people there every time we go so just enough to as if anything happened we could have help.Also very sandy don’t wear white socks!

Was really great and got to see a few animals! Super peaceful

Beautiful hike by Moss Park

This was the longest walking trail I have ever done. My Fitbit tracked down 7 miles worth of steps. These are the things I would do if I was to go again, I would print out the trail map in color, some of the markers throughout the trail are different colors and its easier if you know the color of marker you should be going towards. The front entrance sign says no weapons, but I should of at least brought a knife, walking the trail you are able to tell there are large animals with large claws nearby, and Im no Indiana Jones, but I would of felt more secure with a knife. There are no actual real city life- restrooms on the trail only the forest, so go before you go. There is no water on the trail, bring plenty to drink. Wear long pants! And go with someone who is not a drag. The trail is super long, super green, super quiet and super enjoyable. I will def be going again. I had an amazing time. I saw deer, cranes, a snake, possum, turkey, and Im pretty sure the claw marks of a big cat. Cant wait to go back again.

It was very peaceful.

Fantastic oak forest, scrub habitat and pine growth.

One of the best trails Ive been on near Central Florida. The trail says no dogs but we saw lots of them.

Nice hiking here. We didnt see much wildlife, but theres a lot of foilage. Much of the path is sand and that can be difficult to walk in.

Fantastic natural area perfect for hiking and exploring nature.

Great trails! Nice place for a picnic ️

Very secluded. Kind of creepy, but nice trails.

Nice spot to stretch legs in the Moss Park area. I spotted wild turkey, deer, heron, and saw a few gators in the pond. I ended up at 4.2 miles and about 6 foot of elevation gain. Lake Hart was flooded, so the spur trail to the lake is not accessible - unless you want to wade in to the viewpoint! Old Florida at its finest. Only knock is proximity to airport and the planes overhead was a fairly constant reminder that civilization was not that far away. On the plus side, the numbering system on the trail is fantastic and easy to follow and know where you are!

Worth saving from having a freeway plough through it!!

Beautiful and peaceful area to observe nature and its creatures while taking a nice hike through multiple trails.

Beautiful and peaceful. Fee to enter park. Old Florida atmosphere.

Beautiful area to go for a hike and just see what Floridas nature has to offer, while parking in the parking lot i saw a trophy buck cross the road and walk into split oak, its going to be a good day.

Beautiful forest, but due to rent rains I couldnt explore much

This is a great place to walk and it connects to Moss Park. But the trails dont follow the map and its easy to get lost. There is NO ONE out here so make sure you have plenty of daylight if you are going to venture down the trails.

Like hiking here. Lots of the trails are exposed to the sun and sandy so bring plenty of water and a hat. The piers by the lakes are serene and peaceful. Parking is free so if youre willing (and the 0.5 mile connecting trail isnt flooded) you can walk over to Moss Park as well. Also the Back to Nature animal rehabilitation center is right next door. PS there is more than one split oak tree, including one in Moss Park, so see if you can find it!

Terrible hiking experience, it was hot and uneventful. The locals said that it is the best place in town so we didnt do any other hiking.

Absolutely incredible! This is my new favorite place!

The best park, it is beautiful and very calm always.

Nice trails. Could use more markings.

I was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting to walk on a difficult to navigate sandy road with very little tree cover. I only did the upper green loop and center trail (about 70 minutes walking somewhat briskly) but plan to return to explore the lower loop. I realize many may not like the no-dogs policy but the benefit is that there seemed to be more wildlife viewing opportunities than most places in Central Florida since many dog owners seem to ignore leash regs and thus scare off wildlife. I saw one of the biggest white tailed deer Ive ever seen and a decent sized armadillo doing its thing on the other side of the path.There were a couple pretty sandy stretches such as between markers 2&3 or 4 on the green route and a small stretch of the center trail, but a large portion of my hike was on packed sand or pine needle heavy surface. If I lived closer Id come more often for a run or just get away from the commercialization. Well signed pathway and decent sized parking lot at the east entrance.

Best outdoor spot for walking, wish was dog friendly though.

Nice natural trails through hot, sandy Florida. Several lovely ponds. Access to lakes almost always flooded. Can use trail to connect to Moss Park. No restrooms and limited parking.

We were disappointed to see that dogs arent allowed in this park but we do understand. The area is beautiful but as others have said, lots of sugar sand and scrub forest. Certain portions dont have a lot of cover so it wouldnt hurt to bring a large sun hat. Lots of active wild life, definitely not somewhere you want to get lost in when the sun goes down.

Flat sandy trails varied woodlands

Amazing walk and great trail

Very quiet and pretty place to walk or run!

Loved it.. wish I could come more. Very beautiful

Nice hiking area ... all levels ... 3-5 miles. Do it early in Summer time to avoid heat ... take plenty of water.

This is a very nice park with some fun trails. This is definitely one of lake Nona’s best kept secret.

Its a nice spot but the map at trail head is way off and needs to be redone. Clean trails.saw a tortoise and 2 deer. Nice nature walks and ponds.

My favorite place to hike in lake Nona. It has a 10 mile loop with a few extra trails mixed in. I can easily spend all day here! Bring a hammock and water

It is a great trail for training. Stay with your friends and be careful, It is easy to get lost.

Great trails for hiking and a newly refurbished outlook, provided by a young man earning his Eagle rank with Boy Scouts.

Lovely well maintained trails, lots of nature and animals abound. During my most recent hike we spotted 2 deer that jumped across the path in front of us as well as small animal tracks and more birds and butterflies than I could count. Saw giant yellow swallowtail butterflies, mockingbirds and sand cranes to name a few. Will be back!

A beautiful place to relax

It was fun to see the animals. Its pretty small but your donation goes to helping wildlife and animals in need. The staff is really nice.

Great trails! Be careful though, I got lost quite easily and had to find my way back fast before nightfall. You dont want to be stuck out here.

We were startled by an unseen fast moving animal in the deep brush, so we took the larger less risky path lol...

My favorite walking trail in the area, without question.

Long nature trail. Takes about 15 minutes to get to the lake. Another 15 minutes to get to the clam. Fun trail to walk highly reccomend

Great place for long quiet hikes. Plenty to hear and see if your walk us quiet. Local mini zoo right down the way.

Very peaceful

Nice place for a peaceful hike. I recommend printing out a trail map before you go. I took a photo of the trail map that was posted. Thats what we had to go on.

Beautiful. A lot of wild life here.This is where Central Florida Expressway Authority wants to build ANOTHER toll road and destroy the only forest we have on the area. Shame on CFX.

Turning into beautiful housing development

Trail markers are very confusing if you start at the opposite side of the park on the trailhead but still had some thick mossy oak which was awesome and a change up with the swamp towards the end. Once you enter the park too the whole area is well maintained with restroom facilities, picnic areas, and recreation areas. The lake Mary Jane is also gorgeous and ginormous with a beautiful boardwalk dock out into it!!

This was cute. Wasnt as scenic as I expected, but still nice

Looking for a new hiking spot but your furry family member wasnt allowed...nowhere on the website did it say no dogs. This is a portion of the Florida Trail how can the Florida Trail regulate from on trail to another dogs or no dogs. Absolutley ridiculous!

This is the best nature getaway in Orlando Florida.

Great place for hiking. Bicycles not allowed.

NO dogs, no bikes. Horses ARE allowed and probably the best way to see the park, as the deep sugar sand makes hiking difficult. No dog rule IS strictly enforced. it is a cool park but without a bike or horse its a long slog to see much. The pond in the back with the overlook is very cool. I only give it a bad rating for all the rules.

Very peaceful and nature filled if you want to take a walk to clear your mind and renew strength.

Dont start at the South entrance in the middle of a hot summer day, unless you want the real Florida/Outback experience, bugs and all. I did just that, but I look forward to going to the Moss Park entrance on a cool morning or evening.

Find yourself a dirt road and you will find better scenery than this place. Majority of hiking trails were very difficult to hike on due to deep soft sand. Not as quiet as described due to airport being so close and planes flying overhead every 5 minutes.

Nice natural park with lots of hiking opportunities. Should have hiking boots as there are a variety of trail surfaces. Horseback ridding is also permitted on designated days of the week. No biking and no pets...strictly enforced by Orange County.The connecting trail to Moss Park is often under 4-5 of water. No picnic tables unless you are in Moss Park.Nice scenery and plenty of wildlife possibilities for viewing. A hiker can easily spend 4 hours there and still not see it all. No trash cans inside the park. Carry in, carry out or just stay home. Only trash throws trash. Enjoy!

You just have to come early, and if you do youll be pleasantly surprised. Around the times of sunrise many animals are still out. Ive encountered deer multiple times, birds, and Ive seen rabbits run away from me and heard owls I cant see.I wouldnt recommend coming here after 10 am as by that time the animals are hidden and the sun is sufficiently high in the sky that it starts to get too warm. Even in fall. I havent been here yet in the winter but if I do I will let you guys know.

Great walking trails, great views, very well kept.

This park is worth the drive, even though the drive from south Orlando is only 30 minutes. Lots of hiking on clear, well-marked trails that takes you through a variety of Florida habitats. They could use an update on some of the signs around the trails. Also, the signs for the Northern or green trail will eventually lead you onto the Southern trail, which (when combined with the lake trail) reaches almost 6.5 miles. There are no restrooms or potable water sources in the park, so bring plenty of water and sunscreen!

Beautiful park! Its so wonderful to have such a fantastic place to escape to and enjoy the natural Florida wildlife!

Best hiking in the area. A great, peaceful place to go. Some trails are sometimes a bit hard to navigate due to sand.

Drove all the way here, just to find a big sign at the entrance that says NO DOGS. What kind of hiking trail doesnt allow dogs?

Its was nice but the horse flies were terrible.

Amazing place! Lots of trails lots of animals beautiful the way Florida used to be.

The scenery was not that great, just deep sand roads. The long list of rules was overbearing. Upon entering you are submitting to search and seizure of you property What the Hell ??!!??I like to go to the wilderness to get away from the stress and worry not to get searched and property taken from me. Just really a fun crusher

Great location for a trail run! Trails loop through shaded and open areas. No bikes allowed!

Great place make sure you bring bugspary, sunblock, hat and water.

Nice walking trails. Quiet place. The sand is too soft for biking, but its perfect for running and hiking.