[spoiler title=’Click for video transcript’ style=’default’ collapse_link=’true’] I’m here walking the trails at Lake Louisa State Park in Clermont Florida so this park is gorgeous okay it has the very large Lake Louisa but it’s also got a total of eight lakes on the state park property plus there are all these little ponds and stuff that you can walk around there’s also one really big creek that runs through and some other smaller creeks so there’s water everywhere it’s beautiful there’s something like over 20 miles of trails here so I haven’t walked them all but I have walked a lot of them and I’ve done most of it barefoot so as far as difficulty of the trails go there pretty easy but there are hills who knew Florida does have some good hills they’re nothing compared to what you might find in the mountains somewhere also we’ve had a lot of rain this past week today luckily it’s beautiful and sunny but all that rain caused some flooding on some parts of the trail so there were actually a couple of spots where we had to cross over water which is kind of scary because it’s really murky water and it was in the forest and you know it’s just a little bit scary but we could pretty much get through some really shallow areas also you might be able to see behind me there are a lot of Y weeds there are some areas where the grass has shot up pretty good because of all the rain and that’s made for some you know snaky looking grass overall I’d say these trails are well-maintained but there are some areas that are really not well marked so if you stick close to Lake Louisa there are some really well marked trails with the blazes but if you get out further like in the equestrian areas they’re not you’ll have trail markers yes but it won’t have the blazes which is really kind of intimidating when you come to a spot and it goes two different ways and there’s no indication telling you which way to go to stay going towards that marker so if you do come here and just know that make sure you bring plenty of water and try to have a good sense of direction which I don’t as far as barefoot friendliness goes this place is generally really barefoot friendly I would say especially around the lakes it’s really nice but if you go down to the equestrian areas though like the South loop and the loop I’m right on right now in the Bronson loop it’s a lot out in the Sun and you don’t have very good navigation and there are Sand Spurs and if you’ve never experienced a Florida sand spur in the bottom of your barefoot well just hope that you’ve never done that because it’s really painful and they get stuck down really deep in there also there’s a lot of bare sand like what I’m walking in right now it’s pretty hot so you might want to keep a pair of shoes with you just in case I always do as far as wildlife that I’ve spotted there hasn’t been as much as in other parks I’ve seen you know squirrels lizards that kind of thing I’ve seen evidence of I think river otters we were trying to figure out that footprint a bobcat deer raccoons and opossums but none of those actual animals we did see a green ribbon snake and I did see a big Gator at Hammond Lake this part is right on US 27 so there’s a lot of traffic from that maybe that’s what scares some of the wildlife away and sometimes you can hear some road noise when you’re hiking but overall the trails have been really deserted and if you happen to be camping here like we are because you know a full time RV we have found that it’s a really pretty walk from the back side of the campgrounds along Lake Dixie they also have some cabins for rent here if you want to stick with the shadier areas I would highly recommend being around Lake Louisa the orange trail around there it’s well marked and it’s pretty shady there are some spots out in the Sun but overall it’s a beautiful walk [/spoiler]
Summary: Lake Louisa State Park is absolutely beautiful! There are 8 lakes, large creeks, and small ponds all across the park. There are plenty of trails to explore, with a total of over 20 miles of trail. Although I didn’t see a whole lot of wildlife here, it’s still been a neat adventure. I love wandering around this park! There are beautiful old oak trees, and the lakes are calm and serene.
Location: 7305 U.S. Highway 27 Clermont, FL 34714
Length of trail: Over 20 miles of trails in the park, but the main hiking trail is about 3.5 miles long
Skill level: Beginner/Intermediate. If you stay around the trails at Lake Louisa (Orange Trail and Blue trail), those are well marked, easy to follow, and pretty flat, with some little hills. However, when you get out to the equestrian areas, like the South Loop, there are no blazes and only occasional trail markers. You’ll be walking from one trail marker, and then come upon a place that splits several ways, and there is no indicator to let you know which way to go to keep going towards the marker. I got disoriented many times. Take plenty of water!
Wildlife I spotted while on the trail: A large gator in Hammond Lake, rough green snake, lizards, butterflies, dragon flies, squirrels, marsh rabbits. I saw evidence of: bobcat, deer, opossum, raccoons, and a river otter.
Barefoot hiking friendliness: Overall the trails are pretty barefoot friendly, especially those around Lake Louisa and Dixie Lake. However, if you go to the equestrian trails, beware that there are sand spurs, and a lot of areas that have no shade, and lots of hot sand.
Official Website: Lake Louisa State Park
Trail Map: Lake Louisa State Park Trail Map