Little Big Econ State Forest
Sign for the Little Big Econ State Forest on Snow Hill Road
Map of Florida
LocationSeminole County, Florida
Nearest cityOviedo
Coordinates28°41′8″N 081°06′57″W / 28.68556°N 81.11583°W / 28.68556; -81.11583
Area5,048 acres (20.43 km2)[1]
Established1990
Governing bodyFlorida Department of Environmental Protection

The Little Big Econ State Forest is a state forest in the U.S. state of Florida. The 5,048 acres (20.43 km2) forest is located in Central Florida, 3.3 miles (5.3 km) east of the downtown Oviedo, on Florida Country Road 426 with forest office on Snow Hill Road in Geneva, Florida. The Kilbee Tract is a smaller non-contiguous section of the park located east of the main forest, along Saint Johns River, the longest river in the state.[2]

The forest's most notable feature is the Econlockhatchee River, an Outstanding Florida Water, that winds east-to-west inside the forest.[3] The protected area of Florida is open for picnicking, bird watching, fishing, hunting, hiking, horseback and mountain bike riding.[3]

Etymology

The name Little Big Econ State Forest comes from combining the names of the Little Econlockhatchee River and the larger Econlockhatchee River, which flow through the forest property.[3]

Hiking

The old Flagler Railroad System used to traverse the central part of the state forest. The trail was originally part of the Florida East Coast Railway's Kissimmee Valley Line, also known as the Okeechobee Branch. What was the old railway is now called the Flagler Trail. Remains of old trestle pilings can still be seen on the river.[4][5][6] The Florida National Scenic Trail passes through the state forest and follows the southern portion of the Flagler Trail.[7]

Mountain biking

Known as Snow Hill among local mountain bikers for the road where the trailhead is on, the forest includes a 12 miles (19 km) single-track bike trail.[8]

Camping

There are no developed campsites or hookups available in the park, only primitive camping. For canoeist, primitive camping is available with special permit.

References

Media related to Little Big Econ State Forest at Wikimedia Commons

  1. ^ "Little Big Econ Brochure". Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). Retrieved on 2014-08-02.
  2. ^ "Little Big Econ Map". Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). Retrieved on 2014-08-02.
  3. ^ a b c "Little Big Econ State Forest". Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). Retrieved on 2014-08-02.
  4. ^ "Flagler Trail". Seminole County Government. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  5. ^ Kuhn, Alex. "Exploring Flagler Trail". pp. 1–2. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  6. ^ Alex, Kuhn. "Flagler Trail - Florida |". AllTrails. 1: 4–1 – via Flagler Trail.
  7. ^ Little Big Econ Trails. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). Retrieved on 2014-08-02.
  8. ^ "Mountain Biking Little Big Econ State Forest / Snow Hill" Archived 2010-02-09 at the Wayback Machine. Outdoor Travels. Retrieved on 2014-08-02.
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