FNST: Lockwood Blvd to Barr St. Trailhead

This segment of the Florida National Scenic Trail starts at the junction of Evans St. and Lockwood Blvd in Oviedo. The trail enters the forest on the east side of the road next to a well-marked pedestrian crossing of Lockwood Blvd. Once into the trees, the trail turns to narrow singletrack for most of its length and is well marked with orange blazes. In addition, the trail has Rescue Signs spaced periodically along its length, offering location references for rescue crews in case of an emergency. The Rescue Signs on this segment of the trail are numbered LE28 through LE12 in descending order (if starting at Lockwood Blvd) and can be helpful for judging your progress along the trail.

The first 0.25 miles has several boardwalks and bridges that have been built over small creeks and areas of low wet ground. The remainder of the trail is mostly on dry ground with some sandy areas. There are a few roots and other obstacles on the trail, but overall the footing is solid and easy. There are a few junctions with primitive doubletrack roads and some places where the trail follows one of these roads for a short distance, so keep an eye on the blazes for guidance.

After about 1.5 miles, the trail joins the Econlockhatchee River and follows the river shore for about the next mile. Once the trail leaves the river bank, it is a short trip to the junction with the Kolokee Loop Trail where the FNST continues to follow the river to the east. From this junction there is a short connector trail (well marked with signs) leading to the Barr St Trailhead which offers plentiful parking, although it is a popular area so the lot can fill up on weekends.

The Little Big Econ State Forest is home to a variety of bird and animal life, so sightings of various fauna is fairly common. Common animals include deer, wild pigs, alligators, armadillos, gopher tortoises, turkey, etc.