Blue Trail Hike

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · River/Creek · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Blue Trail is a great trail in St. Sebastian River Preserve. However, its southwest area goes through a good bit of water.

This loop run combines Blue Trail with Blue Trail Bypass to avoid the soggy, wet southwest area of Blue Trail. When hiking this Blue Trail Hike counter-clockwise (as shown in this description), after wading through a sampling of the wetness, Blue Trail Bypass is reached, and one can decide to take dry Blue Trail Bypass or continue splashing on Blue Trail.

Blue Trail Hike is in the southeast quadrant of St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park. It is a loop trail that begins and ends where Blue Trail begins and ends.

To find Blue Trail Hike/Blue Trail, head into the Park at a turnoff to the north, along Fellsmere Rd. About 1 1/2 miles from Fellsmere Road there is parking and a picnic area. Blue Trail starts and ends here at a well marked trailhead.

Blue Trail is marked with blue blazes for its length.

Blue Trail Hike is typically done counter-clockwise as described here. Several side trails are passed when run Blue Trail. Watch for, and follow the blue blazes to stay on Blue Trail.

From Blue Trail's trailhead, head east on a pretty, grassy trail surrounded by the longleaf pines and saw palmettos typical of this area. The trail soon becomes a mix of sand and grass as it bends north after about 0.9 miles.

Traveling north, Sebastion River is just out of sight to the east. The terrain opens up more, and the trail becomes sandier. This is great bird watching land. The Mullet Camp Access path is passed on the right/east at the 2.4 mile mark. A side trip on Mullet Camp Access takes one to the camp, a river viewpoint, and river access - a worhtwhile side trip.

Leaving Mullet Camp Access behind, Blue Trail continues north for another 2.4 miles, where it veers west. At the 5.4 mile mark a short side trail to the right/north takes one to the Manatee Overlook. Continuing on, the trail bends south.

As Blue Trail now travels south, it enters the lovely, and increasingly soggy woods. The puddles become larger and one may find themselves skirting around them in shallower waters in places. An interesting marshy lake is passed on the right/west at the 6.4 mile mark. At the 6.7 mile mark a wide, DRY, grassy trail to the left/east is reached. This is the unmarked Blue Trail Bypass that takes one 2.3 DRY miles to the end of Blue Trail. Here one can choose to continue splashing along Blue Trail, or take Blue Trail Bypass to finish the Blue Trail loop.

This Blue Trail Hike takes the dry path. Go left here and continue on Blue Trail Bypass.

Blue Trail Bypass is a raised, higher ground, ranch road style trail that traverses its marshy surrounds for its length. It runs through an expansive open area with great vistas of the flat wetlands surrounding it. Watch for a variety of birds.

Blue Trail Bypass goes straight with a slight bend to the right/south after 3/4 miles. Another 0.6 miles brings one to a closed gate. This gate is the dead end of the public motor vehicle accessible section ahead (south of the gate) of BlueTrail Bypass. Right after the gate (south of the gate) is Tree Frog Camp in the trees to the right/west. A short 0.9 miles later, Blue Trail Bypass ends near the parking area where Blue Trail also ends, thus completing this Blue Trail Hike.

Longleaf pines, saw palmettos and grasses. Herons, great egrets, and other birds. Additionally, along Blue Trail Bypass there is Florida ranch/pasture land, cows, and more birds.