Walked out here and it was so much fun and beautiful

Beautiful park with lots of wildlife activity. I saw 6–8 deer cross the path and a couple circled back to the trail. None noticed me.

Such a shame that Orange and Osceola counties have decided to ignore the pleas of their constituents and build a highway directly through this absolute treasure of diverse & exceptionally well-maintained natural Florida ecosystems. Split Oak Forest offers a serene refuge from the chain restaurant & retail hellscape gobbling up the surrounding area, meaning that the forest will likely be a significant and unparalleled source of physical and mental well-being for the residents and visitors here until construction begins. The trail map at the parking lot trailhead shows the different types of habitats you can walk through with trail lengths as well as points to look out at beautiful lake vistas. The trail through the scrub (pink areas) is white sugar sand, which can be difficult to walk through and very reflective on sunny days. The flatwoods, hammock, and other areas have pine straw trails that are much easier to traverse. We walked on the mowed sides of the sandy trail areas, which made it easier to get through those parts. You’re likely to see all sorts of neat plants and animals. We saw two gopher tortoises, a few woodpeckers, dozens of songbirds, scarab beetles, butterflies, native orchids, and carnivorous bladderwort and sundew plants. There are tons of massive, gorgeous oak trees dripping in air plants, including the name sake split oak that’s marked on the trail map by the blue blazed lake loop. Anyone who spends time walking on the trails here will be convinced of its value above that of a toll road, so it’s up to us to visit the forest and advocate that it remains protected. And if advocacy just isn’t your thing, then be sure to visit Split Oak Forest before the toll road construction begins so you can enjoy it while it lasts!

First time seeing a pig at Split Oak.

Nice place for a walk