Black Bear Wilderness Area (7.2 miles; d=7.32)
Read MoreBlack Bear Wilderness Loop Route Map
My route as tracked by the Gaia GPS app and depicted a la Google Earth...
Black Bear Wilderness Loop Route Map
My route as tracked by the Gaia GPS app...
Black Bear Wilderness Area Trailhead
Arriving Just before noon I was surprised to find the parking area at the trailhead overflowing with cars. I wasn't expecting these kind of crowds but I guess it's to be expected as this 'wilderness' is fairly close to a major urban area...
Black Bear Wilderness Area Trailhead
The kiosk at the trailhead has good info on the trail as well as trail maps which I always appreciate...
Black Bear Wilderness Loop Trail
Stepping out onto the trail I immediately was struck by the jungle-like nature of my surroundings. Moss draped oaks, palmettos, and palms all combine for a very wild scene right from the get-go...
I quickly reached the trail split along the first boardwalk where the loop officially begins. I had read most people simply head straight ahead towards the river, so I decided to make a left to do the loop in a clockwise direction hoping this would save meeting any potential crowds until the end of the hike...
Black Bear Wilderness Loop Trail
The forest immediately closed in around me as I set out on the loop...
Black Bear Wilderness Loop Trail
So unlike the forests I was used to, I was immediately enthralled by my surroundings...
Black Bear Wilderness Loop Trail
A shallow canal runs the length of this first part of the loop. While the trail tends to stay above it there are a few places where one can easily get down to the waters edge...
Black Bear Wilderness Loop Trail
A short bridge takes me across another narrow drainage canal...
Black Bear Wilderness Loop Trail
Weaving between the palms the trail at this point follows the crest of a narrow levee. Because the path tends to make good use of these man-made features it has a reputation of staying fairly dry in all but the wettest of seasons...
Black Bear Wilderness Loop Trail
Within a half to three-quarters of a mile the trail widens a bit as it begins to follow what seems to be the remains of an old forest road...
Black Bear Wilderness Loop Trail
Palmettos cover every inch of the forest floor here while cabbage palms dominate the canopy...
Black Bear Wilderness Loop Trail
Moving farther north along the west side of the loop the canopy suddenly became more dominated by hardwoods while the palmettos beneath dramatically grew in size...
Black Bear Wilderness Loop Trail
Another brief stop along the shallow canal I was following...
Black Bear Wilderness Loop Trail
The midday sun was lighting up the palms surrounding me, adding to the beauty of my surroundings...
Black Bear Wilderness Loop Trail
The going gets narrow again as I found myself snaking between what I believe are called 'Silver Palms'...
Black Bear Wilderness Loop Trail
The calm waters of the canal created a perfect mirrored surface, reflecting the forest canopy above...
Black Bear Wilderness Loop Trail
Walking through the jungle...
Black Bear Wilderness Loop Trail
I loved the 'spikey' nature of these smaller palms, which I believe are silver palms...
Black Bear Wilderness Loop Trail
In some areas algae choked the waters of the neighboring canal...
Dave Kathy Weemhoff
on January 8, 2018What a beauty of a hike!! So much variety in vegetation and nature! Awesome!