Hike the Bear-N-Oak Trail to Indian Lake

The adventure begins at the main trailhead and parking area for The Bear-N-Oak hiking trail. Located on the East side of County Rd 35 just north of Baseline and Hwy 326 intersection. Grab everything in the packing list and prepare to enjoy a leisurely hike through some of Central Florida's most beautiful landscape including a sandhill restoration area.

The hike is relatively straightforward as it is only a 1.4-mile loop but I recommend checking out the map at the trailhead to gain your bearings. We began the loop by going right at the trail split. This portion leads you down soft sandy trails that go beneath enormous old moss covered Oaks. These picturesque Oaks are one of the most memorable parts of this trail. After a half mile or so the Oak Hammock opens up to a dried lake bed that has started to grow new vegetation throughout the white sand covered area.

Indian Lake is mostly clear around the banks of the water allowing you to see fish, frogs, and a lovely 6 ft alligator. This "onsite security" kept us from swimming in the beautiful water and observed us as we explored the area. The alligator was not scared of us which leads me to believe he has had interaction with people so beware. The lake was alive with fish and frogs the day we visited as well as large Sand Cranes.

On the far side of Indian Lake is a newly built covered pavilion that has one picnic table that we used for lunch. If you walk past the picnic area you will find a couple wooden swings attached to two separate Oak trees. Further past the swings is a small bridge that cuts through a swampy area that is filled with Cypress knees that reach from the ground.