Ankle Express Trail to the Swinging Bridge

With beautiful lakeside views and a swinging bridge as a destination, the Ankle Express hiking trail in Greenleaf State Park provides a decent amount of uphill hiking and scenery.

The Ankle Express trail head is located just across the Deer Run campground at Greenleaf State Park. There is parking for around 5-6 cars at the trail head, with ample parking within the state park. The Ankle Express hiking trail is indicated by blue blazes.

From the trail head, the Ankle Express trail winds south through the forest for about a mile. At around the 1.1 mile marker, you will reach US-10 where you will have to walk along the road across the dam for a short distance before taking a left back on to the trail. A short ways from there, you will turn right on to a old road with patches of concrete. Blue arrows will indicate this. A few yards on that, you will see another arrow turning left back on the trail. You will wind around Greenleaf Lake before taking a left across a creek bed. You will see the swinging bridge ahead of you. From there you can either continue on the Ankle Express trail (total loop is 12 miles) or you can turn around and head back to the trail head.

The best time to go hiking on the Ankle Express trail is during the winter as during warmer weather there can be an abundance of ticks and rattlesnakes along the trail. The views of the lake and the forest are just as beautiful during the winter season, and you will most likely have the swinging bridge area to yourself for photographs and enjoyment.