Disney Wilderness Preserve: A Great Place Near Orlando for Families to Hike

The Nature Conservancy has several great hiking destinations in Florida, and perhaps the best one near Orlando for families is the Disney Wilderness Preserve. Located in Poinciana not far from the Disney parks, the Disney Wilderness Preserve is close to the attractions but feels far away. It also has several interconnected trails ranging in length from less than 1 mile to 6 miles, along with conveniences that families will appreciate.

Formed initially from land acquired and donated by Disney as part of mitigation banking efforts to secure permits to expand Celebration in the early 1990s, the Disney Wilderness Preserve now sits on more than 11,000 acres beside Lake Russell, an undeveloped lake whose waters slowly drain south into lakes that feed the Everglades. Before then it had been used for logging and cattle grazing.  Now operated by the Nature Conservancy, the Preserve is a center for efforts to protect endangered birds, including the wood stork, red-cockaded woodpecker, and Florida scrub-jay, the only bird species found only in Florida.

The Disney Wilderness Preserve is ideal for families because it is easy. A well-appointed Conservation Learning Center with comfortable bathrooms sits at the end of a 1 1/2 -mile paved entrance road beside ample parking. Green spaces and benches provide pleasant locations for picnics beside a lily covered pond, including a covered lookout with a rocking chair. Informative displays can be found throughout the preserve, including on scenic pull-offs along the entrance road.

And, of course, there are the hiking trails.  Four interconnected trails ranging from reasonable for even young children (the 0.5-mile white trail), to ideal for energetic pre-teens (the 2.5-mile red trail), to enjoyable for fit teens and adults (the 6.1-mile yellow trail) spring from a trailhead beside the Learning Center. Ecosystems vary from longleaf pine forest covered with knee-high grasses and palmetto, to scrub and live oak hammocks, to freshwater marsh and cypress swamp. Benches can be found at pretty overlooks at many locations on the wide, easily navigated trails, and sturdy picnic tables sit in shady locations ideal for lunch breaks, including a majestic live oak hammock in the southeastern corner of the yellow trail.

The highlight of the trail is an overlook of Lake Russell sitting at the end of a 0.1-mile spur from the red trail, approximately one mile from the Learning Center. Two picnic tables surrounded by cypress trees make for a perfect place to have lunch while watching eagles glide over a lake filled with turtles and alligators. Beside the head of the spur trail is a wooden blind with benches for adults and small children, perfect for watching birds wading through the nearby cypress head. As my wife and I approached the blind, we were surrounded by groups of Eastern Towhee, an orange-breasted sparrow, which we startled from the palmettos as we walked beneath tall longleaf pines.

Much of the trail is unshaded, so this may be tough in the summer and requires sunscreen year-round. Portions are also known to be wet during rainy seasons, and because there is no camping, visitors must be gone before sunset. The Preserve is also closed on Sundays and major holidays. But with no fee to enter and smaller crowds than you can expect to see at most state parks, the Disney Wilderness Preserve is a great place to enjoy the outdoors with children of all ages.