The best of the Lake Wales Ridge can be found at the Arbuckle Tract of Lake Wales Ridge State Forest

I’ve raved in my book and on this blog about Tiger Creek Preserve, a special stretch of Central Florida’s Lake Wales Ridge near Frostproof maintained by the Nature Conservancy that remains one of my favorite places to hike. But Tiger Creek Preserve does not permit camping, and since the Florida Trail passes north of the most pristine sections of the Lake Wales Ridge, I hadn’t had a chance to backpack near there until this past weekend. If you’re looking for a semi-challenging one- or two-nighter in some of Florida’s oldest landscapes, the Arbuckle Tract of Lake Wales Ridge State Forest is a great place to try.

The Arbuckle tract is the largest and oldest section of Lake Wales Ridge State Forest, having been purchased by Florida’s Conservation and Recreation Lands Program in 1984. Resting among the ridge of former sandy islands that were among the first landmasses in peninsular Florida to rise from the ocean millions of years ago, Lake Wales Ridge State Forest safeguards 33 species of plants and 36 species of animals listed as threatened or endangered, including the Florida scrub-jay and gopher tortoise. And because most of its eastern border abuts Lake Arbuckle, the Arbuckle tract is also a great place to see bald eagles, osprey, and alligators.

What makes Arbuckle special for weekend backpackers is the variety of ecosystems, the length of its loop trails, and its options for backcountry campsites.

Arbuckle has a special collection of ecosystems that literally change mile-by-mile as you hike. From ancient scrub to southern ridge sandhills to mesic flatwoods and cutthroat seeps to cypress swamps and wet prairie, Arbuckle has it all and packs it into a relatively small space. Just like Tiger Creek Preserve, its trails range over open prairies, along the lush banks of creeks, and through head-high oak canopies—but also weaves among cypress and live oaks on the shore of Lake Arbuckle.

The Arbuckle tract also has over 25 miles of trails—but unlike many state parks with similar amounts, most of the mileage is contained in a single loop trail, the 17.4-mile yellow-blazed Arbuckle Trail. Three blue-blazed connector trails also radiate from Lake Godwin in the center of the tract to points on the northern half of the yellow trail to allow for shorter loops.  And although the State Forest’s website lists only five primitive campsite, its current map and reservation system offer eight different primitive campsites along the yellow trail, ideally located for a one- or two-night trip in different kinds of terrain.

With only one night to camp and hesitance to try for too long a route, I elected to do the 12.6-mile Lake Godwin Loop after parking at the northern trailhead off Buck’s Dairy Road. So I hiked about nine miles on the northern half of the yellow trail, but then took a pair of blue-blazed connector trails meeting at Lake Godwin. By staying at the Hickory Point lakeside campsite and hiking counterclockwise, I split my hike into 4.5- and 8.4-mile legs. This gave me an ample taste of all of Arbuckle’s ecosystems, along with a pretty spot for my tent beside Lake Arbuckle, a huge lake with almost no development blemishing the near and far shores. Both of Arbuckle’s two lakeside campsites also offer spectacular sunrise views over the water.

If there’s a downside to Lake Wales Ridge State Forest, it is the sugar sand. Sandra Friend on FloridaHikes.com warns that “[c]onditions are rugged and either very sandy or very wet” and the “soft sand can be a challenge in places.” I cannot disagree. Although Arbuckle’s trails are well maintained by the Florida Trail Association’s Heartland chapter, I hit hard stretches of sugar sand at the tail end of both my hikes (including along the mile-plus stretch beside Lake Arbuckle). So this may not be the best place to challenge yourself with longer distances than you’re used to hiking.

On the other hand, the points of interest along the trails are ideally spaced for breaks every two miles or so, including the campsites and the picnic areas at Lake Godwin and the McLean Cabin. There are also a number of benches beside the trail in pretty spots, and there’s more shade than you might expect for a forest with so much scrub and flatland habitat.

Reservations for campsites at Arbuckle can be made here for around $9 per night plus around $6 in transaction fees and taxes. The best place to park overnight is at the northern trailhead just past the bridge over Reedy Creek on Ruck’s Dairy Road less than a mile south of Lake Arbuckle Road. If you like weekend backpacking trips with legs between five and ten miles, the two-hour trip from Orlando or Tampa to the Arbuckle Tract of Lake Wales Ridge State Forest is worth the drive.