For a Taste of Lake Wales Ridge Hiking, Check Out Scrub Point Preserve

After a long summer mostly spent away from the trails of Central Florida, my wife and I recently reconnected with our home forests by discovering a new set of trails tantalizingly close to our home in Winter Garden, on a peninsula on the southern shore of Johns Lake that was opened to the public only three years ago. Located just north of Hartwood-Marsh Road between Winter Garden and Clermont and with three miles of hiking trails, Scrub Point Preserve offers a taste of the Lake Wales Ridge close to the newer residential developments in Winter Garden.

Scrub Point Preserve covers just 93 acres nestled on one of two peninsulas jutting north into Johns Lake and was acquired by the Lake County Water Authority as part of its program to protect Lake County’s aquatic life. Its main goal in preserving Scrub Point appears to have to have been to protect its two miles of shoreline, whose vegetation suffered from the amount of love it received from local boaters during the Covid pandemic. Its trails and parking area were opened to the public in February of 2023, and it offers a free alternative to nearby Lake Louisa State Park for those looking to hike short distances before the state parks open at 8 a.m. (Scrub Point Preserve is open from sunrise to sunset).

Scrub Point lies within the northern stretches of the Lake Wales Ridge, the state’s highest and oldest ridge comprising the first landmasses in peninsular Florida to rise above the ancient oceans.  The sands there help to filter water as it is absorbed into the Floridan Aquifer, and its surrounding lake is part of a chain of lakes whose water eventually reaches the St. John’s River on its way to the Atlantic Ocean.

My wife and I chose to check out Scrub Pine Preserve shortly after sunrise to complete a short hike before the heat made conditions too sticky, and we were surprised by how secluded much of it felt.  Although the ride in on Eddy Drive rolls beside the walls of nearby subdivisions and the trail on the park’s southern boundary faces some of their homes, the park’s other trails along the old jeep trails were surrounded by pines and moss-draped sand oaks that teemed with birds. So you’re hardly aware of your proximity to the real world while you’re hiking. We particularly enjoyed the great horned owl that watched us during the first mile of our hike.

The lakeside views are also worth the trip, as the surrounding portions of Johns Lake are less developed than one would expect for a lake so close to metropolitan Orlando. For a preserve as small as it is, Scrub Point feels much less encroached by civilization than other nearby nature preserves offering comparable distances for hiking like Tibet-Butler. The trails were also wide and well-mowed, so we had no problems with ticks or mosquitoes.

Kayaks are also available for self-serve rental by filling out and submitting an application in advance and providing a $50-deposit that will be returned after you return the kayaks in good condition. Picnic tables can also be found at the landing for the kayaks, as well as other locations dispersed throughout the preserve. You can also call Lake County’s Parks & Water Resources at 352-253-4950 for more information.

If you’re looking for an easy place for a short morning hike near Clermont or Winter Garden, Scrub Point Preserve is a great place to try.