Central Florida parks, trails recover with volunteer help, though some paths underwater

Not all heroes wear capes. Some wield chainsaws, loppers or heavy-duty push mowers — tools needed to help local trails recover after Hurricane Ian.

Members of the Florida Trail Association, SORBA Orlando and other Central Florida volunteers quickly got to work clearing any sections of trail they could, though many paths remain flooded as waterways have reached historic levels.

“The Econ River flooded eight feet over its previous all-time high. I saw the Econ River flowing across Snow Hill Road in certain sections,” said Jerry Rogers, Central Florida trail coordinator for the FTA. “Someone kayaked over the Flagler Trail bridge the other day and the top of the handrails are about two feet underwater.”

However, a number of city, county and state parks are open and well on their way to recovery at a time when many are itching to get fresh air and enjoy cooler temperatures.

“Getting some recreation in our natural areas actually helps people out after stressful situations,” Rogers said. “We just want to make sure it’s safe.”

Florida Trail

Faced with the aftermath of Hurricane Ian and the start of hiking season, the Florida Trail Association is assessing trail damage and setting a schedule of workdays, especially as water begins to recede.

In Central Florida, sections of trail that run through South Florida Water Management District public lands and Florida state forests are closed. This includes Charles H. Bronson, Little Big Econ and Seminole State Forest.

Within a week of Hurricane Ian moving out of the Florida peninsula, FTA volunteers gathered to clean up Mills Creek, a relatively dry federal piece of property near Chuluota, and the “Volksmarch trail,” one of Wekiwa Spring’s popular hiking loops.

For trail stewards such as Rogers, the biggest concern is damaged infrastructure such as boardwalks or bridges that have spent time underwater.

“We’ll get the trees cut out, that is not a big deal. If we have missing infrastructure, that requires more funding and time to replace,” he said. “We didn’t have a big wind event, it was a flooding event. The water will recede … The trail will get fixed in due time.”

Mountain bike trails

The Orlando chapter of the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association oversees seven trail systems from Seminole County to Clermont and as far south as Shingle Creek.

As of publication time, none of the trails have been able to reopen; at least half are still inundated with water. The trails most affected by flooding include Soldiers Creek, Shingle Creek, UCF and Snow Hill within Little Big Econ State Forest.

“If we can get Markham Woods up and running, that will be a great trail to ride,” said Sue van Bernum, president of SORBA Orlando. “Mount Dora, which is maintained by the Ocala Mountain Bike Association, is partially open.”

In addition, the Santos mountain bike trails along the Cross Florida Greenway near Ocala are open.

Soldiers Creek and Shingle Creek might open in the near future, but van Bernum worries about setbacks after hard work went into building and maintaining these trails. As for the trail system by the Econ River, it’s a different story.

“Snow Hill we might not even see until December,” van Bernum said.

City of Orlando/Orange County parks

Many parks maintained by the City of Orlando and Orange County have managed to reopen following Hurricane Ian.

From the popular Kelly Park, home to the Rock Springs swimming and tubing run, to Lake Eola Park, many outdoor green spaces are open again, allowing Central Floridians to get fresh air.

“It is essential for the well-being of our community to have spaces for people to enjoy outdoor activities, especially after being hunkered down for two days during a hurricane,” said Matt Suedmeyer, manager of Orange County Parks and Recreation, in an email.

Certain amenities remain closed, such as the swan boat rentals at Lake Eola and the Moss Park campground, which has experienced flooding. Orlando’s Greenwood Urban Wetlands remains closed. In addition, lakes and boat ramps under Orange County and City of Orlando control are closed until further notice.

Leu Gardens, which is a City of Orlando property, sustained the loss of several trees and plants during Hurricane Ian but saw no structural damage. Volunteers and staff have worked tirelessly to clear the grounds.

“We hope to safely, and fully, reopen the gardens to guests as early as Monday, October 10,” read an email statement from Leu Gardens. “In the meantime, all events, classes and weddings will continue to take place as scheduled.”

Seminole County parks

Amid historically high water in Seminole County’s lakes and the St. Johns River, all county wilderness areas are closed due to storm damage and flooding.

This includes the popular Black Bear Wilderness Area, which sits right along the St. Johns River.

Parks and trails that are open include Big Tree Park, Red Bug Lake Park, the Seminole Wekiva Trail and the Cross Seminole Trail.

Wekiva Island

Since Hurricane Ian passed through Central Florida, Wekiva Island has remained closed and half underwater. Carrie Vanderhoef, manager of the Longwood outdoor bar and riverfront hangout, is typically on the island seven days per week.

With more time on her hands, she went golfing and spent a day in Sanford.

“We’re hanging out, waiting for the water to go down,” she said. “It’s a different vibe right now and not one that we like.”

Vanderhoef said the water from the Wekiva River didn’t reach nearly as high as the flooding after Hurricane Irma, but that the levels are dropping more slowly.

“It’s discouraging right now because it’s not moving fast enough,” she said. “We want to get our staff back to work. We want people to come down. We’re hemorrhaging money right now.”

Once water levels drop, staff will pressure wash decking and cabanas, making the destination company-ready as soon as possible.

“We’re punting on this weekend,” Vanderhoef said. “We are hoping for a heck of a grand opening again next Friday, Oct. 14.”

Florida state parks

While some of Florida’s state parks closed during Hurricane Ian, sought-after Central Florida destinations have mostly managed to reopen for guests.

After Hurricane Ian tore through Central Florida, staff and volunteers worked to inspect and clean up parks.

“The most common impacts we have seen are downed trees, power outages, flooding and storm-related debris,” said Alexandra Kuchta, press secretary for the Florida DEP, said in an email statement.

Wekiwa Springs, Blue Spring, De Leon Springs and Lake Louisa state parks are all open for visitors, though some activities and amenities remain off-limits. For example, water activities at Blue Spring remain closed due to flooding.

De Leon Springs State Park in Volusia County, home to the beloved Old Sugar Mill Pancake House restaurant hopes to reopen soon but remains closed while the roof is being replaced, an improvement that was underway before the hurricane.

Please check city, county, volunteer organization and state websites for the most current information on park and trail closures.

Find me @PConnPie on Twitter and Instagram or send me an email: pconnolly@orlandosentinel.com. For more fun things, follow @fun.things.orlando on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.