Find a Hiking Adventure at Gator Creek Reserve in Lakeland FL

If you’ve followed this blog for a while, you know I often find places to visit – especially parks – by scrolling Google Maps. I found Gator Creek Reserve in Lakeland, Florida in this way, while searching for parks to visit on a return trip from Orlando to Tampa. For that search, I sought places to visit together on a day of hiking in Lakeland. As it turns out, I only visited Gator Creek Reserve when I went, making a special trip for it. However, there are a lot of other hiking trails near Lakeland, such as Circle B Bar Reserve. And there are several state parks in the area, too.

If you love hiking at relatively quiet nature preserves, Gator Creek Reserve is a great place to try. In this post, I’ll share information about the nature preserve, the hiking trails, my experience hiking at Gator Creek Reserve, a few of my photos, and how you can visit.

The day I decided to visit Gator Creek Reserve dawned hot and humid. It was a July morning and knowing the day would be hot, I left home at 6 AM to arrive by 7 or 7:30 and beat the worst of the heat. The park entrance was easy to find. I arrived at a parking lot with three other cars in it, used the porta-potty (there are no other restroom facilities), and set out on my hike.

About the Trails at Gator Creek Reserve

• Difficulty level: easy to moderate
• Length: 0.6 to 6.6 miles
• Key Points: Gator Creek Canal, seasonally wet streams, ponds

Gator Creek Reserve consists of several trails which, when combined, can add up to 6.6 miles. The trails loop off each other, though, so it’s not possible to hike just the 2.9 mile Deer Run Trail, for example, without also hiking parts of the Piney Wood and Gator Creek Loop Trails. On my most recent visit to Gator Creek Reserve, I hiked all of Cypress Loop Trail, Gator Creek Loop, and Piney Wood Trail.

Cypress Loop Trail

Camera and phone in hand, I began my hike on the paved Cypress Loop Trail. I met one jogger on this trail but otherwise had it to myself. The trail is asphalt, is mostly even, and is a good option for visitors with accessibility challenges. It’s a loop, however, so be sure you can navigate the length (0.6 miles) or use it as an out and back for whichever distance you’re most comfortable with. 

Early in the morning and striding out to the east, the sun dappled through full tree branches. The trail meanders past cypress dome and pine flatwoods habitats. It’s mostly shady and is a beautiful walk beneath oak and pine trees with wildflowers on the sides of the path.

Piney Wood Trail

The loop completed, I stopped for a few minutes to read the information station. Here there are also log benches where you can rest. From here, I took a narrow, unpaved trail north. The signage indicated it was the Piney Wood Trail. After a quarter mile, the short spur ended at a wide, grassy trail. I knew from the trail map that the majority of the trails lay to the right so that’s the direction I took. Here, I met two groups of walkers with dogs.

The sun continued to rise, sparkling off webs between trees and dappling the ground. Though the area was experiencing a drought, some of the ground was still spongy and wet. I spent a lot of time photographing anything that caught my eye – flowers, the tree canopy with the sun coming through, dew on tall grasses, large patches of deer moss, the natural Florida beauty which never fails to capture my imagination. 

Gator Creek Loop Trail

At the Gator Creek Loop Trail sign, I assessed how my ankle felt and decided the trail was short enough to explore it. Plus, I smelled a wildfire and wondered what I’d find. I crossed the mostly dry Gator Creek and soon found myself at the edge of a smoldering controlled burn. There were no signs blocking off the area so I approached and spent a long time photographing the burnt trees, ashy ground, and small flames which flared up periodically.

I followed the signs along the loop, deciding at the intersection with Deer Run Trail that I probably wouldn’t be able to complete that without putting my ankle in significant pain. The only issue I had with the controlled burn was that one signpost had been removed so I missed the turn for Gator Creek Loop. Instead, I crossed Gator Creek again and continued along the wide grassy trail until it became overgrown. On this path, I found a lake which had been used to pump water for the fire. I could have continued on this trail and likely would have run into the perimeter fence or Deer Run Trail; however, I eventually figured out that I was going in the wrong direction and returned the way I’d come.

Back on Piney Wood Trail

Back on the right path, I finished the Piney Wood Trail which is also a loop. For those who don’t want to hike the full length of Piney Wood Trail, Tortoise Trail is a shortcut which effectively cuts it in half turning the 2.1 mile trail into a roughly 1 mile loop. Piney Wood Trail passes through the pine flatwoods, crossing several tributaries of Gator Creek which were dry when I visited. Small wooden bridges provide dry passage when the creeks are wet and were interesting focal points for photos. 

Towards the end of the Piney Wood loop, the trail passes through another cypress dome. During the rainy season, this part becomes wet though it was mostly dry when I visited due to the drought which affected the Tampa Bay area in 2023. The wetter ground, though, encouraged several beautiful wildflowers to grow. I was hot, thirsty, and nursing a growing headache by this point, but I still had to stop to photograph the milkwort, meadowbeauty, and other flowers that grew at the edges of the trail. 

I stumbled back into the parking lot around 10:30, tired, sweaty, and thirsty. Despite the relatively early hour, Florida’s summer heat sapped my water reserves, and I spent a few very long minutes in the car chugging from a half-frozen half-gallon of water with the AC on high.

About Gator Creek Reserve

• Address: 9725 U.S. 98 N., Lakeland, FL 33809
• Fees: None
• Amenities: picnic shelter, accessible trail, porta-potty
• Activities: hiking, jogging, horseback riding, wildlife viewing, birdwatching

Gator Creek Reserve encompasses more than 2,700 acres in northwest Lakeland and provides some of the best Polk County hiking trails. The land falls at the edge of the Green Swamp and has been protected for its important water, wildlife, and wilderness. Visitors to the nature preserve experience a variety of ecosystems including cypress domes, pine flatwoods, and freshwater marshes. 

History of Gator Creek Reserve

The original 592 acres of Gator Creek Reserve were purchased by Polk County in 1999 and opened to the public in 2000. An additional two purchases of land totaling 2,116 acres brought the nature preserve to its current size. After the final purchase in 2006, Gaye Sharpe, Polk’s environmental lands coordinator, said they had received “a lot of requests” for equestrian trails in that part of the county, something which was accomplished at Gator Creek Reserve.

One of features of the nature preserve is Gator Creek, sometimes referred to as Gator Creek Canal. The canal was created between 1948 and 1951 in an attempt to prevent flooding in this area. Gator Creek now serves as an important seasonal waterway and water source for the local wildlife.

Planning Your Visit to Gator Creek Reserve

• Reservations: None needed
• Permits: None required
• Fees: None
• Parking: Parking is available at the main trailhead for hiking and the equestrian trailhead for horseback riding

What To Bring When Hiking Gator Creek Reserve

When hiking trails near Lakeland, Florida including those at Gator Creek Reserve, it’s important to bring a few items which can make your hike more enjoyable. Keep in mind that this is a day hike so gear can be kept to a minimum. Here are the things I brought and which I recommend for your visit to Gator Creek Reserve:

• Water – I carried 32 ounces with me in my Swell bottles and had a frozen half-gallon in a cooler in the car. I drank the 32 ounces on the trail and finished the half-gallon before returning home. Make sure to bring lots of water. There are no water fountains, hoses, or other drinking water sources at this nature preserve.
• Trail runners or hiking boots
• Sunscreen
• Insect repellant
• Camera
• Phone

How To Get There

From I-4, take U.S. 98 north approximately 6.5 miles. The entrance is on the right about 1 mile north of where the four-lane road changes into a two-lane road.

Details/Information 

• Address: 9725 U.S. 98 N., Lakeland, FL 33809
• Phone Number: None. There are no offices or ranger stations at this nature preserve.
• Website

Trail Tips

• Leave no trace
• Stay on the trail when taking photos (protect the wildflowers and plants)
• Do not feed the wildlife
• Become familiar with distances and take a paper map or map downloaded on your phone
• Remain aware of your surroundings
• Stay on designated trails
• Bring sunscreen, insect repellant, and water
• Wear comfortable, sturdy trail shoes or hiking boots

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