Little Big Econ State Forest, founded as a nature preserve in 1994, offers 12 miles of trail that winds through a variety of environments. While riding through these trails, expect to see pine flatwoods, sandhills and oak palm hammocks. The preserve itself has a complicated history, existing as the site for cattle ranching and a turpentine distillery before finally being purchased by the legislature as a preserve. Now, there is a bounty of wildlife and scenic nature to accompany the ride.
The trails start off easy, gaining in technical difficulty the further west you travel. That said, they don’t get harder than an intermediate difficulty, so this is an awesome spot for beginners who are looking to push into more challenging territory. Or, if you’re an intermediate rider who wants a change of pace — this could be the trail for you. Advanced and Expert riders may want to look elsewhere for thrills, everyone is sure to enjoy a nice scenic ride.
Keep an eye out for the Econlockhatchee river, the preserve’s most well known feature!