Little Big Econ State Forest - State park in Geneva - 1350 Snow Hill Rd, USA

The Little Big Econ State Forest, located right near Oviedo, has over 5,000 acres of pristine natural Florida wilderness! This place has hiking, bird and animal-watching, fishing, primitive camping, horseback riding, mountain biking, and so much more! I have been here several times now, and every time I always love it. You’re in for a treat if you venture over here! I park at the Barr Street Trailhead and head into the forest via one of their many trails, and it’s always so cool to see how much sand is everywhere. Did you know Florida was once under the ocean? When you hit the river (which is only like a 10-minute walk), there are massive sandy banks all along the windy river! It’s murky, brown (with alligators) that I wouldn’t recommend swimming in, but is really neat to see from the bluffs above! This is a very different environment than what you see elsewhere in Central Florida. You frequently see squirrels, skinks, lizards, alligators (saw one today on the riverbank), birds, big bugs, and more. You’re out in the wilderness here, and it’s awesome! I’ve also parked at the bridge north of the Jones East Trailhead. That bridge is supposedly haunted and you see something called the “Oviedo Lights” - orbs of colored lights that float in the swamp/over the bridge at night. I did an overnight challenge here twice before and never saw anything, so I’m not really convinced. However, sketchy people do sometimes come here at night so I would advise against doing that just to be safe! Getting back to the forest, this is one of the best and closest places to go on a little walk in the Florida wilderness away from the hustle and bustle of city life. It’s always a great coming here. Bring bug spray, watch out for alligators (meet an eye on your kids and pets), and don’t step off the trail as you might walk into fire ants! If you follow all that, enjoy - you’ll have a great time!!

Thank you to the rangers for keeping us safe during our parking visits and hikes. You're #1. Good visitors don't forget to keep it clean and contribute at the box. I'm personally rooting for facilities at the trailhead parking area. My vote is in! I'll even volunteer to help clean them! Geneva wilderness. It's Home to the best people (and animals) in Seminole county. 2024 and counting.

Nice stretch of trails for hiking. Like walking in Jurassic Park. We have been up and down the little big econ by canoe and foot and had a blast every time. This must have been what florida looked like many many moons ago.

Very cool forest. Lots of live oak trees, spanish moss, cypress swamp, and >50% shade made for a pleasant hike. The trails I used (6-8 miles) were well maintained with the exception of a single 50-yard stretch with tall weeds overgrown. Minus 1 star becausethe hiking entrance was inexplicably locked on a Friday morning and no one answered the phone number when I called to ask about it. We ended up hiking through the unlocked Equestrian entrance and couldn't find any reason it would have been locked.

Went here today to check this place out. What a beautiful place but definitely need bug spray. The paths are narrow and have roots exposed so watch your step. It was nice that this place is mostly shaded and path goes along the river. We did the blue to orange trail and turned around after 2.5 miles due to weather. Saw a huge gator swimming, turtles,squirrels, we also heard cardinals and woodpeckers. Such a peaceful place and path well marked and maintained.

Camped here a few days ago (site #2 off the Little Big Econ Barr Street Trailhead) and was impressed with how nice the campsites are once you get to them. Really clean bench and nice sized firepit. The sites and trails are clearly labeled too which is always super helpful. I'd say it was about a 0.3 mile hike out to our campsite (you park at the Little Big Econ Parking Lot and walk from there) which isn't a bad distance at all. The only problem with the hike is that most of the trail is flooded, and the other part that isn't flooded is covered with massive tree roots. This makes the hike out there a little treacherous, so I definitely recommend only bringing minimum gear (we definitely overdid it). Another downside is that the parking lot where you leave your car at night gets a little sketchy. It's right off of a main road so it's very visible that you've just left your car there overnight and there's lots of kids that like to come hang out in that parking lot at night. Lastly, the river it's by is barely even a river anymore; it's basically at a standstill. I'm not sure if there's just no flow through the river anymore, but it's a nasty tea color now and has a pretty awful smell. We saw a few kids fishing in there so I guess there's still some life in there but I'd be shocked. It also attracts a lot of bugs so definitely bring lots of bug spray if you're camping because all the spots are pretty close to the river. All that being said, there's not many cheap campsites that are close to Orlando so for now this might be your best option if you're looking to camp while visiting the area (it's only about a 25 minute drive to downtown).

Bring your mosquito repellent! Great trails, but they are not made for strollers or bikes for the most part. Get a map to bring along as the trails split often. Pretty walking trails though, and a bunch of nature to be seen.

A slice of heaven just outside of the busyness of Orlando! Great trails. Beautiful & serene river. Not too many people. Saw many birds, including a bald eagle! Highly recommended!