Longleaf Greenway Trail

The Longleaf Greenway Trail runs east and west through the Point Washington State Forest, in South Walton County. Primary access to the trail is at the Eastern Lake located on County Road 395, 1.1 miles south of U.S. Highway 98. Parking and picnic tables are available at the trailhead. There is also a trailhead at satinwood road off of 30-A with picnic pavilion and parking area with restroom. There is a $2.00 per person day use fee to use this parking area. Children under six are admitted free. Also there annual day use passes available for $30.00 allows access to all day use areas within any state forest for one year from date of purchase. They are available at the Point Washington State Forest field office. Other access points for the trail are where the trail crosses county roads 395, 283, and 83. There are no parking facilities available at these access points.

The Florida Division of Forestry established the trail in cooperation with the Beach to Bay Connection Inc. for the enjoyment of bicyclists, hikers and nature lovers. The trail consists of a single-track linear trail, 8 miles in length, running east and west through the forest. At each county road that the trail crosses there is small paved bicycle path that parallels the county road, these paths can be followed south to County Road 30-A where a large paved path runs the entire length of the road. These paths can be followed to provide a nice loop trail to return you to the parking lot at the Eastern Lake Trailhead. The Longleaf Pine Greenway logo is also used to designate the trail. These logos are found at each mile marker and at every crossroad throughout the trail.

The trail weaves through a variety of plant communities that include sandhills and flatwoods. These two communities are home to the longleaf pine, for which this trail is named. Longleaf Pines once dominated the forests of the southern United States. Today, they are found mostly in State and National Forests. Longleaf Pine restoration is a major goal of the Point Washington State Forest. Since 1992 the Division of Forestry has planted over 1 million longleaf pine seedlings on the forest. Another key factor to restoring this species is through the use prescribed fire. Prescribe fire controls the understory and allows the fire resistant seedlings to spring out of their grass stage and grow into towering trees.