Recently we took a guided hike at Hickory Bluff Preserve, located in Osteen. The hike was lead by Bonnie Cary, who works for the county. Hickory Bluff Preserve is located at 598 Guise Rd. in Osteen, which is still in Volusia County. It is a 150-acre preserve that runs alongside the St. John's River.

Hickory Bluff Preserve offers two hikes, one is 1 mile long, while the other is 1.1 miles long. The trails are nicely marked with the blue and red markers. They take you through an oak hammock, scrubby flatwoods, floodplain swamp, and more. It's a beautiful hike that leads back to the river. They also offer overnight tent camping, which is free, you just need to first get a permit. The camping site is near the river, you can drive your vehicle back to it, and there is a built-in firepit. While there is no restroom facilities on site, there is a clean portable toilet that all visitors can use (a porta potty). 

The mile long trail is pretty open. There are parts where a stroller may be able to go through, but there are also areas with heavy soft sand, which may be difficult to push a stroller through. It's also a mainly shady trail, which is nice on a sunny day.

This is a great place to go take the kids on a hike. There's no admission fee. You can find more info on it here.

Here are some pictures from our recent hike at Hickory Bluff Preserve in Osteen: