{"id":745,"date":"2016-07-27T10:15:49","date_gmt":"2016-07-27T10:15:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tallahasseefamilymagazine.com\/wordpress\/?p=745"},"modified":"2016-07-22T20:25:38","modified_gmt":"2016-07-22T20:25:38","slug":"undeveloped-splendor-the-lake-overstreet-trails","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/tallahasseefamilymagazine.com\/wordpress\/2016\/07\/27\/undeveloped-splendor-the-lake-overstreet-trails\/","title":{"rendered":"Undeveloped Splendor: The Lake Overstreet Trails"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Wesley Garrity<\/p>\n

\"TFM_Summer_Web_Page_13_Image_0001\"There are certain things that make some cities great.\u00a0Some have beautiful architecture rich with planned lines\u00a0and inviting windows. Others have massive bridges towering\u00a0defiantly from their unseen anchors in the depths, spanning\u00a0waterways and connecting the lives of those who live\u00a0there. Tallahassee, however, is blessed with abundant natural\u00a0beauty. I recently found myself immersed in this natural\u00a0splendor, walking among the silent giant pines and around\u00a0undeveloped Lake Overstreet. The Lake Overstreet Trail\u00a0system is truly a forgotten (or perhaps undiscovered) pearl\u00a0in Tallahassee.<\/p>\n

There are several things that make these trails so captivating.\u00a0The lake is located on North Meridian Road, tucked\u00a0between the Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park and the\u00a0extensive City of Tallahassee Forrest Meadows Sports Complex.\u00a0This location makes Lake Overstreet very accessible\u00a0and effectively connects the two. There are three trail heads;\u00a0one located within Maclay State Park, one off Meridian\u00a0Road and one off Maclay Road. The Lake Overstreet Trails\u00a0are considered part of Maclay State Park so an admission\u00a0fee is required, but if you enter through Maclay via a vehicle,\u00a0your entry fee is already paid; if you are a Florida State Park\u00a0Annual Pass holder, you’ll be granted free access as well.<\/p>\n

\"TFM_Summer_Web_Page_13_Image_0002\"The main and most convenient way to enter the trail system\u00a0is via the Forest Meadows city park (at Meridian Road).\u00a0There are parking areas and a nice playground in front of the\u00a0Forest Meadows Athletic Center where the tennis courts\u00a0and swimming pool are. Make your way across Meridian\u00a0Road by using the crosswalk signal, and you\u2019re off and hiking.\u00a0Once in the park you will pay your entrance fee at the\u00a0iron guard (a day pass will cost you two dollars per person).\u00a0Use the provided envelopes and follow the few instructions\u00a0to pay your admission.<\/p>\n

Once in the park you will notice a trail map, and the first\u00a0thing that stands out is the layout of the trails. Lake Overstreet\u00a0Trails are divided into two main trail systems. Two\u00a0loops of double track trails make up the multi-use trail. This\u00a0is where hikers, bikes and horses all coexist. One loop labeled\u00a0the Ravine Loop is about 1.75 miles and connects up with\u00a0the second loop tagged\u00a0Lake Overstreet Loop at\u00a0around 3 miles long. Both\u00a0loops are very relaxed hiking,\u00a0\"TFM_Summer_Web_Page_13_Image_0003\"suitable for novice trail\u00a0blazers of every age. As you\u00a0hike farther from the hum\u00a0of Meridian Road, the white noise lessens and you realize\u00a0you are surrounded by pure Florida. It is a wonderful place\u00a0to quiet your mind and experience the \u201cnow.\u201d Those who\u00a0venture the distance of the Lake Overstreet Loop are in for\u00a0a real treat. Lake Overstreet is pretty much undeveloped, so\u00a0looking out over the lake from one of the viewing areas has\u00a0an overwhelming effect. Swimming, boating, fishing and,\u00a0of course, hunting are all prohibited so it is pristine Mother\u00a0Nature with a \u201clook but don\u2019t touch\u201d kind of vibe. Both\u00a0loops can be hiked in under three hours at a leisurely pace.\u00a0During the hot months, wear bug repellent and bring water.\u00a0Most of the trail is well-shaded.<\/p>\n

If pedaling through the woods is more your cup of tea,\u00a0Lake Overstreet has you covered. The other group of trails\u00a0are 3 miles of single track built and maintained by Tallahassee\u00a0Mountain Bike Association. These trails meander\u00a0through the woods in three joined loops with interesting\u00a0offshoots to explore. The trails are woodsy and considered\u00a0novice but don\u2019t let \"TFM_Summer_Web_Page_13_Image_0004\"that deter you; they are great fun. If the\u00a0Lake Overstreet Trails felt like a warm up then you are in\u00a0luck. Another thing that makes these trails so cool is that\u00a0they’re across the street from the Red Bug mountain bike\u00a0trail, a 4-mile loop of hills, roots and switchbacks. Whether\u00a0you ride or hike, the Elinor Klapp-Phipps Park is just to the\u00a0west of the Forest Meadows Sports Complex. This maze of\u00a0winding loops stretches all the way to Lake Jackson allowing\u00a0riders and hikers to explore Tallahassee\u2019s great gifts for\u00a0hours.<\/p>\n

One of my favorite ways to enjoy the Lake Overstreet\u00a0Trail is to park my car at Market Square, usually near one of\u00a0the great local pizza spots in the area. From there I unload\u00a0my bike and make my way west to link up with the large\u00a0power-line double track trail, then head north toward Lake\u00a0Overstreet Trail. Part of the fun with this ride is exploring,\u00a0so I won\u2019t give turn-for-turn directions, but it’s easy to find.\u00a0Always be mindful of private property, especially the residential\u00a0property in the area. The power-line trail ends at\u00a0Maclay Road. Across the street is the third entrance to the\u00a0Lake Overstreet Trail complete with iron guard and trail\u00a0map. Ride to your delight and make your way back for some\u00a0well-deserved lunch and libations at one of the many local\u00a0restaurants in the area. Most of the restaurants in this area\u00a0have outdoor seating available which is probably the polite\u00a0way to go, especially if you just spent two hours in the saddle.\u00a0There is also a bike shop nearby if you find yourself in need\u00a0of parts or service.<\/p>\n

\"TFM_Summer_Web_Page_15_Image_0001\"<\/p>\n

No matter how you choose to enjoy the Lake Overstreet\u00a0Trails you won\u2019t be disappointed. The charming, inviting\u00a0woods of Tallahassee always has something to teach. \u201cNot\u00a0all those who wander are lost.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wesley Garrity has lived in\u00a0Tallahassee for more than 20\u00a0years. He loves the outdoors\u00a0and tries his very best, though\u00a0often unsuccessfully, to get lost<\/em>
\nwherever he goes.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Wesley Garrity There are certain things that make some cities great.\u00a0Some have beautiful architecture rich with planned lines\u00a0and inviting windows. Others have massive bridges towering\u00a0defiantly from their unseen anchors in the depths, spanning\u00a0waterways and connecting the lives of those who live\u00a0there. Tallahassee, however, is blessed with abundant natural\u00a0beauty. I recently found myself immersed in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":746,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","footnotes":""},"categories":[3,202],"tags":[65,204,203,29,205],"class_list":["post-745","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community","category-outdoors","tag-florida","tag-get-away","tag-hiking","tag-nature","tag-true"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/tallahasseefamilymagazine.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/745","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/tallahasseefamilymagazine.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/tallahasseefamilymagazine.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tallahasseefamilymagazine.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tallahasseefamilymagazine.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=745"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/tallahasseefamilymagazine.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/745\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":755,"href":"http:\/\/tallahasseefamilymagazine.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/745\/revisions\/755"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tallahasseefamilymagazine.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/746"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/tallahasseefamilymagazine.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=745"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tallahasseefamilymagazine.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=745"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/tallahasseefamilymagazine.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=745"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}