<body><div>A canopied oasis occupying a city block east of Hurlburt Field, Oak Tree Nature Park surrounds the floodplain of Silver Sands Creek along US 98.Only a tenth of a mile north of the salty shores of Santa Rosa Sound, this 25 acre preserve protects upland natural habitats.Beyond the expected coastal hammock, Oak Tree Nature Park has pine flatwoods, scrub, bayhead, and a titi-lined stream dropping down the sand ridge.<img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1aZudj_0wCDJXyO00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1aZudj_0wCDJXyO00" width="800" height="600" ><h2>Resources</h2>Resources for exploring the areaDisclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.<h2>Overview</h2>Location: Mary EstherLength: 0.9 mile loopTrailhead: 30.413460, -86.665778Address: 200 Hollywood Blvd West, Mary EstherFees: FreeRestroom: NoneLand manager: City of Mary EstherPhone: 850-243-3566 ext 10Open dawn to dusk. Leashed pets welcome. No smoking. Bicycles not permitted. Bring insect repellent. A picnic pavilion adjoins the parking corral.<h2>Directions</h2>From downtown Fort Walton Beach, follow US 98 west past Eglin Pkwy 3.4 miles to Doolittle Blvd. Turn right. At the traffic circle, take the second exit to head west on Hollywood Blvd. Watch for the trailhead entrance on the left, just before the post office.<h2>Hike</h2>Yellow signs with rules and a trail map call your attention to the start of the trail near the exit end of the parking area.Follow a well-worn sand path beneath oaks and pines to a trail junction and bear left to start clockwise around the loop.<img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2VqKWd_0wCDJXyO00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2VqKWd_0wCDJXyO00" width="800" height="600" >Covered in soft pine duff, the footpath makes for easy walking as you pass a grove of southern magnolias.Numbered markers correspond to an interpretive trail guide the city makes available for download.<img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=15KBro_0wCDJXyO00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=15KBro_0wCDJXyO00" width="800" height="600" >Marker 4 calls attention to yaupon holly near the next T junction. Turn right; the path to the left exits to Doolittle Blvd.The understory of oaks and saw palmetto under the pines opens to reveal tall, slender loblolly pines and tall magnolias.<img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0uwUmT_0wCDJXyO00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0uwUmT_0wCDJXyO00" width="800" height="600" >When the canopy closes in, sand live oaks cast shade inside the coastal hammock. Pass a bench before another marked side trail to Doolittle Blvd.At 0.2 mile, coming to a junction with a sign pointing out the direct route to Silver Sands Creek, go the opposite way.<img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2eS45G_0wCDJXyO00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2eS45G_0wCDJXyO00" width="800" height="600" >Flanked by fluffy young sand pines, this cross-trail ascends to high ground. Patches of deer moss swarm across the leaf litter in the scrubby understory.Nearing the floodplain of the creek, sand live oaks arch overhead as the forest becomes denser.<img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2Ob1qX_0wCDJXyO00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2Ob1qX_0wCDJXyO00" width="800" height="600" >Marker 29 points out an outstanding specimen of southern magnolia surrounded by a thicket of its offspring.Past a broad trunk of a towering pine, a bench provides perspective to stare up at the tall trees above.<img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=2ZbZpM_0wCDJXyO00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=2ZbZpM_0wCDJXyO00" width="800" height="600" >Meet the next T junction. This time, follow the sign to Silver Sands Creek, passing between two enormous pines on the approach to the bridge.At this edge of the preserve, it’s a tea-colored waterway with sand ripples evident in its shallow basin.<img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0r93fI_0wCDJXyO00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0r93fI_0wCDJXyO00" width="800" height="600" >Stained brown by tannins from oak leaves, it flows steadily in its narrow channel. Crossing the bridge, climb to higher ground, the forest densely packed with oaks and magnolias.Pass by a bench before a curve, the understory opening up with light streaming in from the south.<img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4OW8iv_0wCDJXyO00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4OW8iv_0wCDJXyO00" width="800" height="600" >At 0.4 mile, a junction with a map indicates the trail to the right connects to the sidewalk along US 98, within view of Santa Rosa Sound.Continue past the junction under mature oaks and magnolias as the trail curves inward from its southernmost point.<img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0vWXwy_0wCDJXyO00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0vWXwy_0wCDJXyO00" width="800" height="600" >An observation deck at a half mile hovers over a bluff above the basin carved by Silver Sands Creek. To the sounds of splashing water, cross a lengthy boardwalk high above the creek.The waterway spills from a tangle of bayhead and titi to cascade over tree roots, heading towards the sound.<img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3lmkbM_0wCDJXyO00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3lmkbM_0wCDJXyO00" width="800" height="600" >In the upland forest beyond it, a side path leads to the edge of the obvious bluff dropping off into the creek basin. According to signage, this preserve protects an archaeological site.Perhaps ancient peoples lived on this high ground above the sound; a preserved temple mound in Fort Walton Beach is only four miles east.<img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0fQM96_0wCDJXyO00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0fQM96_0wCDJXyO00" width="800" height="600" >Sand pines infiltrate the sand live oaks, a co-mingling of coastal habitats leading up to a familiar trail junction at 0.6 mile. Turn left to take the tenth of a mile cross trail a second time.Make a right at the next Silver Sands Creek sign to start the final arc of a figure-eight loop. At the base of a cluster of magnolias, a sign calls attention to poison ivy on the forest floor.<img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=37Nnx8_0wCDJXyO00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=37Nnx8_0wCDJXyO00" width="800" height="600" >Pass Marker 34, paying closer attention to the footpath to avoid tripping on protruding roots. Walk between the substantial trunks of massive loblolly pines.The cushiony footpath winds through an understory tangle of yaupon holly, young oaks, and sprays of saw palmetto. Pine needles dangle like tinsel in the trees.<img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0w0UZw_0wCDJXyO00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0w0UZw_0wCDJXyO00" width="800" height="600" >Turning east after a straightaway under the pines, the pathway narrows, coming to a junction with a map marking an exit point to the picnic pavilion. Pass it by.Along the shaded corridor, a bench faces a showy southern magnolia at Marker 39. Reach the initial trail junction and turn left, exiting to the parking area after 0.9 mile.<img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0W5mvx_0wCDJXyO00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0W5mvx_0wCDJXyO00" width="800" height="600" ><h2>Trail Map</h2><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4g2QIN_0wCDJXyO00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4g2QIN_0wCDJXyO00" width="800" height="600" >Hiking Oak Tree Nature Park<h2>Slideshow</h2>See our photos from Oak Tree Nature Park<h2>Nearby Adventures</h2>Henderson Beach Nature Trail Showcasing a ridge of dunes in Destin, the nature trail at Henderson Beach State Park leads you through bright sands in coastal scrub and maritime forest.Florida Trail, Eglin East 41.8 miles. Simultaneously rugged and scenic: that's the beauty of a backpacking trip across the Alaqua, Catface, and Titi sections of the Florida Trail in Eglin Air Force Base.Turkey Creek Walk Centered on a broad boardwalk trail that showcases a clear, healthy tannic stream, the Turkey Creek Walk is a family park in Niceville where tubing is part of the fun.Rocky Bayou Hiking Trails Explore the uplands of Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou State Park in Niceville on a trio of showy nature trails that can be interconnected into a 3.3 mile day hike. </div></body>

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Oak Tree Nature Park

A canopied oasis occupying a city block east of Hurlburt Field, Oak Tree Nature Park surrounds the floodplain of Silver Sands Creek along US 98. Only a tenth of a mile north of the salty shores of Santa Rosa Sound, this 25 acre preserve protects upland natural habitats. Beyond the...