Many Central Florida parks, trails closed after storm
After days of living without power, calling roofing companies or cleaning up yard debris, many Central Floridians may be looking for a quiet place to relax and de-stress following Hurricane Irma.
But visiting a preserve or taking a hike on a nature path might not be an option for the time being. A week after Irma plowed through the region, many campgrounds, trails and boardwalks are closed because of downed trees, fallen power lines, flooding and no electricity.
In some cases, the facilities could be closed for several more weeks.
“It’s not safe to be out on the property,” said Danielle Spears, a spokeswoman for the St. Johns River Water Management District, regarding the Lake Apopka Loop Trail, which was closed after the storm. The popular nature trail follows the northern shoreline of the large lake between Orange and Lake counties for nearly 15 miles and attracts hikers, bicyclists and nature
lovers throughout the state.
“We have downed trees,” Spears said Monday. “We have downed power lines. Some of the water levels at the water levees are so high that it’s not safe for public access.”
Likewise, Wekiwa Springs State Park, which straddles Orange and Seminole counties, has been closed since Sept. 8, two days before the powerful storm swept across Central Florida.
“The main reason is that we’ve had a collection of trees come down,” said Robert Brooks, Wekiwa’s park manager. “We have large trees blocking roads. And the storm took out power lines.”
Those power lines provide electricity to the park’s residences, offices and wastewater lift stations that service the restrooms. Without power to the lift stations, sewage could back up and overflow into the environmentally-sensitive Wekiva River, Brooks said.
Also, water levels at the park’s popular swimming hole are “extremely high” and have reached the sidewalk area, Brooks said.
One of the most popular state parks in Florida, it regularly attracts more than 430,000 visitors a year. Brooks said he hopes to reopen portions of Wekiwa by this weekend after power is restored.
“I can’t wait for the people to come back here,” he said.
In Mount Dora, city officials closed Palm Island Park and its boardwalk on the eastern shore of Lake Dora because of high water levels.
“We want to keep it shut down because of wildlife, particularly venomous snakes and alligators that could possibly be on the boardwalk,” city spokeswoman Lisa McDonald said. “We have to wait for water levels to drop back down to a safe level” before reopening the park.
That put a kink in the plans of newlyweds Paul Johnson, 37, and Joanne Johnson, 39, of Newcastle, England, who were hoping to see a slice of Old Florida at Palm Island Park as part of their honeymoon and a Segway tour.
The Johnsons arrived Sept. 6 in Mount Dora, but after seeing news about Irma, they left for Fort Walton Beach to escape the storm. They later returned to Mount Dora, looking forward to riding on the boardwalk on a Segway. After learning the boardwalk was closed, tour leader promised to give the couple a longer trip around the city.
The Johnsons didn’t let the closure stop them from having a good time.
“We’ll see more of Mount Dora, I guess, instead,” Joanne Johnson said.
Her husband’s opinion of Mount Dora, hurricane debris and all: “It’s brilliant. We absolutely love this place.”
In Orange County, park officials closed the county’s five camping parks because of downed trees and no power.
“Trimble Park [in northwest Orange County] is pretty bad,” said Matt Suedmeyer, manager of the county’s parks and recreation division. “There are about 38 trees that need to be removed. The power lines are lying on the ground. There is no water.”
Likewise, in Seminole, most of the county’s nature trails and parks are also closed because of downed trees and damaged boardwalks.
“Our hope is to get them open in the next few weeks,” said Joe Abel, Seminole’s leisure services director.
Just three of the Lake County Water Authority’s seven parks or preserves are open — Hidden Waters Preserve in Eustis, Crooked River Preserve in Clermont and Hickory Point Park in Tavares. However, portions of those may be closed because of flooded trails or damaged boardwalks.
Patricia Burgos, the water authority’s land resources director, said parks are important places for residents to relax and “clear the mind” after a stressful week following Irma.
“It reminds us how important these parks are to quality of life,” she said.