Recreation announcements and property closures

Following is a list of properties that are closed or have portions closed due to ongoing land management activities. We regret the temporary inconvenience, but the closures are necessary for public safety. If you have concerns or comments about any of these activities, please contact us at landmgmt@sjrwmd.com or 386-329-4401.

Headwaters Boat Ramp temporary recurring closures – In effect

February 2, 2026

The District has implemented temporary, recurring closures of the Headwaters Boat Ramp, including the kayak launch, at the Fellsmere Water Management Area to support scheduled maintenance and restoration activities.

The ramp will be closed Monday, Aug. 3, through Thursday, Aug. 6.

This will reoccur during the first full week of each month from now through September 2026, excluding federal holidays.

During these closures, western levee trails will remain open for hiking and bank fishing. Alternative boat access will continue to be available at nearby District-managed properties, including the Fellsmere Grade Recreation Area (Stick Marsh) and the C-54 Boat Ramp.

For closure dates, frequently asked questions, and additional details, please view the full press release here.

Lake Apopka Loop Trail Closure

August 5, 2026

Operations and Maintenance and their contractor will be restoring rip-rap along the lakeshore levee for portions of the Lake Apopka Loop Trail.  A section of the Loop Trail will be closed from Lust Road, just north of the Pump House, to just west of Laughlin Road.  The project will take up to two months.  Please use the detour to avoid the work zone.  Work will be Monday through Thursday and will not affect the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive.

Temporary Road Closure on McDonald Canal Road

July 29, 2026
Map of Lake Apopka North Shore with McDonald Canal Road indicated for closure

McDonald Canal Road will be closed to all traffic Aug. 3–7 while the District’s Operations and Maintenance staff and their contractor install a pipe across the roadway.

The closure will be in effect from Lake Level Canal Road to the Loop Trail Spur (between Duda Crossroads and the North Shore Trailhead). Please refer to map for the closure location.

The Loop Trail and Wildlife Drive will remain open and will not be affected by this temporary road closure.

Please use caution in the area and plan accordingly. We appreciate your patience while this work is completed.

Clay Island Loop Trail

June 23, 2026

A portion of the Clay Island Loop Trail will be closed for the next two weeks.  Operations and Maintenance are working on the Flow-Way Pump Basin, and both roads going south are blocked.  The east-west road going from the AB Canal to the Clay Island Trailhead will remain open (this is also part of the Lake Apopka Loop Trail), but please be extremely cautious in this area.

Moses Creek Conservation Area

October 16, 2025
An aerial map of the Moses Creek Conservation Area in St. Johns County, Florida, showing planned 2026 mulch mowing areas outlined in yellow within a larger blue site boundary, overlaid on satellite imagery of forest, marsh, and nearby neighborhoods. The map highlights approximately 262 acres of mowing corridors and blocks along existing district roads and firelines, notes a red-hatched area where only sand pines will be mulched, and includes caution text advising that taking equipment through the center of the property is not recommended, with labeled access points at 596 Shores Boulevard and 1300 State Road 206 East for water management district operations.

From late March through September 2026, crews will be mulch mowing approximately 262 acres at Moses Creek Conservation Area. Portions of all trails (red, yellow and white) will be impacted, including access to the Murats Point reservable hike-in campsite. Please use caution when visiting the property and always maintain a safe distance from heavy equipment; visibility from these machines can be limited and operators may be unable to see people approaching. The project’s goals are to lessen the risk of wildfires and reduce the density of undesired woody species, making way for desired species such as longleaf and slash pine.

Rice Creek Conservation Area

May 4, 2026

An area within the Nine Mile Tract of the Rice Creek Conservation Area (see map) is undergoing a pine thinning. Tree stand densities are high, and the purpose of the thinning is to remove diseased, defective and suppressed trees to create openings in the canopy, freeing up growing space for the healthiest trees. Please use caution when accessing the property for recreation, including hunting. The contract allows the work to be conducted through March 12, 2027.

 

Pellicer Creek Conservation Area

May 4, 2026

An area within the Pellicer Creek Conservation Area (see map) is undergoing a pine thinning. Tree stand densities are high, and the purpose of the thinning is to remove diseased, defective and suppressed trees to create openings in the canopy, freeing up growing space for the healthiest trees. Please use caution when accessing the property for recreation. The contract allows the work to be conducted through April 13, 2027.

 

Orange Creek Restoration Area

May 4, 2026

An area within the Orange Creek Restoration Area (see map) is undergoing a pine thinning. Tree stand densities are high, and the purpose of the thinning is to remove diseased, defective and suppressed trees to create openings in the canopy, freeing up growing space for the healthiest trees. Please use caution when accessing the property for recreation, including hunting. The contract allows the work to be conducted through April 1, 2027.

 

Lochloosa Wildlife Conservation Area

May 4, 2026

An area within the Lochloosa Wildlife Conservation Area (see map) is undergoing a pine thinning. Tree stand densities are high, and the purpose of the thinning is to remove diseased, defective and suppressed trees to create openings in the canopy, freeing up growing space for the healthiest trees. Please use caution when accessing the property for recreation, including hunting (quota permit required).  Work is anticipated to continue through May 15, 2027.

Longleaf Flatwoods Reserve

May 4, 2026

An area within the River Styx Tract of the Longleaf Flatwoods Reserve (see map) is undergoing a pine thinning. Tree stand densities are high, and the purpose of the thinning is to remove diseased, defective and suppressed trees to create openings in the canopy, freeing up growing space for the healthiest trees. Please use caution when accessing the property for recreation. The contract allows the work to be conducted through April 2, 2027.

 

Lake George Conservation Area

May 4, 2026

An area within the Lake George Conservation Area (see map) is undergoing a pine thinning. Tree stand densities are high, and the purpose of the thinning is to remove diseased, defective and suppressed trees to create openings in the canopy, freeing up growing space for the healthiest trees. Please use caution when accessing the property for recreation, including primitive tent camping (reservation required) and hunting.  Work is anticipated to continue through June 15, 2027.

Clark Bay Conservation Area

May 4, 2026

An area within the Clark Bay Conservation Area (see map) is undergoing a pine thinning. Tree stand densities are high, and the purpose of the thinning is to remove diseased, defective and suppressed trees to create openings in the canopy, freeing up growing space for the healthiest trees. Please use caution when accessing the property. The contract allows the work to be conducted through Oct. 8, 2026.

Moses Creek Conservation Area

March 9, 2026

Heavy equipment will be onsite beginning May 1 for a Florida Power & Light (FPL) project to replace overhead power lines with underground lines within the power line easement. This project will require directional boring to install the lines underground. Parts of the red trail, on the north/central portion of the conservation area, will be closed during the project, which is expected to continue for approximately six months. Please use caution when visiting the property and always maintain a safe distance from heavy equipment; visibility from large equipment is limited and operators may be unable to see people approaching. FPL’s purpose for the project is to enhance the reliability of its electric grid to help avoid power outages, particularly during storm events. For questions about the power line project, contact FPL Project Engineer Bolivar Lai at (407) 754-8092.

J.P. Hall Bayard Point Conservation Area

April 22, 2026

An area within J.P. Hall Bayard Point Conservation Area totaling 104 acres (see map) is undergoing a pine thinning. Some internal roads may be impacted as log trucks enter and exit Area 4. Please use caution when accessing the property for recreation, including primitive tent camping (reservation required). The contract allows the work to be conducted through March 24, 2027.

Blue Cypress Conservation Area

February 7, 2023
L-77 idle zone map

The area along the L-77 West Levee in the Blue Cypress Water Management Area, also known as Lake Garcia, has been designated an idle speed zone. Signs have been posted on property and are located at the motorboat and airboat ramps of the 512 recreation area. The idle speed zone extends 300 feet east of the L-77 West levee. To assist boaters navigate around the work area and in identifying the no wake zone, the District has installed orange buoys with strobing lights in Lake Garcia.

This idle speed zone has been temporarily established to alleviate erosion at the levee toe and will remain in place for approximately two years as the District works on planned reinforcements to the levee and littoral zone.

See recreational map for other areas to visit in the area.

Lochloosa Wildlife Conservation Area

April 11, 2025

The observation platform in the Marsh Road area of Lochloosa Wildlife Conservation Area is closed until further notice due to the collapse of the approach boardwalk in several places. Closure signs are posted onsite.

St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park

December 13, 2024

Structure 157 (S-157) located along Canal 54 (C-54) in St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park is now open to the public after major construction rehabilitation work to the structure. Please be aware that the downstream (east) wingwalls will remain closed off and inaccessible to the public for safety reasons.

Additional repairs will be made to the east wingwalls in the future (schedule TBD). During the future construction phase, public access to S-157, including the manatee overlook and spillway, will be closed until repairs are complete.

Please monitor this page for updates.

J.P. Hall Bayard Point Conservation Area

March 17, 2025

Road construction for the First Coast Expressway continues on State Road 16, making access to the J.P. Hall Bayard Point Conservation Area trailhead parking area difficult to spot. The entrance road to the parking area is 0.4 miles east of Owens Road or 1.2 miles west of Susan Drive in Clay County. Please see the Google map link on the property description web page for directions.