Pinewood Flatlands Trail at Merritt Island National Seashore

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See the Hiking Trails web page for an interactive location map.

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Length: 2.1 miles
Time: 1 hour
Difficulty: Easy

Pine Flatwoods Trail map

The Pine Flatwoods Trail at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge is billed as a 1-mile loop hike by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, but there is an option to hike to Mosquito Lagoon and catch the loop portion of the trail on the way back, which makes the hike just a tad over two miles long. I opted for the longer hike, and this review includes the detour to the lagoon. Also, by my calculations the loop hike is 1.2 miles.

All of the paths that make up the Pine Flatwoods Trail, including the one to Mosquito Lagoon, are fire break roads. The entire trail is exposed to the sun, so be prepared with a hat and sunscreen if avoiding the sun is of concern to you.

Start of the Pine Flatwoods Trail at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

The trail passes through a terrain largely comprised of palmettos, gallberry bushes, and wire grass, but larger slash pines and scrub oaks grow as well. This is a strange environment because you aren’t in a forest and you aren’t in a desert. The environment is somewhere in between the two.

Pine flatwoods environment along the Pine Flatwoods Trail at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

Pine flatwoods terrain is prone to forest fires, so the plants that grow here must tolerate fire well. To keep the brush from building up too much and creating the potential for a massive fire, park officials conduct prescribed burns at various locations throughout the year.

Pine flatwoods environment along the Pine Flatwoods Trail at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

My hike starts out by first heading to Mosquito Lagoon, a nearly straight shot all the way to the water. On the way you will pass two trailheads for the loop portion of the Pine Flatwoods Trail, but skip both of these for now. The hike to the lagoon is .7 mile, one-way, which is .45 mile past the second trailhead. Thus, the detour to the lagoon adds .9 mile to the loop hike.

Path to Mosquito Lagoon on the Pine Flatwoods Trail at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

I first hiked to Mosquito Lagoon on the Pine Flatwoods Trail in 2016, and it was possible to get to the shore for a good view. However, in 2022, the shoreline is now overgrown with brush, so you can no longer get to the shore without bushwhacking your way to it, and there’s barely even a view of the water from behind the bushes. Thus, there is no longer a reason to hike to the lagoon.

View of Mosquito Lagoon in 2016 from the Pine Flatwoods Trail at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

View of Mosquito Lagoon in 2022 from the Pine Flatwoods Trail at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

As you make your way back towards the parking area, be on the lookout for the first right-hand turn, which starts the loop portion of the hike. From here on out there’s not much to say about the Pine Flatwoods Trail other than the terrain stays pretty much the same all the way around. The turns are well marked, so there is no chance of getting lost. You will be hiking in the counterclockwise direction and should encounter only two left turns before coming back to the main trail. At that point, take a right to get back to the parking lot.

Typical terrain on the Pinewood Flatlands Trail at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge

I hiked the Pine Flatwoods Trail in March and encountered a few mosquitoes along the way. I did not apply any insect repellent before starting the hike, but I did bring some with me. About halfway around the loop I finally got tired of dealing with the few that kept harassing me and applied the repellent. It goes without saying that all trails at Canaveral National Seashore and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge should be avoided in the summer when the bugs are out in force.

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