St. Francis Trail
- 12.4 mi
- round trip
- 316 ft
- climb
- 32 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Oct–Apr
- best months
Is St. Francis Trail open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in National Forests in Florida. It doesn't name St. Francis Trail, so check the source for the area it covers.
Travel Management & Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Program
Agency closure covering National Forests in Florida · USFS · National Forests in Florida
Fire Restrictions in Effect for Ocala National Forest
Agency alert covering National Forests in Florida · USFS · National Forests in Florida
As of · Source: USFS · National Forests in Florida. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
St. Francis Trail is an easy out-and-back hike in Florida's National Forests in Florida, within the Seminole Ranger District. The trail is 12.4 miles long, and the one-way climb from the trailhead is about 31 feet, so it is a gentle walk rather than a mountain trek. The route has a low point of about 2 feet and a high point of about 32 feet, and the steepest stretch comes around mile 3.5 at a grade of about 4 percent. The trail is managed by the Forest Service and sits on natural surface. Bikes are allowed, and the trail is not accessible. The trailhead is called St. Francis Trailhead, and the trail is open year round. For comfortable weather, plan for winter and early spring. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Deland put January highs around 69°F and March highs around 76°F, while June through September brings the most wet days and the highest highs, peaking near 91°F in July. River Forest Group Site, a campground, is just 0.1 mile from the trail. Rattlesnake Well Loop is about a mile away, and Eastside Trail and Paisley Woods Mtn Bike are within about 10 miles.
Local outfitters
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · Oct–Apr
Best time to visit St. Francis Trail
Best months: October–April. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
69° / 45°
8 wet
Feb
72° / 47°
7 wet
Mar
76° / 51°
8 wet
Apr
81° / 57°
7 wet
May
86° / 64°
9 wet
Jun
89° / 70°
16 wet
Jul
91° / 72°
17 wet
Aug
90° / 73°
16 wet
Sep
88° / 71°
14 wet
Oct
82° / 63°
10 wet
Nov
76° / 54°
8 wet
Dec
71° / 48°
8 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Deland 1 Sse, FL, 5.7 mi away at 25 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
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