The Little Big Econ State Forest is a

state forest A state forest or national forest is a forest that is administered or protected by some agency of a sovereign or federated state, or territory. Background The precise application of the terms vary by jurisdiction. For example: * In Australia, a ...

in the

U.S. The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

state of

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

. The forest is located in

Central Florida Central Florida is a region of the U.S. state of Florida. Different sources give different definitions for the region, but as its name implies it is usually said to comprise the central part of the state, including the Tampa Bay area and the Gr ...

, east of the downtown

Oviedo Oviedo (; ast, Uviéu ) is the capital city of the Principality of Asturias in northern Spain and the administrative and commercial centre of the region. It is also the name of the municipality that contains the city. Oviedo is located ap ...

, on Florida Country Road 426 with forest office on Snow Hill Road in

Geneva, Florida Geneva is a community, census-designated place and unincorporated area in Seminole County, Florida, United States, with zip code 32732. The population was 2,913 at the 2020 Census. It is part of the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford Metropolitan ...

. The Kilbee Tract is a smaller non-contiguous section of the park located east of the main forest, along

Saint Johns River The St. Johns River ( es, Río San Juan) is the longest river in the U.S. state of Florida and its most significant one for commercial and recreational use. At long, it flows north and winds through or borders twelve counties. The drop in eleva ...

, the longest river in the state."Little Big Econ Map"
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). Retrieved on 2014-08-02. The forest's most notable feature is the

Econlockhatchee River The Econlockhatchee River (Econ River for short) is an U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed April 21, 2011 north-flowing blackwater tributary of the St. Johns River. The Ec ...

, an

Outstanding Florida Water Outstanding Florida Waters are rivers, lakes and other water features designated by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) under authority of Section 403.061 (27), Florida Statutes as "worthy of special protection because of their ...

, that winds east-to-west inside the forest. The

protected area Protected areas or conservation areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognized natural, ecological or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the ena ...

of Florida is open for picnicking, bird watching, fishing, hunting, hiking, horseback and mountain bike riding.

Etymology

The name Little Big Econ State Forest comes from combining the names of the

Little Econlockhatchee River Little Econlockhatchee River (or Little Econ River) is a major tributary of the Econlockhatchee River. It originates at an unnamed lake at , near Orlando, Florida in southeast Orange County, Florida, Orange County. It is approximately long,U.S. ...

and the larger

, which flow through the forest property."Little Big Econ State Forest"
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). Retrieved on 2014-08-02.

Hiking

The old Flagler

Railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

System used to traverse the central part of the state forest. The trail was originally part of the

Florida East Coast Railway The Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida, currently owned by Grupo México. Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a pr ...

's Kissimmee Valley Line, also known as the Okeechobee Branch. What was the old railway is now called the Flagler Trail. Remains of old trestle pilings can still be seen on the river. The

Florida National Scenic Trail The Florida Trail is one of eleven National Scenic Trails in the United States. It currently runs , from Big Cypress National Preserve (between Miami and Naples, Florida along the Tamiami Trail) to Fort Pickens at Gulf Islands National Seashore, ...

passes through the state forest and follows the southern portion of the Flagler Trail.

Mountain biking

Known as Snow Hill among local mountain bikers for the road where the trailhead is on, the forest includes a single-track bike trail."Mountain Biking Little Big Econ State Forest / Snow Hill"
. Outdoor Travels. Retrieved on 2014-08-02.

Camping

There are no developed campsites or hookups available in the park, only primitive camping. For canoeist, primitive camping is available with special permit.

References

{{Protected areas of Florida Florida state forests Protected areas of Seminole County, Florida Protected areas established in 1990 1990 establishments in Florida