Econ River Wilderness Area in Oviedo, FL

The Econ River Wilderness Area has been on my list of places to hike for a while. I've been to other parts of the natural lands surrounding the river, but was completely unaware of this section. That changed when this area made the news. Seminole County seems very keen on selling the Econ River Wilderness Area to developers. Seems like it is safe for now, but I imagine that will probably change again in the future. I figured I better visit while I still can...

The area is mostly made up of pine scrub. There are several trails that transverse the area, but the main trail consists of two loops. One is near the parking lot, and the second loops near the Econ River. 

While most of the area is pine scrub, there was a section that was filled with lots and lots of oak.

I encountered a gopher tortoise on my hike. He was hanging out on the side of the trail munching on grass.

I almost thought I wouldn't be able to reach the Econ River. The main trails approaching the river became very muddy and eventually flooded. I turned back, but eventually found a small side trail that took me right to the river. The water seemed very high.

Here's a video of the hike through the area to the river: