Hikers can get back on the Bear Creek Nature Trail. Winter Springs reopened the trail on Friday, Nov. 13, saying water levels have dropped, 10 days after high water forced it to close.
The city shut the trail on Nov. 3, citing recent heavy rain and water levels above normal, and asked people to stay off it while it was closed. The trail is at 1555 Winter Springs Blvd. and follows Bear Creek through a quiet wooded area with two small footbridges and three picnic tables, according to the city's parks listing.
Not everything along the water is open yet. The dock at Central Winds Park, which reaches out onto Lake Jesup, remains closed until further notice because of high water on the lake, and the city has said it will tell residents when it reopens.
Lake Jesup access elsewhere is also limited. Seminole County has closed its Lake Jesup Wilderness Area and boat ramp, one of six county recreation sites shut by flooding, Spectrum News 13 reported this week. The county's Wayside Park boat ramp on Lake Monroe was still open in that report, with no-wake restrictions in effect on the water.
Conditions can change quickly as the St. Johns River system drains, so the city's news page and Alert Winter Springs notices are the best places to check before heading out.
