My family loves to get outside to walk, even through the summer heat. On a recent visit in mid-June the temperatures were already reaching the upper 90’s so we went early to the wooded trails in nearby Lake Lafayette Heritage Park.
The sky was overcast, with a steady breeze off the lake as we started on the west section of the trail. This section follows the west levee along Piney Z Lake and winds through sections of old oak forest. It’s shaded and quiet, with slightly uphill terrain.
Watching and listening for birds is usually a focus on our walks. Sighting two swallow-tailed kites overhead on our drive to the park was a good start! Along the levee we stopped for a while to watch a green heron fishing at the lake’s edge. Red-winged blackbirds were on the marshy side of the levee and we identified their song, with its flute-like notes, before the birds were in view.
We walked across railroad tracks and continued along a twisty route. The trail leads to a boardwalk crossing high over the tracks and passing through the forest canopy. Stopping to listen, we heard a White-eyed Vireo, Northern Parula, Carolina wrens, and plenty of cardinals.
Historically, the Lake Lafayette system was a huge wet prairie, like Paynes Prairie in Gainesville – filling with water during heavy rains, then draining through sinkholes to the Floridan Aquifer. In the 1950s, constructed dams divided the system into 3 sections. Upper Lake Lafayette remains a wet prairie, Piney Z Lake is open water, and Lower Lafayette Lake resembles a cypress bayou.
In Piney Z Lake people fish from grassy levees, or “fishing fingers,” to catch bass, bream and speckled trout. Kayaking and canoeing are also popular and when water levels in the lakes are high, paddlers can cross the whole lake system following the Lafayette Passage Paddling Trail.
The boardwalk leads out of the canopy, down to a levee between Piney Z Lake and Lower Lake Lafayette. The trail is wide, flat and sunny here, a good section for walking, jogging and viewing the lakes.
The levee offered us good views of the lower lake with native waterlily and bald cypress, and an osprey flying overhead. A short walk across the levee took us to the east section of the trail, back into the shade of the deciduous forest.
This section, mostly a wide, flat forest road with more walkers and cyclists, was still fairly quiet on a weekday morning. Continuing along the trail we eventually ended back at the parking area, with a shaded playground and picnic area.
The City of Tallahassee received matching funds to purchase the land for the park from the Florida Communities Trust through the Florida Forever Program. Several additional agencies contributed funds for the park’s development.
This splendid urban greenway, “Piney Z” to locals, is located within a short drive for much of Tallahassee. It offers wonderful outdoor recreation opportunities and conserves nearly 800 acres for use now and in the future.
If you are interested in experiencing the Piney Z Trail, check out Visit Tallahassee: https://visittallahassee.com/trails/piney-z-trail/
Please protect our parks from becoming Disney Worlds!