Maintained by the St. John’s River Water Management District, Lake Jessup Conservation Area protects over 5,000 acres surrounding its namesake lake.  The East Tract is one of three public access points, and one of two that features a marked trail system. Starting at the end of a road in Black Hammock, trails in this portion of the conservation area explore shady hammocks along the southern shore of the lake.

Diamond shaped markers wind through a forest of tall palms and stately live oaks draped with Spanish moss. A wide pathway leads away from the parking area towards the swampy floodplain, reaching the loop portion of the route in about a half mile. Turning to the left at the loop, the wide trail continues to the east, reaching a tall wooden tower on the shoreline at the northernmost point. Taking a right at the intersection, the path skirts around a small pond and becomes narrower as it meanders through a subtropical jungle to the observation tower.

Either way, an out and back exploration of the trail is around a two-mile round trip over undulating terrain and under a generous amount of tree cover. As is the case with all SJRWMD recreation lands, public access is allowed 24 hours a day, so visitors don’t have to worry about rushing back to the trailhead by sunset. Because the St. John’s River and its numerous lakes are subject to seasonal flooding, it may be best to skip over this trail after a heavy rain event.