May 5, 2013, Malabar Scrub Sanctuary
Today we hiked the 2.75 miles of the Red Trail at the Malabar Scrub Sanctuary. We started at Malabar Trail Head Park on Marie Street. There were some horses at the park that had already made the trip. the beginning of the trail is a paved pathway. the pavement circles thepark boundary so we left it as soon as the Red Trail headed in a different direction. This land was very flat with great path markings. The Pine trees were scortched from a managed burn a year ago. Even with the rain we have had in recent days the area was dry. There was evidence of horses, bikes and hikers on the trail. At a leasure pace we completed the trail in less than two hours, with stops to enjoy the view. This park is part of the Brevard County Environmentally Endangered Lands Program. It covers 577 acres, and is home to Gopher turtles, scrub jays, woodpeckers, and bobcats. It offers activities including bird watching, hiking, horseback riding, wildlife viewing, and mountain biking. We only came across a woodpecker, dragonflies, and one mountain bike. On our return to Malabar Trail Head Park, they had Bluegrass Music in the paviliion. They just show up and play every Sunday around 1:30 I was told by a nice lady making jewelry while she and her friends listened under the shade of the Pine Trees. Check out other trails in Brevard County at WWW.EELBREVARD.COM.