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Explore Orlando's Shingle Creek Trail
Just 3.3 miles from the Orange County Convention Center and 1.4 miles from Universal Orlando Resort's new Epic Universe location, a wooded, scenic trail offers locals a chance to escape from the hustle and bustle of Orlando without having to go too far.
I remember discovering the Shingle Creek Trail in 2018 after dropping off my Wrangler for an oil change. My wife and I were heading home and we decided to take Destination Parkway and avoid some of the traffic on Sand Lake Rd. As we turned onto Destination I noticed one of those traditional wooden signs you normally see at the entrance of trails. I blurted out, “Turn around, I just saw something we need to explore!”
Spontaneous adventures are pretty common in our home so we're always game for a quick exploration.
The entrance to the Shingle Creek Trail off Destination Parkway is quite unassuming. You can’t see the pathway from the road and there’s no parking lot that would indicate there’s something there. The entrance is actually at the side entrance to a Holiday Inn Express.
A traditional wooden park sign marks the entrance to the Shingle Creek Trail off Destination Parkway. The pathway below the road can be seen to the right.
As we exited the car we saw the pathway that runs along the overpass but is hidden until you walk up to it. Brimming with curiosity we grabbed our coffees and walked down. The pathway dropped us under the bridge and as we looked to our right, our jaws dropped. “How did we not know this was here?!”
As you walk from the entrance along the side of the overpass, the trail opens to your right
We love this tree and always stop to sit on it and take a photo
The trail will take you from the spot at Destination Parkway all the way to a Sand Lake Rd overpass, which is pretty much an even mile. At that point you’ll walk under the overpass and turn right to go up to Sand Lake Rd. The path will go for maybe a 100 yards and it will drop you back down to a more wooded trail.
The trail runs for 100 yards along Sand Lake Rd
The re-entrance to the trail off Sand Lake Rd
According to the City of Orlando website, The Shingle Creek Trail (once completed) will connect the City of Orlando, Orange County, Osceola County and the City of Kissimmee. While the trail stops at Destination Parkway there has been a sign indicating the trail will continue along the creek.
