It’s no secret that we love the Florida weather. After living in the midwest all our lives, a full year of warmth is one of the primary reasons we moved here in the first place! Taking advantage of the weather is more than just going to the theme and water parks, it’s spending time in Florida’s natural terrain as well. We’ve touched on this already with Revolution Off Road, but what if you want to enjoy the great outdoors without spending money? This is where Orlando’s hiking trails come into play. These trails are free, family-friendly, and a great way to take in Florida’s natural beauty.

Tibet-Butler Preserve

Located on the west side of Orlando, close to Disney, the Tibet-Butler Preserve boasts almost three and a half miles of trails through 438 acres of natural Florida terrain. The terrain is one of our favorite parts because it’s not simply walking through the woods. You’ll find wooded areas, marshes, and a beautiful lake.

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The Trails

There are six interconnected trails totaling 3.21 miles. If the three miles seems like a lot to you, don’t worry, the trails are organized so that you can do little bits at a time without getting too far away from your car or the Vera Carter Environmental Center which serves as Tibet-Butler Preserve’s main hub. The trails consist of natural terrain (dirt, sticks, rocks, sand, etc.), but every trail is cleared so there’s no hiking involved. Comfortable walking shoes or sandals will do you just fine. 

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The trails are very easy to navigate. Other than simply following one of the paper maps you can pick up, there are maps all over the trails as well as 20 trail markers to mark your place and introduce you to the plants and animals living in the area. The longest trail, Palmetto Passage, is also the hardest to walk. That being said, the trail is still a far cry from intense hiking.

Vera Carter Environmental Center

Serving as a sort of clubhouse for the trails, the Environmental Center provides more information about the history of the preserve and the animals and plants that live there. It’s also a great place to recharge between trail walks. The entire Environmental Center is covered and features rocking chairs. It’s also where you’ll find restrooms.

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Tips and Tricks for Your Visit to Tibet-Butler Preserve

Want to make your visit to the Tibet-Butler Preserve the best it can be? Check out a few tips and tricks from the experts (aka…us).

• Bring a bottle of water: It’s important to stay hydrated, especially when doing anything outside in Florida. We recommend bringing an insulated bottle because while there aren’t any drinking fountains on the trail, there is a bottle refilling station next to the restrooms at the Environmental Center.

• Have a picnic: Speaking of the Environmental Center, it’s the perfect place to have a picnic! The first time we ever visited the Preserve, we left a cooler in the car and had a picnic at the halfway point of our day. Not only are the aforementioned rocking chairs next to the Environmental Center, but there is also an outside area specifically designated for picnics and includes a little playground for kids.

• Wear sunscreen: For as many trees as there are at the Tibet-Butler Preserve, there are a few trails (Tarflower Loop and Pine Circle Trail especially) that don’t offer much shade. You should also be mindful of just how hot it is outside. If you aren’t used to the Florida heat, we wouldn’t recommend visiting the park if it’s too hot.

• Bring a camera: Because of cell phones, everyone has a camera at the ready. However, if you’re more than just an amateur photographer, bring your equipment! There are always beautiful trees and flowers to photograph, and you never know when you’ll run into a new animal friend. Cameras are especially handy at Osprey Outlook.

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Our Rating

We plan on visiting several of Orlando’s hiking and walking trails, so to help us keep track and compare them to each other we came up with a rating system. We’re going to compare all of the trails to the same categories: difficulty, amenities, distance, coverage, and parking.

We give the Tibet-Butler Preserve an overall rating of 3 out of 5. Here’s how we broke it down:

Difficulty: 1*

The trails are pretty wide open and easy to walk on. Now, there’s a caveat with this rating since we have not been able to walk on Palmetto Passage yet as it’s closed many times throughout the year.  

Amenities: 5

As far as parks and wilderness areas go, Tibet-Butler Preserve has a lot to offer besides a walking path. There are restrooms, picnic tables, a welcome center, and butterfly garden which allows for a longer, more comfortable visit.

Distance: 2

The distances are pretty easy and because there are a few different loops, you can go for as long or as short of a hike as you feel comfortable with.

Coverage: 2

Overall, the trails don’t have a ton of shade. We advise against going here on a hot, sunny day unless you only want to go on a short hike. 

Parking: 5

We have been to Tibet-Butler Preserve a few times now and have never encountered any issues when it came to parking. There are many well-marked spots including handicapped.

One of the reasons we started this blog was to show our readers there is so much more to Orlando than just theme parks. If you’re looking to take advantage of the beautiful Florida weather, but do something a little bit outside of the norm, finding an Orlando hiking trail, like the Tibet-Butler Preserve, could be just the thing.