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West Orange County was once a mix of orchards, pine plantations, farms, and pastures. The farms and citrus orchards faded away over the years, as real estate developers bought up the agricultural land and transformed the countryside into suburban neighborhoods. By the time the north half of Horizon West was built out, all of the large wildlife, such as deer and black bears, had moved south or west to find new homes.
After the construction of the SR 429 tollway, Orange County purchased several square miles of land, including about 640 acres north of Lake Hartley. Horizon West Regional Park was created in 2015, in the southern half of that acreage. The wildlife that escaped from the surrounding developments re-settled in the county-owned land.
The construction of the 4-lane Hamlin Groves Trail in 2019 moved the north boundary of the park south of the 4-lane road.
The remnants of citrus orchards abandoned in the 1980s gradually disappeared. Those orchards reverted to typical Florida upland scrub, dotted with a few small lakes and shallow ponds. This provides an environment in which many Florida-native plants and animals can thrive once again, if they’re given a little TLC.
On a mobile device such as a phone, the map displayed on the Park Trail Map page can be used as a navigation guide to the many species of wildflowers, trees, and shrubs found along the trails.
Field Guide: Wildflowers
Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) vines begin flowering in April.
Buttonbushes (Cephalanthus occidentalis) are seen along the northern shore of Lake Hartley in late May / early June.
Yellow flax (Linum medium) appears along some grassy trails in late May / early June.
Leafless beaked orchids (Sacoila lanceolata) are sometimes spotted in the tall grass north of the central pond, in June.
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