SANFORD, Fla. — The Black Bear Wilderness area in northwest Seminole County features 1,600-acres of wetlands near the St. Johns River.

What You Need To Know

  • Venture Outdoors guides take visitors to try to see Florida black bears in the wild
  • The tour is done in the Black Bear Wilderness area of Seminole County
  • No guarantee you will see a bear but there are other animals to spot including owls, deer, alligators and snakes
  • Tour guide will teach guests about Central Florida wildlife and learn about plants and the uniqueness of the area

The public lands are home to deer, wild pigs, alligators and bears.

For three years, tour guide Astrid Jackson has guided guests through this 1,600-acre wetlands, known as the Black Bear Wilderness area. It is a 7-mile trail loop, in the floodplain of the St. Johns River.

“This is probably one of the places where you have the chance of seeing wildlife on a hike,” said Jackson, taking a small group through the wilderness.

One of her favorite animals to spot is the Florida black bear. 

She always reminds her guests that there is no guarantee you will see a bear on the tour, since the animals are always on the move.

“It’s best to try to find the black bears in the morning or the evening hours, but you never know,” said Jackson.

Steve Kozerski knows how these bears move in Seminole County. He spends his free time tracking the wild animals by setting up trail cameras in cooperation with the county, capturing creatures on video. 

He even has a YouTube channel (Regular Guy) posting some of his favorite finds in the woods.

“I never see the same bears consistently. They are always changing, like they are on shifts,” he said.

The animal tracker believes this is one of the top public areas to see wildlife.

“There are coyotes out here. And owls, red-shouldered hawks, pigs, deer, bears, and a lot of bobcats. You know I want to catch the animals do what they do when people are not around,” said Kozerski.”

Jackson says she never knows what her guests will see on one of her tours. Sometimes it’s owls, centipedes or alligators. 

“After they come on a tour with me usually, they realize that alligators are not to be feared. They are to be respected,” Jackson said.

The tour takes three to four hours, walking under a natural canopy of shade. The hike includes boardwalks but mainly dirt pathways.

The black bear discovery hike is $80 per person.

Reservations are made online with Venture Outdoors.