Casting Through Time: The Historic Jungle Trail

Happy Monday Spacefish!

Tucked away on Orchid Island is a sandy stretch of road that doesn’t look like much at first glance. Still, the Historic Jungle Trail has carried everything from pioneer foot traffic to citrus-laden trucks to Florida fisherfolk hauling fish to the docks. Today, it’s a scenic byway shaded by coastal hammock, connecting one of Florida’s great wildlife refuges to some of the best fishing waters in the Indian River Lagoon system. But before we talk rods and reels and Snook, let’s take a quick walk back through time on one of Florida’s most unique trails.

History of the Jungle Trail

If you’ve ever pedaled, jogged, or bounced your truck down the Jungle Trail on Orchid Island, you’ve retraced the steps (and ruts) of some of Florida’s earliest settlers. Long before it was a scenic detour for cyclists and nature lovers, it was exactly what the name suggests: a jungle path carved through the coastal hammock.

Back in the late 1800s, pioneers like Captain W.H. Forster and the Jones family hacked out this narrow, winding track. At the time, the island was wild and isolated—mosquitoes thick enough to drive you crazy, vegetation so dense you practically needed a machete, and no bridges to connect you to the mainland. That little sandy path became the community’s lifeline. Settlers used it to haul citrus and garden crops, carry fish to river docks, and shuttle back and forth to the beach. In other words, the Jungle Trail was the original “back road” before GPS, bridges, or paved highways.

By 1920, things got official. The county recognized the trail as a bona fide road after a “Post and View” survey—basically the old-timey version of today’s Google Maps update. And just in time, too, because the citrus industry was booming. Growers needed a way to get their fruit moving, and the Jungle Trail turned into a citrus superhighway. Trucks and wagons rattled down the sand, piled high with crates of Indian River oranges and grapefruit, headed for packing houses and shipping docks.

For decades, the road’s shady canopy of palms and live oaks saw more citrus traffic than tourists. Those loads of fruit helped spread the reputation of Indian River citrus far beyond Florida, cementing the region’s place in agricultural history. If you were eating an Indian River orange in New York City, Boston, or Philadelphia in the 1930s, there’s a decent chance it rattled down the Jungle Trail first.

Of course, time marches on. Bridges got built, paved highways came through, and the Jungle Trail’s role as a produce pipeline faded. Instead of getting bulldozed or forgotten, though, it was preserved—eventually landing on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, it’s less about hauling citrus and more about soaking in the scenery.

Cars can still drive it, but most folks experience the trail on foot, by bike, or in a slow-rolling truck with the windows down. It’s a slice of “Old Florida,” with hard-packed sand under your feet, hammock canopy overhead, and the occasional osprey or egret wheeling above. Even better, the trail connects to the legendary Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge—the nation’s very first wildlife refuge and still one of the best bird-watching spots around.

And here’s where history loops back to fishing: just like those early settlers who hauled their catches across the island, today’s anglers can still find plenty of action in the waters the Jungle Trail winds alongside. From the Indian River Lagoon on one side to the beach access points on the other, this stretch of barrier island has always been tied to fish, food, and Florida life. Some things change, but the pull of the water never does.

Fishing the Waters Along the Jungle Trail

When it comes to fishing, the waters around Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge are about as good as it gets in the Indian River Lagoon—at least in my experience! Snook are the headliners here, and I’ve found them to be dependable year-round. Along the way I’ve tangled with plenty of Sea Trout, Redfish, Sheepshead, Mangrove Snapper, and Jack Crevalle. Even a few surprise wintertime visitors like juvenile Barracuda show up from time to time.

Still, Snook are the stars of the show. There’s a great launch spot right off the Jungle Trail that’ll put you into prime territory, but don’t be afraid to move around. This stretch offers a mix of wind protection, ambush points, and spots where wind-blown water pushes bait and oxygen into the system. In the warmer months, Snook stack up in those high-flow areas. When it cools off, they slide out onto the flats to soak up the sun. One of my favorite memories was a December Snook I picked up just west of Roseate Island in an area called Turtle Pen Slough—slow-rolling a swimbait along the bottom until the line went tight.

Season to season, the smart play is to let the conditions guide you. Over the years, I’ve found four presentations that consistently produce in this area:

• Topwater plugs at first light — explosive action in the warmer months.
• Swimbaits/Paddle Tails — year-round producers if you adjust speed and action; Snook are lazy, but they’ll crush a reaction strike. I prefer weedless since this area is all about the mangroves.
• Jerkbaits — fluke-style baits rigged weedless and weightless skip beautifully under the mangroves, imitating a dying baitfish.
• DOA Shrimp — a classic that still fools plenty of fish, including the one in the photo above from earlier this spring.

At the end of the day, a lot of different lures will work here, but accuracy is everything. Get your casts tight to the mangroves, keep moving if the bite is slow, and rotate through your lineup until you crack the code. Some days are on fire, some are tougher, but the backdrop is always beautiful. Between the wildlife, the history, and the chance to stick a quality Snook, the Jungle Trail is absolutely worth a trip.

Conclusion

The Historic Jungle Trail isn’t just a scenic drive or bike ride — it’s a slice of Old Florida where history, wildlife, and great fishing all come together. From the citrus groves and settlers of the past to today’s anglers chasing Snook in the mangroves, this stretch of barrier island has always been tied to life on the water.

And if you’re looking to explore it the right way, nothing beats a kayak. A quiet paddle lets you slip into the mangroves, stalk the flats, and connect with this place the way the old-timers did — slow, simple, and close to the water. That’s where our friends at Kayaks by Bo come in. Whether you’re looking for your first ride or upgrading to something that’ll take you deeper into the Lagoon, they’ll get you rigged up and ready to roll.

So pack a rod, load up the yak, and give the Jungle Trail a shot. Even if the fish don’t cooperate, you’ll come away with a story — and maybe a little appreciation for just how much history is packed into this sandy, shaded stretch of Old Florida.

Thanks for taking the time to read my write-up this week! Stay safe, be happy, and go out and rip a few lips this week! Until next time!