Trail between WL and Fort Wilderness

[MrToadfan]

Wondering about the walking trail between WL and FW.
1. Approximately how long does this walk take.
2. Would we end up close to the location for the Mickey's Backyard BBQ?
3. Does it bring you close to the location for the chip and dale sing along campfire?
4. Is it well-illuminated and generally safe to walk back to WL at night after these evening activities have ended?

Thanks in advance. This is our first stay at WL.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

Wondering about the walking trail between WL and FW.
1. Approximately how long does this walk take.
2. Would we end up close to the location for the Mickey's Backyard BBQ?
3. Does it bring you close to the location for the chip and dale sing along campfire?
4. Is it well-illuminated and generally safe to walk back to WL at night after these evening activities have ended?

Thanks in advance. This is our first stay at WL.

I can answer #1 and #4. The walk is short--10 to 15 minutes, depending on how fast you walk. The trail through the woods is unpaved and unlit. It would be spooky to do it in the dark, so we took the boat back to the WL. I believe there is a paved trail as well, but no experience with that, as we wanted to go the woods route.

 

[MrToadfan]

I can answer #1 and #4. The walk is short--10 to 15 minutes, depending on how fast you walk. The trail through the woods is unpaved and unlit. It would be spooky to do it in the dark, so we took the boat back to the WL. I believe there is a paved trail as well, but no experience with that, as we wanted to go the woods route.

Thanks. I wondered if maybe it wasn't lit in keeping with the rustic theme. That's too bad. It would be nice to walk back after activities.

 

[tobikaye]

Wondering about the walking trail between WL and FW.
1. Approximately how long does this walk take.
2. Would we end up close to the location for the Mickey's Backyard BBQ?
3. Does it bring you close to the location for the chip and dale sing along campfire?
4. Is it well-illuminated and generally safe to walk back to WL at night after these evening activities have ended?

Thanks in advance. This is our first stay at WL.

There are 2 trails. Below is a link that should show the two paths.

1. It took me about 20 minutes to walk the path along the lake, but I stopped to take pictures.
2. Yes, you end up near the Settlement, which is near the BBQ.
3. No, the campfire is near rhe Meadow's Pool/Bike Barn more in the middle of the campground.
4. I would take the bus from FE to WL that you can catch at the Settlement.


http://runningatdisney.com/disney-running-trails/fort-wilderness-wilderness-lodge-resorts/

http://www.wdwinfo.com/resortmaps/fortwilderness.htm

 

[Kimberle]

Wondering about the walking trail between WL and FW.
1. Approximately how long does this walk take.
2. Would we end up close to the location for the Mickey's Backyard BBQ?
3. Does it bring you close to the location for the chip and dale sing along campfire?
4. Is it well-illuminated and generally safe to walk back to WL at night after these evening activities have ended?

Thanks in advance. This is our first stay at WL.

The trail is about a mile. It is not lite, so don't walk it after dark. You will end up near the BBQ/HD area. I don't believe the sing a long is in this area. I think it is near the feature pool and would require an internal bus.

 

[Grumpy92]

There are two trails as said. I have done the one along the lake and that is just a trail. We prefer the paved walkway that runs along the back road between WL and FW. It ends at the BBQ Pavillion/PH/Settlement area. It is lite but not really brightly. We love walking on it at dusk or early morning as you can usually see deer.

The campfire is at the the Meadow trading post area at the center of the campground. You can catch an internal bus from Settlement and then go to Meadow.

Use the link below to see a map (photo gallery). The trail is marked as a jogging/walking path #16. You will also find activity and transportation information.
http://allears.net/acc/faq_fw.htm

 

[RustManFan]

I always carry a small flashlight in my purse and will certainly take on next WDW vacation. While I am visiting the parks it will stay in my suitcase rather than be carried around but if I was walking between WL and FW I would have it

 

[jtowntoflorida]

Thanks. I wondered if maybe it wasn't lit in keeping with the rustic theme. That's too bad. It would be nice to walk back after activities.

We've only been on the trail once, a few years ago, and by the looks of it, I suspect that it's a relic from the old River Country park that Disney only minimally maintains. Due to the lack of maintenance, I'd think the preferred Disney route to/from Ft. Wilderness is the paved route, which is longer and probably not as quiet as it runs close to the roadways.

If you really want to walk rather than take the boat or bus, then I'd take the unpaved route to the Fort, and the paved route back. The unpaved route through the woods along the lake is pretty cool and we only passed one other group on the trail. It's a great way to get away from crowds. But if you want some exercise after a meal, then the paved route would probably be OK at night. I do think the boat at night is pretty cool, too.

 

[Wood Nymph]

We have walked to Fort Wilderness from Wilderness Lodge twice in the past week. There is a paved trail that starts near the bus stop and ends near the horse stables next to Pioneer Hall. There is also a crushed gravel trail that begins next to the marina building by the rental bikes. That trail goes along the edge of the lake for the first part of the walk. That trail will meet up with the paved trail by either taking the first right turn or by continuing on to the second right turn. We prefer to take the path that starts by the marina because we like walking near Bay Lake. It takes us about 20 minutes to walk it.