This is a very tranquil place. The entrance is on a fast curve, so you have to be careful turning…read morein!! If you are on foot, or bike, you can enter from the sidewalk on 16th Ave, as you go down the hill past Colony Park. Colony Park is the subdivision with the curvy brick wall. As you go down the hill, on the right, you will see a small grassy area. There is no sign, so you'll have to be sharp!! This park is so very peaceful. There is a lazy creek that snakes though it. There are at least ten man-made bridges and decks that let you enjoy a nice stroll through nature. Lots and lots of birds will be sounding out, especially in the morning. You can walk your dog, bring some hot coffee, binoculars, camera, etc. You won't believe that you are in the middle of the city!! The word "enclave" comes to mind, as the mood in this park is almost magical and surprisingly isolated. You feel safe and peaceful. I am definitely going back. They even have doggy bag dispensers!!

Alfred A Ring Park is very close to town; it's a nice walk getting here :-)…read more Tip: The funds to preserve this small bit of greenery were donated by Mr. Alfred A. Ring, which is why the park bears his name There's bridge from the parking lot into the park proper which very much reminds me of Costa Rica; there are some pretty nice views to take in when you cross it.

While the dock at the lake was a nice place to sit and watch the sun start setting, it wasn't worth…read morethe drive from Gainesville. The trail was a bit boring and did not have much variety compared to abundant other trails. If you live in the area however, it's worth the time to check out this trail since it's a very easy, short walk. Round trip was 1.8 miles without adding on any of the side trails. The other entrance has the boat ramp, but there are no restrooms, water, picnic tables, or shade.

Hailes Trails.... I want to call it "HELLS Trails". This mountain bike trail is by far the most…read moredemanding trail I've ever ridden in Florida.   Hailes Trails is a privately owned property located in Newberry, just on the outskirts of Gainesville, FL and it is closely adjacent to Gatorback Cycle Park. The property is opened up to the public only Once/Twice a Year.... Saturday being a pre-ride event to the public and on Sunday, it host Florida State MTB Championship series for all registered bikers. The trail is carefully marked, taped and prepped for such event.   The trails consist of a 2 parts series: 1st trail spanning for 2 miles and 2nd trail being 3 miles worth. All in all, you get 5 total miles of a mixture of rooty, rocky, steep climbs and descents type trails, and some technical turns in between.   The trails runs in and out an old rock quarry, which offers a nice scenic view and numerous elevation changes. It is rated as an advanced trail, but caters to any intermediate skill level riding and beyond. Admission to Hailes cost $5 per person and a waiver is needed to be signed at the time of payment.   Hailes proved to me that Florida IS NOT as flat of a state as you think it is. Lawd have merrsay !!!   But I loved every bit of it and I cannot wait to go back again, so I say Hailes Yass !!!   And if you don't like it... Bike Me =)

Today I saw an otter get chased by crows that then crossed paths with an alligator only to end in a…read moregator/otter stand-off. The otter, then proceeded down the path to meet a family of sandhill cranes where the parents signal to the young colt to go across the footpath to safety while the two, especially the mother, stood between the otter and her young crane! Amazing! Amazing! Amazing!

This place was awesome if you like to walk trails and see birds, turtles, alligators, rabbits, deer…read moreand small fish. They also have wild horses and wild bison, but we didn't see those. The wetland areas and trails were neat with nice walking bridges and paths over the water. We saw a lot of small alligators, 1 baby alligator and 1 huge alligator. The way the walkways are built the alligators were right at our feet, there is a metal mesh fence to separate you though. This place is a must for anyone that likes nature, plus it was it was free except $5 to park.

This is a really sweet nature trail. Unfortunately, there is no parking available on site, so you…read morehave to walk or bike in. Typical Florida, the trail is very flat, but you can see a lot of wildlife... mostly birds when I was there. Bring some binoculars if you like bird watching!

You have to bring water!! It is a nice little trek over to…read morethe grassy part of this natural vista, but the summer Florida sun does not abate itself. There is even a stand with pamphlets and two very nice people manning it, to answer your questions. I imagine there are more alligators to see early in the morning, but I went around 10:30a. A nice long boardwalk with one place to sit and get shade from the great ball of fire in the sky. Beautiful trees, remnants of alligator eggs, and water fowl feeding and foraging. I can imagine that the Alachua sink would be more active, after a big rain. I will def go there a day after a big storm, to see the action of the earth!

This place is so wild! I have never seen so many alligators in the wild. You must visit! This was…read moretoday 3/18/26.

This portion of San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park solely covers the biking and equestrian…read moretrail side of the Park, located at 13201 Progress Blvd. If you prefer a good long hike instead, then skip on over to the other side of this State Park, located at 11101 Millhopper Rd, which is about 6-7 miles away. San Felasco is a huge trail network consisting of nearly 40 miles of cross country trails through beautiful woods. The further you ride into the trails, the tougher some areas of the trails becomes; carrying some good elevation change in between. Not too technical by any means but enough to challenge your lungs and legs. From Novice to Intermediate trails, to even Advanced trails, this park has it all. And each trail is unique in its own ways. Nice flat, flowy cross country trails, while the intermediate and advanced trails offer descents and hard climbs, hard enough to get you gassed and have your legs screaming. But please heed precaution that this park has ONLY ONE TRAILHEAD. Try not to ride too far into the trail knowing you still have to ride back the same distance back . You can easily get lost in these trails, so it's best to ride with a buddy or with a group or make sure you have the trail map handy which helps tremendously. Additionally the trails here during the summer time heats up, so please stay well hydrated and pack adequate amount of liquids. And if you're a novice rider, I suggest to just start out on a few trails; skip the difficult ones. Other than that...happy riding, grind those miles and enjoy the beauty San Felasco has to offer.

Gorgeous state park! I explored it when I was in Gainesville to run a 25 K trail race! Highly…read morerecommend the Gate 2 Gate race. Trails were clean and well taken care of. There was some elevation (yes, there are hills in FL!)

This is another state park around Gainesville, and once you start walking the trail, you understand…read morewhy it is named the way it is. There are roots of sweetgum trees raised up and on the path, so it is not conducive for biking or even running. Walking through the path, (at least the part of the trail I was on) is very constricted. There is lots of foliage and thick vegetation. It is pretty because of the green lichens and moss that is growing on the ground. Tons of sable palms that contribute to keeping the trail isolated and hidden. There are no vistas, save one, that looked like it was swampy when the water levels are normal. There was a tree that fell across the path, so I had to dismount to get my bike across. I went through this part of the trail, but it did not inspire me to go search out other sections....at least not today. A path to take a slow walk with a friend or signif other, but other than being a botanist or just curious, this trail does not inspire a return trip.

Just across the street from the Newnan's Lake Conservation Area, the Gum Root Nature Park is tucked…read morebetween two major roadways and a landing strip. This means there is a lot of traffic noise, but a noisy trip into nature is better than none. The gorgeous tree canopy, meandering creeks and lake view make it totally worth checking out! Round trip was about 2.25 miles including an unmarked access road. There is also an unmarked spur trail heading east that possibly connects to Newnan's trails. The 2-3 benches along the loop make this a great trail for kiddos and those that might need to sit and rest along the way. Parking is only at the south trailhead, do not use the address in Apple Maps, it will take you to the North trailhead. No picnic tables/pavilions, and no water or restrooms.