11 miles of trails, some really neat scenic country (plus Little Shoals which is very worth…read moreexploring). Great chances for seeing wildlife and trails are overall well-maintained. However, a note: it is easy to get lost, easy also to get confused where to park and end up as I did on non-biking (but hiking) trails over on the other side of the highway at Little Shoals instead. Easy, for that matter, even to end up on random dirt roads to someone's hunting cabin or on the Florida Trail which also cuts through here. So watch where you are, remember how to get back where you came from. And enjoy it: though not technically challenging, it's a lot of fun and once again, the chances for wildlife sightings are probably better than in many of the more-trafficked State Parks.

Gar Pond Trail is the least known trail amongst the surrounding trails in White Springs (FL). It is…read moremainly a flat trail great for biking, hiking, fishing and wildlife viewing. Most of the Gar Pond biking trail are single tracks. Gar Pond is estimated to be a 4.75 mile trail respectively, but that all depends on which trails ends you ride into as it covers more acreage. There are sections of the trail that are scenic. Some of the biking trails are well marked, and some are not. So one wrong turn and you will find yourself riding and riding for miles. There is not much continuity from one trail end to another in some area. I feel that first time riders or hikers may find themselves lost in these trails. The main lure of this trail is Jacob's Crossing, a wooden bridge that crosses about, which is cool to ride on and cross. Additionally, Gar Pond Trail is a trail used for an event called IDIDARIDE, a 50 mile off-road challenge ride that occurs annually. The Gar Pond Trails is calculated to be a 6 miles for the event. Other than that, if you like light riding or hiking and are into new trail exploration, then this is a nice trail to venture to. Happy trails to you.

Great hidden place for locals off the main road. Great for families. Sliding rock, jump off rock,…read moreand small pool for swimming.

Wow!! Small park. Big Fun!! If you are in the White Springs area you have to check this place out…read more About an hour and a half west and north of Jacksonville. Just a 1.5 mile trail. 3 miles in all. The scenery is amazing. Beautiful views of the historic Suwannee River all along the trail. Hike ends at the majestic Big Shoals. Your experience will depend on the water level of the river, but ours was pretty impressive. Park is pristine. Trails are well maintained and easily accessible. We went in the middle of the week and were the only people there. It's really hot in the summer,so make sure you have water available. Don't miss the bat house at the very beginning of the trail. If the bats hear your voice they will start moving around and making noise. Great old Florida experience.

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 =)

Beautiful park, very nice area. Loved the view of the water. There are a few trails and all pretty…read moreeasy to do

I had a great walking trail experience here for my first visit. This place offers a little of…read moreeverything for all walk and riding skills from armature to professional. From young to old. I can see where riding through the woods is very exciting with different obstacles found along the paths. Trails are well marked with measures and difficulty and there are sections for persons of all abilities. Nice and wide, undulating, and mostly shaded it is perfect for family's with kids on bikes or scooters. Go for a walk and enjoy the peace and quiet combined with a beautiful water view on one end..

Jennings State Forest is a gem in NE FL. I ventured out with a group yesterday to do the Dunn's…read moreFarm trail. I've also hiked much of the Pioneer Trail. The trails are well maintained and well marked with blazes. The trails take you through a wealth of biological diversity from pine forests to uplands that hug Black Creek and other smaller creeks. I haven't camped so can't speak to the campgrounds but the camp sites are well marked. Cost to visit is $2 pass that can be purchased online. The parking lot does not have good reception so better to purchase in advance. Parts of the trail is shaded but a lot of it is in the sun so be aware if visiting during the hotter months.

This was a stroller friendly trail. It was sandy, dirt, and gravel paths. You do have to pay a $2…read morefee to get in, and they only accept visa, MasterCard, and discover. The trail was partly shaded with lots of sunny parts. When you get to the pioneer trail and the waterfalls trails, it does start to get bumpy with roots, and there are stairs, which we turned the stroller around at because it would have been too hard to push a stroller down the stairs. There were cars in the parking lot but we didn't run into anyone until we came back and finished. There were benches and trail markers along the way, and there was plenty of signage to guide you. Overall, it was a nice quiet trail with lots of options.

for Florida this really ain't bad... so used to seeing all flat trails but we have a few Hills…read morehere. Yes it is a work in progress but a pleasurable change. I'll be back!

#ThankYouThursday…read more My BIG PROPS goes to SorbaJax, The City of Jacksonville and to all those people and great minds that made Aterro Park to what it is today. Aterro Park is newly opened to the public and it's the newest park addition to the city of Jacksonville. Jeremy's Hill is the park section named for the MTB and the Hiking & Walking trails. The caveat... the park is situated on a former landfill which hasn't been used in many decades. So with careful approach and relentless planning, Aterro Park came into mind. It's located in the Mandarin area of Jacksonville. It is now the closest bike trail for me. And what not to love what Jeremy's Hill has to offer...plenty of elevation (which no trail in Jacksonville can comparatively offer), nice trail flow and nice decent descents. It definitely gets your heart and blood pumping riding this place. The trails measures to a total of 6 miles with future expansion of many more miles.

My phone directed us to an incorrect address first (off Millhopper onto nw 90th St) and we…read morethankfully poked around and ended up finding our way to the Millhopper Rd trailhead. We just hiked Moonshine Creek today because it was pretty wet on Creek Sink after the rain. We then did a tiny taste of Spring Grove across the street before driving around to the other addresses associated with the park to try and find the Ranger station. After receiving a Junior Ranger packer at Devil's Millhopper State Park awhile back, my son was excited to bring along his passport to get it stamped at San Felasco. Unfortunately we could not find a Ranger or ranger station on our visit today. Nevertheless, we had a beautiful little hike, worked on Junior Ranger activities, and had fun exploring a State Park that was new to us! Admin Offices (NO trail/pub access) 12720 NW 109 Ln Alachua, FL 32615 Biking/Equestrian Trail Head 13201 Progress Blvd Alachua, FL 32615 Hiking Trail Head 11101 Millhopper Rd Gainesville, FL 32653 $4 per vehicle. Please use the honor box to pay fees. Correct change is required. Limit 8 people per vehicle. $2 Pedestrians, bicyclists, extra passengers

A great wilderness area not at all far out from Gainesville itself to explore, offering a rare…read moreinsight into how this part of Florida looked before human intervention. The trails stretch through the southern portion and then the vast northern portion and these hiking trails can be accessed from the Millhopper Road trailhead while mountain biking and horseback trails can be accessed from a trailhead further north near Alachua. Note that horses and mountain bikes are not allowed on the trails from the Millhopper Road trailhead, though. Horses must carry proof of a negative Coggins test and otherwise be good horses, of course. Although archeological studies indicate there were Native American and early Spanish settlements and roads through this area, you don't really see any evidence of human intervention historical or otherwise here aside from the parking area and the trails (and service roads) as the State Parks have done a great job of keeping this a preserve for animals and as rustic as possible. You are not allowed to camp here, either, so it's really a matter of humans exploring during the day a haven for wildlife. I have seen deer, wild hogs, snakes, tortoises, many birds, lizards and other animals here and you're almost certain to see deer or a tortoise if you hike for more than an hour and spread out a little. Dogs on leashes are allowed on the hiking trails, but please remember to bring some water for your dog. The trails off Millhopper Road on the north side are vast and not well-shaded in places. Dogs have died from heatstroke out there, according to the Park Service. Also, check for ticks because they are legion in their numbers here.

Spent two and a half hours here walking half the circumference of the park. Beautiful scenery and a…read morenice bit of challenge in the difficult trails - watch for spiderwebs and/or wear a hat and bring some water. There are hiking trails , biking trails and easy walking paths inland and on the beach. Parking is spacious, didn't use the bathrooms but there is also a nice size park for the kids. Military and vets (& family of for that matter) entry is $2.50/person with ID. One of the few places honoring the discount.

One of our favorite parks to visit. Enjoy seeing wildlife and felt proud to see the Navy…read morehelicopters flying over doing their maneuvers. Proud to be in American. The neat thing was that we were taking a bike ride the OWL flew down right in front of us, then flew up into the tree directly above and sit there waiting & posing for me to take his picture for a good time because I had to get my phone out and open the camera. Glad he was patient and didn't turn his back on me. He was a big hoot!!

This is the north beach parking area. You have to park and walk across the street to go to the…read morebeach but they have lights to notify drivers there are pedestrians. There are signs to pay for parking and it's really easy to do.

This is one of my favorite national/state parks…read more Lots of armadillos. It goes without saying but watch out for snakes