Five beautiful hiking trails await your exploration.  Each is unique offering views of different ecosystems and habitats.  Click here for a printable map of the hiking trails.

Blue Hiking Trail - 0.65 miles (ADA accessible)
The Blue Trail's ecosystem consists of a hardwood hammock. This area is dominated by live oaks that are frequently covered with Spanish moss, resurrection fern and other air plants. Other hardwoods found along the trail include diamond leaf oaks, pignut hickories, southern magnolias, and yaupon hollies. Cabbage palms, native wax myrtles and sparkleberries are also found throughout the hardwood forest. Sprinkled along the trail, you will find huge slash pines and low growing saw palmettos.

The hardwood forest produces and abundant supply of food for wildlife. Acorns, hickory nuts, sparkleberries, hollies and wax myrtle berries, as well as pine cones provide food for a wide variety of animals.

The forest stretches to the edge of Pellicer and Styles Creeks where the salt marsh is blanketed with smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) and black needle rush (Juncus romerlanus). From the observation deck at the north end of the trail, you can see the confluence of the Styles and Pellicer Creeks. The fresh water from these creeks mix with the salt water of the Matanzas River to form an estuary which is the home for many marine organisms. A variey of birds may also be seen from the deck. Frequently sighted are great blue herons, egrets, ospreys, kingfishers, wood storks and bald eagles.

The Blue Trail is accessible for the disabled. An ADA parking area has been constructed adjacent to the trail to provide easy access.

Yellow Hiking Trail - 0.88 miles
Pine flatwoods, the most common ecosystem found in Florida, are an upland community dominated by slash pine (Pinus elliottii), saw palmetto (Serenoa repens), and wax myrtle (Myrica cerifera) .Cabbage palms (Sabal palmetto) and yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria) are also part of this upland community found along the edges of Styles and Pellicer Creek. In the fall, these flatwoods are usually covered with wildflowers. 

Summer rains often temporarily flood flatwoods. Lightning normally starts low burning fires every few years during the spring and summer season. The fires quickly burn through and the ashes nourish new growth. Pines are spared because of their thick bark; shrubs and herbs resprout from their roots. Most native animals know how to avoid flames and thrive on the fresh tender plants that sprout after fires.

Fishing docks are provided along the trail and if you try your luck at fishing along the creeks, you might catch red bass, black drum, sea trout, flounder, or snook.  A saltwater license is required for non-residents and for Florida residents who plan to fish from a boat. Contact the Florida Marine Patrol headquarters in Jacksonville at (904) 270-2500 for up-to-date information on saltwater fishing laws and licensing information.  Primitive camping is allowed at several locations along the trail.

More Trails