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While there are many hiking trails within the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, the only trails that are actually on National Park Service property are those found in the Theodore Roosevelt Area, the adjoining Fort Caroline National Memorial, and at Cedar Point. The rest are found in the Florida state and Jacksonville city parks that are located within the Preserve’s boundaries—less than 30% of the land in the Preserve is actually owned by the National Park Service. To find out about the trails in the state and city parks, visit the Timucuan Parks Foundation web page.

The trails are really a pleasure to hike during the bug-free winter months, and on a nice day expect to find many people on the trails, most of them locals who use the park on a regular basis for exercise. However, once the bug season comes around (May through September), hiking in the park is pure misery, and the crowds all but disappear. Even when I visited in mid-March, the mosquitoes and gnats were bothersome, though not unbearable. Starting in May the yellow flies and mosquitoes become a big problem, though it is the flies that are the worst since insect repellent does not deter them. There are also plenty of ticks. To hike on the trails during the summer you need long pants, a long sleeve shirt, and a mosquito net on your head to keep from getting attacked by insects.

FORT CAROLINE TRAILS

HAMMOCK TRAIL
The Hammock Trail is a 1.2-mile loop trail that passes Fort Caroline. While visitors can travel out-and-back to the fort, those wanting a little more exercise can continue around on this easy to moderate trail.

SPANISH POND TRAIL
Spanish Pond lies within the Fort Caroline National Memorial, and a boardwalk leads to it. This was probably as far as the trail went when the Memorial was created in 1953, but it has since been extended into the Theodore Roosevelt Area and now connects with the Timucuan Trail and the Willie Browne Trail. Round trip to the pond and back is .1 mile, while hiking to the very end is .95 mile, one way.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT AREA TRAILS

TIMUCUAN TRAIL
The Timucuan Trail is the only “true” hiking trail in the park, and it is actually quite difficult for a Florida trail. The other trails are mainly old roads, some even suitable for strollers and wheelchairs. The Timucuan Trail lies in the middle of the Roosevelt Area and cannot be hiked on its own. Top get to it you must hike on either the Spanish Pond Trail from the north or the Willie Browne Trail from the south.

WILLIE BROWNE TRAIL
This is the easiest of the trails in the area, and it is suitable for strollers and even wheelchairs. If hiked on its own, the distance is 1.6 miles, round trip. However, you can combine it with the Timucuan Trail and a section of the Spanish Pond Trail to form a loop of 2.7 miles. Keep in mind that the Timucuan Trail is not suitable for wheeled equipment.

CEDAR POINT TRAILS

CEDAR POINT LOOP TRAIL
The Cedar Point Loop Trail is a 2.1-mile trail that treats hikers to some nice views of Pumpkin Hill Creek and the surrounding marsh, plus the ruins of the Fitzpatrick Plantation that was built around 1795.

PINELANDS TRAIL
The Pinelands Trail is a 1.1-mile out-and-back trail that has a few side trails branching off of it, most of which are closed. It serves no real purpose other than to connect hikers to trails in the neighboring Cedar Point Preserve, both to the north of the Cedar Point property and on the other side of Pumpkin Hill Creek to the west.