Escape The Fast Pace Of Jacksonville, Florida At A Secret Trail With Breathtaking Views

Jacksonville is Florida's biggest single city and the fourth largest metropolitan area by population, a sprawling urban center filled with strip malls and traffic jams. But some of this big city's most beautiful and interesting parts are the green spaces and walking trails you can find if you just know where to look. From pretty city parks to expansive greenways and trails, there's always some place nearby where you can take a break from city life and just enjoy a taste of Old Florida as it was before the masses arrived.

One of those quiet oases is the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve near the historic site of Fort Caroline. Fort Carolina was a failed French colony founded in 1564 on the banks of the St. Johns River. The precise location of the settlement is unknown, but the park service has created a full-sized interpretive replica of the fort where scholars believe it most likely was.

At the preserve, you'll find a few different hiking trails that cut through the woodlands around the river, between quiet neighborhood subdivisions, and the nearby Intracoastal Waterway. Along the trails, you have the chance to watch for birds and wildlife as you walk through shady tree hammocks. You'll find cute, small beaches along the water and a lookout tower with better views of the water. Plus, the preserve is only about eight miles from Mayport, a beautiful Old Florida coastal town worth exploring if you want to make a day of it.

The preserve is divided into two sections. The main area, which includes the visitor center and Fort Caroline monument, is right on the St. Johns River. Inland from there, on the east side of Fort Caroline Road, is the Spanish Pond trailhead. The trail leads into the east side of the preserve, a 600-acre area known as the Theodore Roosevelt area.

The Spanish Pond Trail is an easy hike that is mostly shaded, offering a welcome break from the baking Florida sun. The trail is well maintained and winds its way through hardwood hammocks and coastal scrub as it heads east toward the marshes along the Intracoastal Waterway. The trail eventually connects to two other trails in the Theodore Roosevelt side of the preserve: the Willie Brown and Timucuan Trails. With a map in hand, it's possible to spend several pleasant hours wandering the wilderness, none the wiser to the hustle and bustle of the city all around you.

Highlights along the trail include watching for wildlife and the vistas of the river around you. You'll also pass over some shell mounds left by the Timucuan people long before European settlers arrived. At the easternmost extent of the trail system, there's a small, elevated viewing platform that gives you a bird's eye view of the salt marshes. Keep your eye out for egrets and herons in the marshes, along with dolphins playing in the river.

The Spanish Pond Trail is a one-mile each way out-and-back, but connecting it with the other trails makes it possible to make a 2.6-mile-long loop. Hikers report issues that are common on North Florida trails; biting bugs mean you'll want to pack repellant, and there's sometimes mud and standing water after rainstorms. One plus of this trail is that dogs are allowed so long as they are leashed.

With the peace and quiet you'll find on the trail, it's easy to start worrying about how many miles you'll have to drive to find it. But the Spanish Pond trailhead is near town, just about 12 minutes east of I-295's Exit 46 off Fort Caroline Road. There's no fee for hiking the trail, and it's open and enjoyable year-round from 9:00 to 4:45 daily. Of course, it can be muggy on hot summer afternoons, particularly between June and September.

If the Spanish Pond Trail whets your appetite for more urban hiking, Jacksonville won't disappoint. Between the city, county, state, and federal parks in the area, there are plenty of opportunities to get out in the sunshine and stretch your legs. There is another hiking trail around the Fort Caroline monument and some beautiful trails at the nearby Jacksonville Arboretum. Across the St. Johns River, there is also a cluster of hiking trails worth exploring along Cedar Point Road. And if you crave a day of walking on one of Florida's least crowded beaches, be sure to check out Big Talbot Island State Park on your way to see all the fun things to do on Amelia Island.