We wanted to check out a short trail yesterday and came across the Santa Fe River Preserve just north of Alachua. There are two entrances with separate hiking trails in this preserve. The south and main entrance has plenty of parking and a 1.5 mile hike called the Gracy Trail. This is a fun loop trail but you will walk through some mud and there are lots of stumps along the way.
Trail maps and more information on the preserve can be found on the Alachua Conservation Trust website. https://www.alachuaconservationtrust.org/santa-fe-river-preserve-guide
A map of the trails and information about the wildlife corridor and preserve are posted at both trailheads.
One of the boardwalks along the Gracy trail.
We saw lots of fungus and moss along the trail.
The Santa Fe Creek provides drainage along the river.
A quiet place to rest along the trail.
The Blue Trail is just over a mile and located at the north entrance about 1.5 miles north on 121. There is minimal parking right in front of the trailhead. Please be careful here. There was trash in several areas along the trail including glass.
We came across huge patches of lichen in sandy areas along the trail.
You walk a short distance along the Santa Fe River.
There were lots of different mushrooms to see along both trails.
