Take a hike, ride your bike, walk near your neighborhood. Jacksonville is blessed with many parks! Get familiar by taking a Virtual tour, then get out and give it a try!

Watch "Virtual Tours" of parks in our area.  Those with an asterisk are kid and wheelchair friendly.
 - Alpine Groves Park - 2060 FL-13, Switzerland - paved trails, playground, picnic tables*
 - Riverfront Park At RiverTown - 88 Riverfront Trail (State Rd. 13), Saint Johns County - 1.5 mi of paved trails along the river. Three docks.*
 - Stokes Landing Conservation Area - 415-599 Lakeshore Dr, St. Augustine - 2.5 mi wooded trails 
 - Nocatee Preserve - 245 Nocatee Center Way, Ponte Vedra Beach (behind the high school, past all athletic fields) - 8.5 miles of wide, smooth trail.
 - Julington-Durbin Preserve - 13200 Bartram Park Blvd, Jacksonville - About 6 miles of easy trails. Also see this video which focuses more on the flora and conservation history.
 - Losco Regional Park - 10931 Hood Road South Jacksonville - 3 easy loop trails, three miles total.
 - Reddie Point Preserve - 4499 Yachtsman Way, Jacksonville - 1 easy mile, long fishing dock.
 - Tillie Fowler Park - Norman St, Jacksonville 3.25 miles of trail, playground, Nature Center
    Video Tours:
   - Overiew, Trail Map, History
   - Tower (Blue) Trail
   - Island (Orange) Trail
    Link to Tillie Fowler Trail Map
- Castaway Island Preserve - 2921 San Pablo Rd S, Jacksonville - 1.2 miles paved trail*
- UNF Environmental Center Trails - UNF Drive, Jacksonville, 3.5 miles, some boardwalk trails*
- Theodore Roosevelt Area - Ft Caroline Road, Jacksonville - 3.2 miles of wooded trails.
- Dutton Island Preserve - 793 Dutton Island Rd W, Atlantic Beach - 1.4 miles of wooded trails.
- Jacksonville Arboretum - 1445 Millcoe Road, Jacksonville - 3 miles paved/wooded trails
  - Introduction and Aralia Trail
  - Jones Creek Trail
  - Live Oak and Sand Ridge Trails
- Cedar Point Preserve - 8650 Cedar Point Road - 3 miles of wooded trails  
- Fort George Island - 11241 Fort George Rd - 4 miles of trails. We'll look at the history of the indigenous people, climb a mountain, enjoy an alien conspiracy, and visit Port Isabel and Kingsley Plantation.
- Guana Preserve - 505 Guana River Rd - about 10 miles of various trails. We'll explore the history, habitat, and trails of the Guana Peninsula, part of the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve.
- Three Great Trails You've Never Heard of Part 1 - We'll explore three little-known local parks with trails you'll love: Bulls Bay Preserve, Tomahawk Park, and Losco Park.
- Three Great Trails You've Never Heard Of - Part II - We'll go north of the St. Johns to explore three little-known parks with trails you'll love: Bogey Creek Preserve, William F. Sheffield Park, and Betz-Tiger Point Preserve.
- Three More Trails You've Never Heard Of - Part III -  We'll go to the west side to explore two large conservation areas - Seaton Creek Preserve and Sal Taylor Creek Preserve, then take a look at a small urban park, Beach and Peach Urban Park.
- Jennings State Forest Part I: Dunns Farm and Pioneer Trails - The 25,000-acre Jennings State Forest contains some beautiful trails. In this program, we'll hike the diverse Dunns Farm Trail and the northern part of the Pioneer Trail. We'll visit a pioneer cemetery, hike along the steep banks of Black Creek, and see three waterfalls.
- Three Great Trails You've Never Heard Of - St. Johns County Edition - We will explore three wonderful, but little-known, trails in St. Johns County, each with a different mode: hiking, paddling and bicycling. The Moses Creek Conservation Area has 7 miles of trail to explore several habitats. The Bartram Canoe Trail follows Durbin Creek a beautiful new dock. The Palatka-St. Augustine Bicycle Trail goes from I-95 in southern St. Johns County to East Palatka.
- Jennings State Forest Part II: Pioneer Trail - The Pioneer Trail was completed in 2019 and stretches for about 12 miles along Black Creek and its tributaries. There are multiple trailheads so you can choose your route - whether it's a day hike or an overnight backpack. We'll look at four major trailheads and explore the trail at each point.
- Hike the Talbot Islands and Visit Unique Beaches - Little Talbot Island and Big Talbot Island contain some beautiful trails and several beach walks that include some very unique natural features. We'll hike the Dune Ridge Trail and then experience Blackrock Beach and Boneyard Beach.
- Forts of Northeast Florida - We'll visit several old forts in our area and hike the trails associated with them. We'll visit Fort Clinch, Fort Caroline, Fort Mose, Fort Matanzas, and the Castillo de San Marcos.
 - Washington Oaks Gardens State Park - We'll hike the beautiful trails of this State Park near Palm Coast, tour the amazing gardens, walk along the intercoastal, and visit the coquina beach.

Around Florida ...
 - Hike the Florida Trail Along the Kissimmee River - We'll follow the Florida Trail through the Kissimmee River area and visit the Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park, a unique Florida dry prairie and Florida's first designated Dark Sky Park.
 - Hike the Florida Trail in the Seminole State Forest - Explore the Seminole State Forest from the Clearwater Recreation Area south to the Bear Pond Trailhead, following the Florida National Scenic Trail, discovering Florida scrub, pine flatwoods, a natural spring, a blackwater stream and a Boy Scout obstacle course along the way.
 - Hike the Florida Trail Along the Western Suwannee River - Join us as we hike along the Suwannee River on the Florida Trail, from Gibson Park to Twin River State Forest on the westernmost end of the Suwannee section of the Trail, one of the prettiest parts of the entire statewide Trail. We'll cross some big tributaries of the Suwannee, visit a spring that sets a record, see why they call part of the route the Big Oak Trail, learn about the history and natural features of the River and experience first-hand the importance of water management.
 - Hike the Florida Trail Near You: Gold Head State Park - Parts of the beautiful Florida National Scenic Trail are within an hour of Jax. In this program, we'll learn about and virtually hike the portion that runs through Gold Head State Park.
 - Hike the Florida Trail Near You: Camp Blanding - Parts of the beautiful Florida National Scenic Trail are within an hour of Jax. In this program, we'll learn about and virtually hike the portion that runs through Camp Blanding.
 - Swamp Walkin' in Big Cypress on the Florida Trail - In the "Why would any sane person want to do this" department, we will take a virtual swamp walk for 31 miles in Big Cypress National Preserve on the Florida Trail. There we will discover the beauty of this oasis of dwarf cypress, sawgrass prairies and slash pine unique to Florida.
 - Hike the Florida Trail Near You: Rice Creek Conservation Area - Parts of the beautiful Florida National Scenic Trail are within an hour of Jax. In this program, we'll learn about and virtually hike the portion that runs through Rice Creek. We'll hike through a swamp, crossing more than 30 footbridges, see an award-winning bald cypress, and visit the famous Rice Creek Hilton.
 - Visit Ravine Gardens State Park During Azalea Bloom - Thousands of azaleas bloom at this time of year at Palatka's Ravine Gardens State Park. Let's virtually hike the up-and-down ravine trails, cross suspension bridges, see the blooms, and visit the spring that started it all.
 - Hike the Florida Trail Eglin-Nokuse Section - Join us on a virtual hike through one of the prettiest sections of the Florida Trail, featuring rolling hills, crystal clear creeks and towering pine forests, located in the Western Panhandle.
 - Hike the Florida Trail through St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge - Take a virtual hike with us through the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. We will explore salt marshes, hitch a boat ride across the St. Marks river, walk through one of the oldest towns in Florida, visit a hidden spring, and hike through beautiful palm and pine forests.
 - Hike the Florida Trail through the Tosohatchee WMA - Join us as we explore the Seminole Ranch and Tosohatchee Wildlife Management Areas on the Florida National Scenic Trail. We will pass through a wetlands park teeming with birds and explore dense pine flatwoods and palm forests in the floodplain of the upper St. Johns River.
 - Hike the Florida Trail in Nokuse Plantation - Join us on a virtual hike through one of the prettiest sections of the Florida Trail, featuring rolling hills, crystal clear creeks and towering pine forests, located in the Western Panhandle.

Learn about and enjoy our natural environment with our local Northeast Florida Sierrans.

Introduction to the ecology of Florida's Coastal Systems with photos from outings led by the NE Florida Chapter of the Sierra Club.

Introduction to the ecology of Florida's Uplands Systems with photos from outings led by the NE Florida Chapter of the Sierra Club.

Communing With Nature Through Mindfulness by J. Logan Cross
Read this excellent article by one of our members on improving your experience when out in nature.

Comprehensive Backpacking Equipment Guide: Check out this comprehensive guide to what to pack for a backpacking trip and why. This tells you everything you want to know!
Also includes two information lists:
 - Backpacking Supply Checklist
 - The Ten Essentials

Planning a Backpacking Trip on the Florida Trail:
Planning any backpacking trip is a challenge. Planning a trip on the Florida National Scenic Trail entails special considerations not encountered on most other U.S. trail systems. Knowing these unique requirements, plus the basics of wilderness trip planning, is important when preparing for a multi-day wilderness hike along this iconic footpath. This program will show you all the factors to address so you can plan a safe and enjoyable trip with your group. Illustrated with photos from actual hikes in all parts of the Trail.

Travel inside and outside the U.S. to enjoy the Parks and Trails.

John Muir Trail - Learn about the John Muir Trail and take a hike! We'll also climb Half Dome!
Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks - Tour these two beautiful parks and take a few great side trips!
C&O Canal Path - Hike the beautiful and historic C&O Canal Path from D.C. to Harpers Ferry.
Muir Woods, Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks - Tour Muir Woods, then take thorough visits of Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks.
Hiking the Appalachian Trail - Get an overview of what this famous trail is like and how to plan a hike.
Alaska and Mt. Rainier National Park - Visit Mt. Rainier National Park, then take a trip to Alaska, and finish up with a short tour of Vancouver.
Rocky Mountain National Park - Explore the history, geology, ecology and natural beauty of this beautiful park.
Hiking Hadrian's Wall Path - Hadrian’s Wall was a defensive fortification in the Roman province of Britannia. It was started in A.D. 122 in the reign of Emperor Hadrian and was the northern limit of the Roman Empire. Get some tips for planning your own trip along this beautiful path.
Hiking the Appalachian Trail in Georgia
 - Part 1: We will virtually hike the Approach Trail from Amicalola State Park to the summit of Springer Mountain, the official southern terminus of the AT and continue to Woody Gap, observing waterfalls, mountain streams and the 5th Ranger Training Battalion.
 - Part 2: In Part 2 of our series about hiking the entire Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail, we will virtually travel from Woody Gap to Unicoi Gap, scale the highest peak on the AT in Georgia, seek salvation at Preacher's Rock, and pass beneath the "boot tree".
 - Part 3: In Part 3 of our series about hiking the entire Georgia section of the Appalachian Trail, we will virtually travel from Unicoi Gap to Deep Gap, North Carolina, navigate some intense ups and downs, visit a "trail community", and meet some "thru-hikers". We'll also cover some basics about hiking on the AT, such as: conditioning, safety, navigation, weather, etc.
Hike the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina: Take a virtual hike on the Appalachian Trail from Winding Stair Gap to Nantahala Outdoor Center in North Carolina.