Santa Fe River Preserve North Blue Trail: A Quiet River View

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One of the places on my must-visit list before leaving Florida was the Santa Fe River Preserve.

I had gone past it so many times and always wondered what it was like and I finally got to see for myself!

Not only did I get to see the Blue Trail at Santa Fe Preserve North, but I also got to see the Gracy Trail at the main entrance!

But today is about the Blue Trail. This is a lollipop trail, mostly through the woods, but with one portion along the Santa Fe River.

I went with my parents and we had perfect weather while we were here. And no other people! Or bugs!

The first part of the trail from the parking area is wide and grassy with trees on both sides.

Not too far in, on the right you’ll see the trail fork off into the woods. Turn there.

You can go straight here instead to get to the river faster if you want, though it’s less scenic.

The trail narrows a bit compared to the road and is surrounded by palmettos and some flowering native plants if you’re lucky.

Shortly after turning off onto this trail, you’ll come to another fork and this is where the lollipop loop part starts.

We went to the right at the fork. It’s a pretty straightforward loop but I really liked it!

The major scenery along the wooded part of the trail doesn’t change much but the little details do.

There was one area where the ground was almost covered in the soft fluffy looking lichen, it was so cool!

I took so many pictures of it, but I’m not sure exactly what it was. If you know, let me know in the comments!

We also saw quite a few really pretty pinky/white flowers right after the mossy area. I want to say it’s some kind of honeysuckle, but again, I’m not sure.

We also saw a little prickly pear cactus along the trail not long after the flowers!

Before you know it, you’ll see the dark brown river poking through the trees.

There is a canoe launch here (we definitely did not use that) but we did enjoy the view of the river for a bit before continuing back.

From here, you continue the loop back around until you get to the second fork (that starts the loop part) then back to the car.

You could also take the wide grassy trail back the whole way if you prefer, though it’s much sunnier and hotter that way.

Before you know it, you’re back at the parking area! this is a really tiny parking area, so make sure you’re not blocking the road or anything.

Overall, I really liked this trail and would definitely recommend it if you’re in the area or if you want a nice, quiet trail with beautiful river views and cool plants.

Travel Services I Recommend:
AllTrails – This is my favorite hike tracking app.
America the Beautiful – The national park pass is essential.
Booking.com – This is great for finding and booking hotels.
Get Your Guide – I recommend Get Your Guide for booking tours.
National Park Obsessed – This is the best national park planner.
Skyscanner – Skyscanner is great for finding and booking flights.
Enterprise – This is my rental car recommendation.
See all my resources here.