Hike the UNF Preserve

Join Sierra Club for one of our last hikes of 2024. We will hike at a moderate pace (20-minute miles) for about 4 miles along the following diverse trails at the University of North Florida Wildlife Sanctuary.

Goldenrod Trail: This trail traverses the gambit of UNF habitats; from Swamp to Sand-hill, Flatwoods to Seepage Slope. Upon completing the Goldenrod trail, we will cross a walking bridge to the uninhabited island and will pause midway on the bridge for photo opportunities.

Gopher Tortoise Ridge: Home to a large Gopher Tortoise population, these tortoises live over 60 years and provide underground homes to countless reptiles and small mammals. Please do not confuse tortoises with other turtles, as tortoises are land-dwelling and not amphibious.

Big Cyprus Trail: Connecting the Goldenrod and Blueberry trail, this loop passes by one of the largest Cypress Trees that lives on campus and is estimated to be over 500 years old.

Red Maple Boardwalk: Originally built in the late 1970’s, restored in 2017, this walk is wheelchair accessible,1600 feet long, and traverses Buck Head Branch Swamp. It has recently been updated with guardrails and wheelchair accessible picnic tables to make it even more wheelchair friendly.

No pets or children on this hike. We will meet at 8:45 am in the parking lot of the UNF Parking Services Building/Outdoor Center near the west entrance to UNF about a half mile east of the I-295 East Beltway. Please note your GPS may take you past the UNF Parking Services building, so I have posted a picture of the building where we will meet. This is the entrance that continues east from Town Center Road. You’ll see a building on your right (Parking Lot 100) where parking permits are normally purchased, however please note that PARKING IS FREE on the weekends. Please also note restrooms at the trailhead are often locked, so I would strongly encourage you to use a rest room before arrival.

We will complete our pre-hike activities and be on the trail by 9 am. The trails are relatively flat, with some slight elevations. Because of the deep roots on the trail, please be careful of your footing.

I would suggest hiking shoes, trail runners or running shoes with tread, water, sunscreen and bug repellent*.

Cancellation Policy: Event will be held rain or shine, but may be canceled if weather threatens safety such as in the case of lightning or high winds in the forecast. Also, if the heat index is forecast to be over 103, then the outing will be canceled. Participants are advised to check Meetup for current status before traveling to the event. Events may need to be canceled at short notice.

NOTE: You are required to sign our Participation Agreement to participate in our outings. To save time the day of the hike, we encourage you to sign the agreement online ahead of time at:
https://act.sierraclub.org/events/details?formcampaignid=701Po00000XRpLfIAL
A paper copy will also be available at the outing.

* Help the environment by following these tips:
● Bring your water in a reusable container instead of a single-use plastic bottle
● Use sunscreen free of oxybenzone and octinoxate. These chemicals are extremely harmful to coral reefs, as well as being hormone disruptors in humans.

Sierra Club maintains a safe space agreement between participants, leaders, volunteers, and staff. We want to support everyone in exploring, enjoying, and protecting our natural environment, and hateful and dangerous behavior will not be tolerated. We don’t want to deny participation in these outdoor programs and we will always say no to racism, sexism, ageism, homophobia, impairment, and disruption. We request that all participants cooperate with the outing leader's direction to ensure a safe and enjoyable outing for everyone.