or those looking to take a walk - or bike ride - in the woods, North Florida offers a wide variety of trails. From its much lauded rail trails to some of its lesser known nature trails, the area boasts a number of paths ideal for day trips or extended excursions.

The Gainesville-Hawthorne trail, a 16-mile state park, is one of North Central Florida's most scenic rail trails. This rail trail -an old railroad track converted into a wide asphalt path - passes through hammock areas and open pastureland, providing many opportunities to view wildlife. Stretching south of Gainesville from Boulware Springs Park, it cuts across Paynes Prairie out to the Lochloosa Wildlife Management Area in Hawthorne.

The trail is free and open to bicyclists, skaters, rollerbladers and walkers. Bikers and skaters are not allowed on the La Chua trail, a sidepath off the main route. Horses are allowed on the Gainesville-Hawthorne trail west of the Lochloosa trailhead.

"The Gainesville-Hawthorne trail has about 10 miles of flat, easy terrain, but five miles of the trail is up and down," said Tom Stevens, president of the Friends of the Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail (FroGHaT) and a member of the Gainesville Cycling Club.

The Gainesville-Hawthorne trail contains multiple access points to Paynes Prairie. Areas within Paynes Prairie are open only between dawn and dusk, but there are several overlooks with wide vantage points along this section of the trail.

"The La Chua trail is where you can look at the Alachua Sink, where you're almost certain to see lots of alligators," Stevens said. "I've also seen deer, turkey, opossums, gopher tortoises, a variety of snakes, and sandhill cranes on the trail."

The Gainesville-Hawthorne trail is a popular route for bicyclists because it is close to the city and allows people to get close to nature.

"The trail is a wonderful addition to the lifestyle of Gainesville," said George Edwards, president of Gainesville Cycling Club and a member of FroGHaT.

"It's a place where we can go in the corner of town and ride for miles. We watch the development of the ecosystem here through the year," Edwards said.

The Gainesville-Hawthorne trail has three trailheads: Boulware Springs (3500 SE 15th St.), County Road 2082 west of Hawthorne (7209 SE 200th Drive), and 300 SW 2nd Ave. in Hawthorne. FroGHaT will be making improvements in the trail's paving and signs this year.

"Our first priority is around safety issues," Stevens said. "We're concerned with the enforcement of traffic stop signs at intersections with roads that cars use. The signs need to be upgraded and warnings need to be posted on the trail."

Several intersections with unpaved roads need to be paved over. Currently there are spots where road bikes with thin tires slip in loose soil. FroGHaT also plans to plant in wiregrass and wildflowers in several areas adjoining the trail.

If you are looking for trails even closer to Gainesville, there are two options: the Depot Avenue and Downtown Connector trails. These urban trails run alongside some of the city's historic neighborhoods. The Depot Avenue and Downtown Connector trails are part of a citywide trails network that links up to the Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail at Boulware Springs Park.

Emory Swearington, public works manager for the city, said that a long section of the network has just been finished near the University Centre Hotel.

"The trail goes west on 16th Avenue to the University Centre Hotel following the old railroad. It is very heavily used for recreational and commuting traffic," Swearington said.

From its current extension, the trail continues east through neighborhoods bordering on Depot Avenue. The trail then curves up to the northeast along Waldo Road to NE 39th Avenue. The city is working to develop the trail along the east part of Archer Road, the middle part of Depot Avenue, and on Waldo Road near the site of the Gainesville airport.

"The best part about these trails is that they are an easy way to get around Gainesville without getting in the way of cars," Swearington said.

On the other end of the scale, San Felasco Hammock State Preserve, off U.S. 441 south of Alachua, has had a recent addition that attracts only nature lovers.

Sam Cole, park biologist for the San Felasco Hammock, Devil's Millhopper, and Ichetucknee Springs state parks, said the north part of San Felasco is attracting many new visitors.

"We finally opened (the north part of the preserve) this past winter. There were a lot of people in the biking and equestrian communities just waiting with baited breath for it. Now it's getting a lot of use," Cole said.

The northern part of the preserve runs through a variety of environments, from wood margins on the edge of pastures to sinkholes to deep forest canopy.

Deer, turkey, bobcat and gopher tortoise can occasionally be seen in this part of the preserve. Wildflowers, however, are a lasting attraction.

"The pastures (on the trail) are nice to ride through just because they're good, open wildflower areas. Mexican poppies and passionflowers are very noticeable right now. There are a lot of purple colors coming up in the fall season. There should be wild petunias, lavender and phlox, and splashes of yellow, like goldenrod," Cole said.

San Felasco Hammock State Preserve is open from dawn to dusk. There is a $2 entrance fee per vehicle and a $5 entrance per horse.

Trails in rural areas are also serene.
The Gen. James A. Van Fleet Trail State Park, far south of Ocala near Clermont, is a 29-mile trail through quiet marsh and abandoned farm areas. The Van Fleet trail crosses the Green Swamp and the headwaters of the Withlacoochee (South portion), Hillsborough, and Peace Rivers. The views include the marshlands of the swamp, former citrus orchards, and cattle ranches. The trail bed is very straight, and there is a lot of wildlife to be seen between Green Pond Road and Bay Lake Road. There are large wooden circular viewing platforms in certain portions so that you can get better views of butterflies and gators near the water.

"In the summertime it can get hot and buggy, and you don't want to get eaten up by mosquitoes," said Cheryl Sweeney, secretary for the Van Fleet Park. "But I love the spring and fall at Van Fleet. This trail is more back to nature and lets you enjoy wildlife. It's not as commercialized as city parks."

Van Fleet State Park is free and is open from sunrise to sunset. The trail has entrance points off State Road 50 West past the intersection with County Road 565/Bay Lake Road and off SR 33 at Green Pond Road.

The Jacksonville-Baldwin trail is another large, rural route great for family trips.

The 14.5-mile trail runs through small hills past farms and woods around the city of Jacksonville. Deer, turkey, hawks, songbirds, wild pigs, fox and snakes can be seen from the trail. The Jacksonville-Baldwin trail crosses McGirts Creek near Camp Milton, a historical Civil War site.

The Jacksonville-Baldwin trail is currently developing mountain bike and equestrian trails along the paved asphalt road for bikers, skaters, and walkers.

"We also plan to buy and develop to buy a large piece of property adjacent to the trail," said R.C. Nasworthy, superintendent of park maintenance. The Jacksonville-Baldwin trail stands out not only because it is extraordinarily easy on bike and rollerblade wheels but because it is cooler than city streets.

"The trail is largely covered with pine and palmetto trees, so typically the temperature out there is 3 to 5 degrees less than wherever I am in the city," said Chris Burns, a Jacksonville-area lawyer and vice president of the Bicycling and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) for the City of Jacksonville.

The Jacksonville-Baldwin trail is free and open from sunrise to sunset. To get there, take U.S. 301 to Baldwin until you reach U.S. 90. Then head west about two miles to Secondary State Road 121, also known as Brandy Branch Road. Head north and go on to the trailhead.

If you are looking for a trail that is more than a day trip, you can take your bike to the Nature Coast Trail. The Nature Coast Trail is a state park that stretches 31.7 miles. The trail passes through Chiefland, Fanning Springs, and Trenton.

The original railroad on which the trail bed was built crossed the Suwannee Valley, making stops at small towns in Dixie, Gilchrist, and Levy counties. The Wilcox railroad trestle bridge and original train depots at each of the park's trailheads are reminders of the railroad history.

"We are working on putting them (the depots) in various states of repair so that people can see the insides of them," said Sally Lieb, park manager for the Manatee Springs, Fanning Springs and Nature Coast Trail state parks.

The Nature Coast Trail mainly runs along highways through meadow areas. Some areas of the trail are well shaded with well-preserved habitats. Sandhill cranes are occasionally visible, but gopher tortoise are always near.

"There's an area near Chiefland and Fanning Springs that we call gopher tortoise town because they're almost stacked on top of each other," Lieb said.

The state of Florida is working to develop an equestrian trail along the whole length of the Nature Coast Trail.

Since the Nature Coast Trail occasionally runs in back of developed areas and near highways, park visitors have sometimes had run-ins with neighborhood dogs.

"The best way to handle them is to carry a loud noisemaker like a whistle or horn," Lieb said.

"But the Nature Coast Trail is really safe. We're thrilled to see how popular it is, mainly in the surrounding area," she said.

The Nature Coast Trail State Park is free and is open from sunrise to sunset. The eastern trailhead in Trenton can be reached by going on State Route 26 out of Gainesville and turning north on U.S. 129. The Trenton Depot is located 2 blocks north of the intersection of these two roads.

For those trail fans that are willing to wait, the Palatka-to-Lake Butler trail is in the works. The 49-mile abandoned railroad bed between these two points is under development as the Florida Department of Environmental Protection works with the Florida Park Service to acquire and manage the land.

"It's coming, but what needs to happen is for Florida Recreation and Parks to have the property moved (in title)," said Cherie Graves, public information specialist at the Florida Office for Greenways and Trails in Tallahassee.

As FDEP works on with the existing land, the towns along the route are working to buy more property for the trail.

"We want the trail to be considered as a part of a larger rail trail that goes westward to Lake City and eastward to St. Augustine. We hope for this trail to connect to the south to the Cross Florida Greenway and the Florida Trail, making Palatka and Putnam County the hub for trails in Northeast Florida," said Larry Pritchett, chairman of the Board of Directors of Putnam County and the Palatka City Property Appraiser.

Parks along the proposed Palatka-Lake Butler route are working to connect their parks to the project.

"In a year, we (the state) will have acquired several more properties for the trail. Several bridges have to be built," said Robert Rundle, park manager at Ravine Gardens State Park in Palatka.

"Not only does the state work on this trail, but little communities along the way apply for grants and help to get the thing developed," Rundle said.

The Palatka-Lake Butler trail is being designed to connect small communities in Northeast Florida with a "bicycle interstate" and to bring visitors to the area.

"This part of Florida is very beautiful, and nature-based tourism is becoming increasingly important to our economy," Pritchett said.

Most rail trails and paths have convenient bathrooms and water stations, but it is best to plan ahead and bring your own water and supplies. Trail activity is heaviest on weekends and before or after work hours. It is best to bring family and friends when you travel so that you are not alone on the trail.