Reporting Problems and Getting Help:  As always, in an emergency call 911 first, if possible. If you see anything or anyone suspicious, or have problems of any kind on the trail, please contact the Park Service at 352-466-3397 between 8:00 a.m. and sunset, or at 352-466-3077 or 352- 466-3226 after-hours. You may also contact the Department of Environmental Protection Park Police at 352-955-6227, and the Alachua County Sheriff's administrative office at 352-367-4000.  Also, please let FrOGHaT know about any problems you have on the Trail by emailing "president" at froghat.org  or by calling Tom at 352-316-3944.

What to take with you on the Trail: 
Friends: Enjoy the Trail with a friend. It's more fun and they can come in handy in a variety of situations.  Protective Equipment: Wear a helmet when riding anything or rollerblading on the Trail. Wrist, elbow and knee guards are also recommended for rollerblading.  Water: The only sources of drinkable water on the Trail are at the Boulware Springs Trailhead and the Hawthorne Trailhead.  Cell-phone: Taking a cell phone with you on the Trail is a good idea. Keep in mind that coverage is not 100 percent reliable in rural areas (another reason to bring a friend).  Personal identification: There are a variety of reasons to have some way of verifying who you are. Go to Top

Trail Courtesy: Please announce your presence as you approach and/or overtake other Trail users.  Check to see that there is no oncoming traffic before passing anyone. A common way to announce that you are passing someone is to say “on your left.” Consider the affect your actions will have on other users.  If you are riding or walking abreast with someone and you see oncoming traffic, please fall back into a single line on the right until the traffic passes. Please do not walk or ride abreast with someone while rounding curves or topping hills.  Park Service employees and volunteers periodically perform maintenance on the Trail. These activities are necessary and take priority over recreational Trail usage. Please respect and defer to individuals engaged and vehicles used in Trail maintenance. Go to Top

Dogs: Domesticated dogs are probably the most common source of injury to people using the Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail. Many residents near the Trail feel the need to own protective dogs for security purposes. Some Trail users bring dogs with them and do not use a leash or are unable to control their dogs. Leashed, well behaved pets are allowed on the Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail. Dogs are not allowed on the connecting La Chua Trail due to potential encounters with alligators. Anyone with an unleashed pet on the Trail is subject to citation.

If you are approached by a dog that you feel may attack you, the Humane Society of the United States makes the following recommendations:   (1.) Never run and/or scream, or attempt to outrun or evade the dog by foot, rollerblade, or bicycle.  Stop, if you are on a bike, put it between you and the dog. If you are on foot or rollerblades, stop and put your hands at your sides. In both cases, avoid eye contact with the dog.   (2.) Once the dog loses interest in you, slowly back away until it is out of sight. (3.) If the dog does attack, "feed" him your bicycle, jacket, purse, or anything that you can put between yourself and the dog.   (4.) If you fall or are knocked to the ground, curl into a ball with your hands over your ears and remain motionless. Try not to scream or roll around. Also, never try to hit or kick a dog while running, riding or blading, you could lose control and crash.

Other suggested, possibly effective, ways to deal with aggressive dogs include: Yelling "No" at them forcefully; squirting them in the face with your water bottle or pepper spray, or; blowing a loud high pitched whistle at them. My personal choice is to use some form of pepper spray when I feel threatened by a dog.

If you encounter an aggressive dog on the Trail, please notify the authorities mentioned at the beginning of this page and FrOGHaT.  We have been successful in getting aggressive dogs removed from the Trail area.  Go to Top

Horses: The Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail is designed for equestrian (horseback riding) use with an extended mown right-of-way on its western and southern sides.  Parking facilities for equestrian Trail-users are available at the northern entrance to the Boulware Springs Trail-head (3300 SE 15th Street in Gainesville, Florida), and at the Lochloosa Trailhead (7209 SE 200th Drive off of C.R. 2082) west of Hawthorne, Florida. Please note that horses are not allowed east of the Lochloosa Trailhead.

FrOGHaT recommends the following guidelines for approaching and interacting with horseback riders on the Trail. Remember, wild horses also reside in Paynes Prairie Preserve Park and may be encountered on the Trail. Wild horses should be treated as wildlife. See the section below on Wildlife.

When cycling, roller blading, walking or running on Florida’s multi-use Gainesville Hawthorne Trail you may encounter equestrians. HORSES HAVE THE RIGHT OF WAY OVER ALL OTHER TRAIL USERS! This is the case, not only because it is the law, but because horses are much larger and by nature unpredictable.  It is your responsibility to know what to do. Horses are sensitive prey animals with minds of their own. Unlike a bike rider, someone on a horse may not always have total control over his horse. Bicycles can be very frightening to horses because they are so quiet and can move very fast (like preditors).  It is of extreme importance that one be careful around horses. The practical guidelines below are primarily for bikers and equestrians, but all trail uses may find them useful.

WHAT BIKERS SHOULD KNOW WHEN MEETING A HORSE ON THE TRAIL: COMMUNICATE!!! This is probably the most important thing you can do. If the horse sees you standing there not saying anything, instinct tells it that you are a predator crouching in wait like a tiger. Start a conversation, talk about the weather, the horse, the trail. Speaking to the rider will help reassure the horse and also does wonders for relations between cyclists and equestrians. Anything individual trail users can do to show mutual respect for each other helps all users.

IF APPROACHING A HORSE GOING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION - and you wish to pass, you should slow down to yield the trail. Ask the equestrian if they want you to stop so they can pass you. It is usually prudent to stop and let the equestrian go by, but ask the rider what you should do. Sometimes the rider will ask you to continue riding while they wait on the side of the trail. Sometimes they will pass through while you wait.

IF APPROACHING A HORSE FROM BEHIND -TAKE EXTRA CARE ! Don't speed past the horse like a cheetah. This is almost certain to startle the horse, which puts the equestrian and YOU in danger. Horses have exceptionally good hearing and vision but can't see directly behind themselves very well, so approaching from behind can be dangerous to both the equestrian and the bicyclist. Again, communication is critical: Gently announce yourself well in advance to let the rider know that you are approaching from behind. Say hello so the horse knows you are there and a human not a predator. Slow down. Ask the rider if you may pass the horse on the right or left as the case may be and then if the rider says yes, pass slowly as you continue to talk to horse and rider. Remember that horses have individual temperaments and only the horse's rider knows the horse’s personality. Trust the riders judgment. If you encounter a horse that seems very nervous or out of control, stop and get off your bicycle. Yes, you should get off your bike. This is not only for your safety, it will also help the horse recognize that you are a human (versus some weird alien monster with wheels attached to it). Continue to talk quietly to the horse and rider until the horse calms down or passes you and your bicycle.

WHAT EQUESTRIANS SHOULD KNOW WHEN MEETING A BICYCLE ON THE TRAIL: When riding your horse on the trail and you encounter a biker, communicate politely and clearly to let the bicyclist know your needs and concerns as they may not know what to do around horses. Remember to always thank bikers for their trail courtesy. TIP FOR CONDITIONING YOUR HORSE TO PASS BICYCLES ON THE TRAIL: Ride your horse out on a quiet trail with someone the horse knows on a bicycle. Let the bicycle lead with the horse following. Once the horse gets used to following the bicycle and rider have... the bike stop and have the cyclist give the horse a favorite treat. Continue along the trail repeating the above many times until the horse is completely comfortable with the moving bicycle.

EQUESTRIANS AND BIKERS Ride friendly. All of us can all enjoy the trail if we communicate and respect each others needs through mutual understanding and caution. “Happy trails to you, til we meet again.”  Go to Top

Wildlife: There are many forms of wildlife to be seen on or from the Trail. Please limit your interaction with wildlife to observation and photography. Trail users should not attempt to physically interact with wildlife.  It is not unusual to see alligators, poisonous snakes, wild horses and other wildlife on or near the Trail.  There are also Gopher Tortoise burrows adjacent to the Trail. Go to Top

Sharp Curves and Hills: The first four miles of the Trail on the Gainesville side include numerous hills and curves that limit sight distance. Please stay on the right-hand side of the Trail while going around these curves and over the crest of hills.  Please do not walk, run, bike or rollerblade abreast with anyone while going around curves or topping hills, e.g., no double pace lines in these areas. Go to Top

Road Crossings: The Trail crosses at least a dozen roads and driveways that have various amounts and speeds of motorized traffic. Trail users are required by law to stop at all road crossings where Red Octagonal STOP signs are installed. These crossing are periodically monitored by the Park Patrol, and cyclists have been cited and fined for failing to stop. Some crossings require only that Trail users YIELD to other traffic. Please be aware of limited sight distances at some intersections. Go to Top

Unpaved Crossings: There are two unpaved road crossings on the Trail. One is at mile marker 11 and the other is next to the Lochloosa Trail Head at SE 200th Dr. near mile marker 14. There are signs at each of these crossings indicating their conditions. It is recommended that road-bikers (with skinny tires) dismount and walk across unpaved crossings. Go to Top

Trail surface buckling: Several sections of the Trail are becoming rough due to tree roots growing underneath the asphalt pavement. One area near mile marker 5 is particularly bumpy and should be approached with care by cyclists and rollerbladers. Most buckled sections of the Trail have been painted black and orange to make them more visible. More buckling seems to be occurring on the north side of the Trail after mile marker 4. Go to Top

Flooding: During periods of high rainfall, flooding may occur on the trail in low lying areas (mostly east of mile marker 4). Sometimes, water may be accompanied by silt or algae, making the submerged Trail surface slippery. Please use caution when riding or walking through flooded areas of the Trail. Go to Top

Criminal Activity:   Unfortunately, criminal activity has occurred on the Trail in the past, although infrequently.  It is recommended that all users enjoy the Trail with a friend.   Please report any suspicious or criminal activity to the Sheriff's Office and Park Police as soon as possible. Automobile break-ins have occurred at Boulware Springs and County Road 234 and 325 parking areas.  Leave valuable items at home or put them out of sight (in your trunk).  It is considered safer to park in the dirt parking-lot next to the road at Boulware Springs.  Assaults have occurred near the CR 234 intersection and near the Hawthorne end of the Trail.  In one case, the alleged assailant was apprehended shortly after the incident because friends were nearby and had cell-phones. Trail users are encouraged to enjoy the Trail with a friend. Please report any problems or suspicious activities as indicated above. Go to Top

Please check this web page frequently. It will be updated as additional information becomes available on Trail safety issues.