South of downtown St. Augustine, Cover Shores Park is hidden deep throughout the large Cover Shores subdivision.
It preserves a tiny nook of the unique forest cover that after graced the western shore of the Matanzas River.
Previous progress dwell oaksThough it has river frontage, this 33 acre coastal park by no means reveals you the waterfront.
As a substitute, it explores a hardwood hammock with historic oaks and pines by way of a simple paved loop with two quick boardwalks.
Boardwalk alongside the loopAssets
Overview
Location: St. AugustineLength: 0.6 mile loopTrailhead: 29.81216, -81.29944Address: 804 Christina Dr, St. AugustineFees: FreeRestroom: On the trailheadLand supervisor: St. Johns CountyPhone: 904-209-0333
Open 7 AM to nightfall. Leashed pets welcome. No glass containers permitted in park.
Instructions
Hike
Park close to the picnic pavilion and begin your stroll at Cover Shores Historical past interpretive panel adjoining it. Mile markers alongside the loop go clockwise.
Comply with the paved path alongside the sting of the parking space previous the pavilion. Enter the woods on the second historical past panel, descending by means of a curve.
Descent on the paved pathThe primary of a fleet of train machines alongside the trail sits beneath a large oak alongside a retention pond.
Dropping elevation at a mild tempo, move a .11 mile put up throughout from a bench and cross a low footbridge.
Mile put upSnaking into the hammock, stroll by cedars, oaks, and magnolia with a dense understory.
Curve move a leg press and a bench earlier than the .22 mile put up.
The eye-getting mileages proceed like this across the whole loop.
Within the hammockThe excessive cover of Cover Shores asserts itself, historic oaks draped in streamers of Spanish moss.
One other vast bridge crosses an ephemeral stream because the path curves east right into a straightaway by means of the forest.
The sky lightens on the left on the strategy to a cove within the Matanzas River, however it’s by no means seen from the path.
BoardwalkA gentle descent previous the subsequent train station and bench results in a break within the cover with tall cabbage palms overhead.
Simply past milepost .33, a boardwalk begins. Traverse a low space within the coronary heart of the hammock.
The place it ends, a slim ditch half-hidden by vegetation parallels the trail, funneling water in the direction of the river.
Coastal pinesThe following curve reveals pines rising above mounds of grapevine close to the shoreline of the river.
The water is on the market, however you’ll be able to’t see it.
Curving over a footbridge and previous extra train stations, enter the showiest a part of the hammock after milepost .44.
Excessive coverAnchored by monumental dwell oaks, a inexperienced cover hovers excessive above this nook of the forest, with palms beneath.
Yaupon holly grows thickly between the magnolias and oaks.
A facet path behind the subsequent train station pops out on the non-public boating facility for the neighborhood, the one place to glimpse the Mantanzas River past their buildings.
Facet pathPassing milepost .55 amid towering oaks and magnolias, cross a boardwalk by means of an exquisite stretch of forest gleaming in 100 shades of inexperienced within the morning solar.
The paved path now climbs, shortly making up the elevation it misplaced because it ascends right into a drier a part of the hammock.
Emerge on the trailhead between the playground and the picnic pavilion at 0.6 mile.
Ascent to trailheadPath Map
Discover Extra!
Video
A stroll by means of Cover Shores Park
Slideshow
See our photographs from Cover Shores Park
Close by Adventures
Official Web site
Creator of over 40 books, Sandra Buddy established FloridaHikes.com in 2006 to increase on the sector analysis she’d accomplished for her first six climbing guides. She has been honored with lifetime achievement awards from the Florida Path Affiliation and the Florida Out of doors Writers Affiliation.
