Mill Creek Preserve – Florida Hikes - Primal Outdoor Members Portal

From this 1,200 acre protect at a historic crossroads of the Previous Bellamy Highway and the Previous Windfall Highway, water trickles in direction of three creek basins feeding the Santa Fe River.

Encompassing a good portion of the southernmost American beech forest, it echoes landscapes present in magnolia-beech forests in Northwest Florida.

Huge tree adjoins footpath in winter-cloaked forest

Alongside the Hammock Path

Straddling Townsend Department and its tributaries, the protect additionally has sandhills, pine flatwoods, and a hardwood hammock atop karst terrain with a hidden waterfall.

Buffering these showy native habitats, restoration of these pine plantations to sandhills continues.

Karst terrain

Two path methods diverge from the trailhead. The West Path results in the must-see beech forest on the Hammock Path.

The east facet of the protect has a pleasant marsh for birding and a waterfall alongside Townsend Department.

Bench close to the cascade in Townsend Department

Assets

Overview

Location: LaCrosseLength: As much as 5.3 milesTrailhead: 29.879665, -82.497252Address: 14505 NW CR 236, AlachuaFees: FreeRestroom: NoneLand Supervisor: Alachua CountyPhone: 352-264-6800

Open 8 AM-6 PM Nov-Apr, 8-8 Could-Oct. No bicycles allowed.

Leashed canine welcome; decide up after your pet. Insect repellent advisable.

Instructions

Exit Interstate 75 at US 441 at Alachua / Excessive Springs. Drive south into Alachua to the site visitors gentle with CR 235. Flip left and veer left onto CR 241. Proceed 5 miles to CR 239. Flip left. The trailhead is 1 / 4 mile on the left.

Hike

Start on the distinguished path kiosk, the place two choices are instantly offered. Make a proper to stroll alongside the within of the fence to affix the West Path.

A forest highway marked with yellow arrows, it results in the hammock on the coronary heart of this protect.

Trailhead kiosk

In a pine plantation present process restoration to pine flatwoods, bear left at a T intersection at 0.2 mile. Components of sandhill combine into the pines.

In one other tenth of a mile, move by means of a clearing within the forest with some oaks within the center. An indication marks the exit level straight forward.

West Path

Cross two extra forest intersections earlier than reaching the Hammock Path signal at 0.7 mile. Flip left.

Observe the orange blazes alongside the leaf-strewn path on a descent into the hardwood hammock.

A wide range of oak species thrive right here, together with water oak, bluff oak, and swamp chestnut oak.

Orange blazes mark the Hammock Path

Their leaves, turning a rust coloration in winter, will be mistaken for American beech, however the tell-tale distinction is the sleek bark of the beeches.

Magnificent specimens of magnolia and spruce pine tower above, whereas bluestem palm sprouts from the duff.

Spruce pines thrive in karst landscapes

A despair within the footpath could also be squishy. Ascend to increased floor on a gently winding route between the tall bushes.

Cross a footbridge at 0.9 mile, climbing past it into the guts of the beech forest. An indication with binoculars marks a brief facet path.

Aspect path to massive beech tree

Going across the base of an infinite beech, it ends at a scenic spot at a bench overlooking Townsend Creek. Previous this intersection the panorama turns into deeply folded.

A big interpretive signal explains the right way to establish the beech bushes, mostly discovered with magnolias and maples close to waterways that regularly nourish them.

Beech identification kiosk

Descend to an ornamental bridge throughout the creek at 1.1 miles, making a horseshoe curve in unison with the waterway to climb the bluff on its south facet.

Markers establish the rising variety of species crowding the understory on the retreat from the creek, together with yaupon holly and pink buckeye.

Crossing the creek

The excessive cover of the magnolia-beech forest persists alongside the light ascent. Floor limestone belies the underpinnings of karst beneath the forest ground, a panorama the place sinkholes type.

Identification seems on a few of the bushes, similar to musclewood and laurel oak. Pause at a bench to examine chunks of limestone with fossil scallop impressions.

Fossil scallop impression in karst

Extra of the bushes on this towering forest sport identification markers on their trunks on the strategy to the Shortcut Path at 1.4 mile.

Flip proper on this lime green-blazed path. It’s a straightforward, stage ramble out of the hardwood forest to the restored sandhills on its rim.

Lime green blaze on tree next to footpath

Shortcut Path

At 1.7 mile, meet the West Path at a T junction with a sheltered bench. Turning proper takes you straight again to the trailhead for a 2.8 mile hike.

Our choice is for extra time on this excellent hardwood hammock, so make a left as a substitute.

Junction with the West Path

Nonetheless a broad forest highway, at this finish of the protect the West Path is edged by pure habitats and gently curves alongside the ecotone between hammock and sandhills.

Attain a clearing the place it splits round an island of pines at 2 miles. Bear left and left once more, following the yellow path markers.

Island of pines

Edged by noticed palmetto, this broad path immerses within the hammock. It ends at its southern junction with the Hammock Path at 2.2 miles.

Flip left to renew the slender footpath winding between recognized bushes within the magnolia-beech forest.

Finish of West Path at Hammock Path

On the green-blazed submit for the Shortcut Path, full a mile loop on the south finish of the protect.

Essentially the most scenic return route is to remain on the Hammock Path, having fun with the ramble beneath the massive bushes and throughout the bridges.

Again on the Hammock Path

At 3 miles, the Hammock Path ends. Flip proper on the West Path and stroll again to the trailhead, finishing a 3.7 mile hike.

Add one other 1.6 miles of mountain climbing by making a loop of the 2 trails on the east facet of the protect, the Marsh Path and Previous Windfall Path.

Blue sky above trailhead at gap in trees

Exiting the West Path to the trailhead

Whereas a much less showy hike with extra pine plantation, there’s a small waterfall alongside the far loop.

Marked with blue arrows, the Marsh Path is carved right into a pine plantation nonetheless present process restoration. Bear proper firstly of the loop.

Begin of the Marsh Loop

Stroll a hall between youthful pines earlier than a curve that belies the rows of the older planted pines.

1 / 4 mile alongside the loop, meet the path junction with the Previous Windfall Path. Flip proper.

Shortly coming to a T with a forest highway, make a left, following it right into a curve for a crossing over a culvert for a ditched stream.

Junction of trails

Be a part of the straightaway main south. It follows the historic Previous Windfall Highway, established within the early days of settlement in Alachua County.

You’ll rejoin it because the return route. Nonetheless, go away it on the first turnoff on the fitting for a straightforward stroll to the sting of the forest alongside Townsend Creek.

Loop in direction of the creek

Observe the white blazes alongside a forest highway. It narrows to a footpath and makes a flip in direction of a sheltered bench, the sound of speeding water echoing from beneath.

Signage warns towards getting too near the eroding bluffs of the creek the place the cascade tumbles by means of a good crevice.

Dropoff beneath the cascade

Various in quantity primarily based on latest rainfall, this small waterfall is most simply seen from the bluff closest to the bench at 0.7 mile.

Water has formed wild curves on this woodland creek downstream from this rounded bluff.

Eroded curves of the creek

The footpath stays slender on its quick amble by means of this nook of the hardwood hammock.

After a climb into the sandhills, it widens to a forest highway alongside the ecotone. The hammock persists downslope.

Bear left at a broad clearing and an deserted forest highway within the pines.

Broad clearing

At a mile, emerge at a T intersection with the grassy expanse of the Previous Windfall Highway.

Flip left to comply with it north alongside the pines, sealing the decrease loop at 1.2 miles.

Following the directional arrows, retrace your steps to the Marsh Path junction and switch proper.

Marsh Path

Again on the blue blazes, this facet of the loop has extra of a pine plantation really feel with tall skinny pines and a choked understory of staggerbush and gallberry.

The payoff is the path’s namesake, reached at 1.4 miles. Benches on the east facet of the marsh allow you to sit and watch the birds that frequent it, together with sandhill cranes.