Rivertown Riverfront Park – Florida Hikes - Primal Outdoor Members Portal

A big deliberate group northwest of St. Augustine alongside the St. Johns River, RiverTown has made probably the most of its pure setting.

Its neighborhoods are set inside massive conservation areas and trails interconnect between a lot of them.

Overview map of this park throughout from a neighborhood

A notable landmark for vacationers down the Bartram Freeway (SR 13) between Jacksonville and Palatka, Riverfront Park belongs to and is maintained by the group however open to all.

Cleared, the understory beneath the traditional oaks revealed spectacular views of the river, additional enhanced by two remark decks and a pier.

Pier into the St. Johns River

Paddlers can launch subsequent to the northern deck to discover the wild cypress-lined jap shore of the river.

A community of paved paths supplies accessible enjoyment of the waterfront, however the park additionally has a wild aspect.

Waterfront views from underneath the oaks

Its northernmost extent stays a river bluff forest with timber of spectacular dimension, two natural-surface loops constructed by SORBAJAX for mountain bikers, open to hikers as nicely.

This stroll blends each the gentle and wild sides of Riverfront Park.

On the pure floor bike path

Sources

Overview

Location: St. JohnsLength: 1.7 milesTrailhead: 30.020703, -81.641111Address: 4065 SR 13 N, St. JohnsFees: FreeRestroom: Close to the pierLand Supervisor: RiverTown Facilities TeamPhone: 904-679-5523

Open 9 AM to five PM. Leashed canines welcome. Please decide up after your pet.

Almost three miles of biking are attainable combining the paved and unpaved trails. Don’t journey pure floor trails when moist.

Instructions

North of St. Augustine, take Interstate 95 exit 323 at Worldwide Golf Village. Comply with Worldwide Golf Pkwy (9 Mile Rd) west 2.5 miles. Flip proper on SR 16. Proceed 1.5 miles and SR 16 turns left. Meet SR 13 in one other 1.7 miles. Make a proper and observe it north for six.7 miles, reaching the site visitors circle at Rivertown. Simply previous the circle flip left into Riverfront Park.

Hike

Ranging from the north finish of the parking space, take a brief stroll north on the paved path alongside the riverfront to an indication with an summary map of the park.

The yellow-blazed Newbie Loop diverges from the paved path simply past it.

Proceed on the paved path underneath the moss-draped reside oaks in direction of a roofed construction on the riverfront.

Pathway in direction of the launch

A boardwalk results in this remark deck, which stands beside and above the hand launch for paddlers.

The St. Johns is kind of broad at this level; the marina and water towers seen on the far shore are in Inexperienced Cove Springs.

To the south alongside this shoreline, a pier juts into the river.

Deck and hand launch

Leaving the remark deck, flip proper and stroll south previous the parking space. Take within the sweep of river alongside the gently curving path.

Grapevines and shrubs crowd the sting of the bluff under towering reside oaks and cypress timber.

Strolling in direction of the pier

Previous the parking space, a paved path stretches east in direction of the restrooms and entrance garden of the park. Flip proper and proceed onto the lengthy boardwalk to the pier.

It affords nice views of the tree-lined shoreline of the park, which has many little coves alongside the low bluff.

Shoreline of Riverfront Park

On the finish, it’s topped with an ornamental sq. roof above an remark platform.

Look to the correct of the marina on the far shore to make out the waterfront of Spring Park at Inexperienced Cove Springs.

Flags atop Observation deck with view across river

View in direction of Inexperienced Cove Springs

Returning to land, flip proper to observe the paved loop via the south finish of the park, its cover of historical timber a delight.

A aspect path results in a ultimate roofed remark deck on the water. Pause for the view earlier than following the sinuous loop underneath the timber.

Small riverfront deck

Draperies of Spanish moss glow in dappled sunshine. Edging in direction of the boundary fence, the trail turns northward at a wall of river bluff forest.

Stroll beneath tall southern magnolias previous a crowdsourced rock sculpture and emerge onto the open garden that faces the site visitors circle to the east and the pier to the west.

South finish of park

Comply with the trail throughout and across the garden previous the small restroom constructing. At 0.7 mile, rejoin the riverfront stroll that introduced you right here.

Move the car parking zone and the large path map, staying to the paved path. Stroll by the remark deck and launch.

Open lawn with sidewalk and river beyond

Foremost garden

Wind beneath the traditional reside oaks, having fun with the continuing river views. They’re significantly intensive at this finish of the park, with a protrusion of wooded shoreline to the north.

A bike owner or walker could cross by deeper within the woods on the gravel-surface Newbie Loop, constructed for newbie off-road cyclists.

Forested shoreline

A mile into your stroll, the 2 trails practically contact. Keep on the paved path for the higher views, accentuated by the cleared understory.

A tenth of a mile later, the pavement does a good loop. Depart it to stroll beneath the cover of southern magnolias and large reside oaks in direction of a wood bridge.

Parallel paths

That dry stream marks the boundary between the gentle and wild sides of Riverfront Park.

A dense understory closes in across the doubletrack, the well-worn west aspect of the Intermediate Loop.

As it’s closest to the river, that is the portion of the bike path most utilized by hikers.

Intermediate Loop

Wind previous aspect trails burrowing deeper into the forest, cross trails for the Intermediate Loop.

Light curves lead underneath the reside oaks to a clearing with paths in a number of instructions. Take the one to the left, rapidly rising on a small bluff alongside the river.

Approaching the bluff

The view via the cypresses frames a panorama of a cove. Flip left to observe a worn path via the river bluff forest.

It’s breezy even when the river is hidden by the timber. At 1.4 miles, the footpath ends atop one other small bluff with a view north into the cove.

View alongside cove

From this magnificence spot, backtrack to the upper bluff and switch proper to return to the clearing.

Whereas hikers are welcome to stroll the Intermediate Loop clockwise from right here, the turns are complicated. There are a lot of crossovers not proven on the map.