Nature Trail Offers Much to Explore

The nature trail at Ruth B. Kirby Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park may not be long, a little less than a mile, but it has a variety of topography, ecosystems, wildlife and habitats to experience. As you explore the trail you might discover a geocache, a 350-year-old giant cypress tree, a vivid green swampy sinkhole full of turtles, and a hidden spring or two. 

Listen carefully and you might hear some of the wildlife the park is here to protect, such as the red-shouldered hawk, barred owl, great blue heron and pileated woodpecker. 

The trail is clearly marked with blue blazes. Feel free to explore the side trail marked with yellow blazes.

Encounter floodplains, sandhills, hammocks, forested canopies, sinkholes and karst topography as you meander this path. The trail changes seasonally, so enjoy the color of North Florida's fall foliage. In spring you can see the bright white of the blooming spider lilies.

Enjoy the quiet solitude of the woods and refresh your senses as you discover there is so much more to Ruth B. Kirby Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park than the spring alone.