 The city of Gainesville has a lot of preserves with short nature trails that uncover the urban beauty found in the city. Gainesville's first nature preserve, 21-acre Alfred A. Ring Park, has a short trail with views of the pretty Hogtown Creek ravine that is uncommon in central Florida's flat landscape. Throughout this short hike, you will travel across hills and boardwalks exploring the creek valley. Go in the spring, and you may even spot some wildflower such as Solomon's seal. This hike occurred on Sunday, November 29th, 2015. My plan was to hike the trail along Hogtown Creek out and back, returning via the playground and garden. SummaryR/T Length of Trail: 1.4 Miles Duration of Hike: 0:40 Type of Hike: Lasso with Spur Trail Difficulty Rating: 1 out of 10 Pros: Boardwalks provide great views of Hogtown Creek Cons: None Points of Interest: Numerous views of the Hogtown Creek valley Trail Blaze Color(s): None Best Season(s) to Hike: Spring Beginning Point: Elks Lodge Directions: This hike is located inside the city limits of Gainesville, FL. From the intersection of SW 13th Street (US Route 441) and FL State Route 24 near the University of Florida, drive north on SW 13th Street for 2.2 miles. Then, turn left onto NW 23rd Avenue. Continue on NW 23rd Avenue for 0.5 miles until you see the sign "Ring Park Entrance". Turn left here and park either by Elks Lodge or on the parking area at the trailhead. MapA map and some other information regarding this hike can be viewed here. DetailsGainesville is the city of nature preserves. There's a place to hike at all throughout the city, from the huge Paynes Prairie State Park to the trails on the campus of University of Florida. It was a hard time picking where to hike in Gaiensville for my first hike there, but I decided on Alfred A. Ring Park, where a short trail takes you into an unusual (for Florida) valley where Hogtown Creek's waters are crystal clear and rare wildflowers grow on the slopes of the ravine. The hike starts at a small lodge called the Elks Lodge, located right at the edge of the park on NW 23rd Avenue. The trail begins as a concrete walkway down to Hogtown Creek. Here, you cross a side stream of Hogtown Creek on a large footbridge. The bridge seems to be oversized, as the stream is nothing but a trickle. You will ascend slightly onto a hill after this. Reach the start of the loop at 0.1 miles. The playground is straight ahead, and a garden lies beyond that. However, turn left to hike the loop clockwise. The trail descends swiftly into the valley of Hogtown Creek. At 0.25 miles, bottom out at another intersection. Turn left to reach an observation platform of Hogtown Creek at 0.3 miles. There is a good view of the creek in both directions. Retrace your steps to the intersection and continue following the trail along Hogtown Creek. This trail is very popular with local joggers and bicyclists. The trail is very easy to follow - boardwalks take you across ravines, and many of the boardwalks provide good views of Hogtown Creek. Also, I have read that on the slopes of this steep-sided valley, you may find some uncommon wildflowers such as Solomon's seal, provided you hike here in spring. At 0.4 miles, the loop turns right. However, continue straight to hike the full trail. The territory of the preserve soon narrows as a neighborhood comes into view to your right. The trail continues to follow Hogtown Creek closely until reaching NW 16th Avenue at 0.7 miles. This is the southern end of the trail and the second entrance to the park. Retrace your steps along Hogtown Creek to the loop junction. At 1.1 miles, turn left to continue the loop. You will ascend out of the valley and onto the hill where the garden is. At 1.25 miles, reach the wildflower garden, and shortly afterwards, reach the end of the loop at the playground at 1.3 miles. Bear left and descend back to the oversized footbridge, finishing the hike at the trailhead at 1.4 miles. VariationsHike just the loop - 0.6 Miles Bonus StopsThere is a lot of nature preserves throughout the city of Gainesville. Some of the more notable ones are Devil's Millhopper State Park and Paynes Prairie State Park. Any of the preserves can work for a bonus stop. For a full list of the other, smaller conservation areas found in Gainesville, click here. PicturesSorry for the blurriness of some pictures. This hike was done around twilight due to traffic delays and I didn't have the opportunity to take pictures in full daylight.
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About MeMark Oleg Dear readers: I have invested a tremendous amount of time and effort in this website and the Georgia Waterfalls Database the past five years. All of the work that has gone in keeping these websites updated with my latest trip reports has almost been like a full-time job. This has not allowed me to pick up a paid job to save up money for college, and therefore, I will unfortunately have to take out loans as I head to college this September. I plan to study environmental science and molecular biology, with a focus on environmental conservation, which is my passion. I want to do research that would ultimately benefit the well-being of the earth, as it feels like a mission to me. If you find the information on this website interesting, helpful, or time-saving, you can say "thanks" and help me out by clicking the button above and making a contribution. I will be very grateful for any amount of support you give, as all of it will apply toward my college tuition. Thank you!
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Other Hiking WebsitesMiles HikedYear 1: 540.0 Miles
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