HAWTHORNE, FL (352today.com) – When this week’s rainy weather lets up, there’s a new trail for nature lovers to explore in Alachua County. The White Pond Loop trail at Phifer Flatwoods Preserve in Hawthorne is now open for hiking, biking and horseback riding.
The new 1.4-mile trail runs along the man-made White Pond, which is part of a 30-acre acquisition made in 2020. White Pond Loop can be accessed from the midpoint of the 1.3-mile Turpentine Loop trail, bringing the preserve’s total trail mileage to 4.8 miles.
Phifer Flatwoods Preserve is named for the turpentine and timber company the land was once home to, and hikers can still walk through old pine plantations scattered around the property. The unpaved trails wind through mesic flatwoods, hardwood hammocks and cypress swamps. But tread with caution this month: trails may be flooded or muddy during rainy season, and seasonal wetlands may appear.
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The White Pond Loop trailhead is located at 10748 SE CR-2082 with parking along the road shoulder. However, there is another parking area located approximately a mile to the east along the Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail. There are also several other hiking trails and trailheads at the nearly 1,650-acre Phifer Flatwoods Preserve. More information about the trails and how to access them is available here.
Maps of the Phifer Flatwoods Preserve trails are available at park kiosks or online.
The preserve is open from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. starting this month and lasting through March. Trails are open later April through September: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.