I discovered this place by accident and now its one of my go to hiking spots in Jacksonville. This neighborhood Wildlife & Environmental area is a great place to crank out a few quick miles without having to trek too far out of the city. It being next to Cecil you might occasionally hear the odd jet spooling up but for the most part its just you, gopher tortoises, owls, woodpeckers and a lot of neatly arranged pine land that has been replanted. On this visit I actually spotted a dead and decaying pygmy rattler smack dab in the middle of the trail, so there are these guys out here..but theyre usually tucked away in a burrow somewhere. Anyway, the trail actually offers a variety of terrain with some very cool oak groves on the far western edge of the property and a few gentle rolling hills (really gentle...elevation gain is about 10 feet) to make the trail interesting. If you detour off the main trail you can meander through some tighter footpaths that are fantastic to trek through. The trails are really nicely maintained and very well marked so hiking this is pretty easy to do. This really is a great place to visit for a quick outing, putting some miles on your hiking shoes or if you have some time to kill while your Gulfstream is being worked on at Cecil! ;)

A simple place to go for a walk or jog. The trails are kept in good condition so people dont trip over any long grass. I have seen a few gopher tortoises while on my walks and I love to hear the birds sing their melody of songs with an occasional woodpecker knocking on some branches. They do use controlled fires to help the area remain in a healthy condition. It is close to Cecil Airport, so expect some airplanes to be flying over.

Free parking & admission. Parking for 7+- vehicles including one cement handicapped pad (entry way is 30 inches wide). I was the only one there. Plan on 1 hour. Reasonably well marked trails - once youre on the main loop it there are tons of markings, but good luck if you want to take the short loop as IT IS NOT MARKED! Nor is the intersection where the 3 options meet?! Crazy. Trails are well-maintained and consist of packed sand, mowed grass, occasional partially exposed root, usually 5 feet - 10 feet wide. Main loop is 2.8 miles, divided down the middle so you can easily either do a 1.8 mile or 2.3 mile loop instead. No bathroom, porto-potty, water, or garbage can. Dogs are allowed, no poop bags or garbage can. Next to an airport so regular planes & helicopters. Bring bug spray or anti-itch cream. 2 bars of Verizon 4G (February 2019).

Beautiful open space. Its nice for a calm walk in the woods. They could use more parking and Id like to see more winding, natural trails versus the many straight trails, but its nice nonetheless and I love seeing land and habitat preserved amidst so much new development.

If you want to gain some perspective, fresh air and just a walk on a trail its good. Prescribed fires are utilized out there, which accounts for the plush vegetation. I didnt make it to the water body but Ill return with more time.

UPDATE: In the past it was impossible to get here but recently improvements have been made. A nice parking lot has been added with space for 3-5 cars, including handicap parking .The now easily accessible trails are well kept and clearly marked with blue blazers. The scenery is beautiful with pine trees and wildflowers guiding your way. Its a great place to take your family for an early morning walk or an evening stroll.

Its a nice place for hiking. Its a piece of wild nature. Its quiet and beautiful around.

Nice walk, got to see a lot of planes land at the nearby Cecil airport. Very easy terrain.

Peace and quiet truly Back To Nature

I really enjoy the trails here. Im hoping to take my dog there on a weekly basis (depending on the weather). I love that there are numerous geocaches in the area too. Im limiting myself to one cache per trip to ensure I return.

Awesome trail network. Low vegetation, easy walk for dogs, strollers etc.. See gopher tortoises every time and usually some birds and snakes. Close by and good for getting into the woods for an hour or two.

This place is absolutely amazingly beautiful. Its such a nice getaway without traveling far.

A walk in the woods is worth the effort. Safety first!

Nice place to recharge

Beautiful area. Nice trails. Well kept.

Ive been hiking in this wildlife area since moving to Jax. I came upon it by accident while exploring the area around Cecil Airfield. At that time it was known as a Mitigation Field. Im not sure when it was upgraded to a Wildlife Area, but the name came with new signage & a parking area!There are a couple trail options that take you either through the park or around the perimeter.The trails are wide and make for easy hiking. The area is well over 300 acres and is filled with pine, live oak and turkey oak trees. Palmetto plants fill in most of the ground under the trees. Its quite a beautiful place to get away so close to home.Ive seen deer and wild turkeys there. The area is a habitat for gopher tortoises and Ive seen the holes they dig, but no tortoises yet! The sign at the entrance warns of snakes and coyotes - fortunately, I havent seen any of those***Update - Spring is here and snakes (yes plural) have been seen!! One was a water moccasin & he was not happy to see me!**

Great place to walk, the perimeter is just over 4 miles. There is mud in some parts.

Simple hikes on East and West loop trails, both are under 2 miles. Pretty scenery, wildlife, and not busy.

Great place to get back to nature. Enjoy Gods beautiful creation. Only hold back from 5 stars are the mosquitoes. Bring lots of deet!!!!

Pretty, serene and nearby.

It was legitness!

The worst

Theres a lot of wild animals at this place its a very cool experience you get to see nature at its finest you see this creature in the front seat some old wild animal they call fish

Great for kids! A BOB or all-terrain stroller would also do well here. Parking lot is very small.

I love it

Kind of quiet. Not much wildlife to be seen. Good for a thinking place.

A haven amid all the craziness of Oakleaf. So happy this chunk of peaceful land is available for hiking. The new parking area is awesome, too.

Great place to have a walk, even better to ride a bike, but no bikes allowed, but it does reduce foot traffic, but I agree with that rule to preserve the wildlifes natural habits

The trails are well-maintained, but there isnt much to do/see. No on-site toilets (not even a porter). The head is easy enough to find, right off Brannan Field Rd. Much of the scenery is the same, so dont expect a particularly exciting adventure. Its a nice place to be alone with nature for an hour though.

Nice place to take a walk in the winter.

Tried to take my family here but it was all gated off. The road google said to take to the entrance was very soft sand not appropriate for most vehicles, didn’t feel comfortable slipping under the locked gate and there were no posted hours in the FWL website or within view of the road. Very disappointed as it’s not a short drive to get here, and it’s supposed to have three decent trailheads for hiking.

Best prices on milk ... Much cheaper than other Walmarts nearby!

A nice place to do natural Florida close to Jacksonville

Long trails but not much to see

This is a beautiful public property that relies on the application of prescribed fire to maintain the aesthetic and natural beauty of the longleaf pine and wiregrass ecosystem that exists on much of the area. The FWC has done an excellent job managing the property. Truly a wonderful place to visit and enjoy scenic views and bountiful wildlife.

Good experience and nice place.

I would give this park a better rating, but there is no parking. We walked to it, but there are also no sidewalks leading to the entrance.

Love taking my dog here.

This area is building up rather nice

Peaceful area

No gopher tortoises

Turtles like youve never seen em before!

I like it like that

Wonderful

Nice place

No hunting opportunity

Great place to be outdoors

Lots to see