Close to the center of Eglin Air Force Base north of Niceville, Anderson Pond Recreation Area provides opportunities for hiking, camping, fishing, and disc golf.
Three interconnected loop trails crisscross the property, centered on a pond created by a dam across Anderson Branch, which feeds into nearby Juniper Creek.
Cascade at a water crossingResources
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Overview
Location: Niceville
Length: 2.1 miles
Trailhead: 30.560222, -86.513000
Address: SR 85, Niceville
Fees: $5 per person
Restrooms: At trailhead
Land manager: Eglin Air Force Base
Phone: 850-882-4164
All hikers must have a permit in advance of arriving at Eglin Air Force Base. Day use permits are $5, annual permits $30. Obtain online.
Camping is $5 per person. Campsites must be paid for in advance at the Eglin Natural Resources Office in Niceville along SR 85, south of the turnoff for Anderson Pond.
Directions
Exit Interstate 10 at SR 85 in Crestview and follow it south for 12.9 miles. Turn left at an entrance marked with a wooden sign for Anderson Pond Recreation Area. Follow the paved road for 0.4 mile, then turn left on a dirt road and continue 0.2 mile to the trailhead.
Hike
Starting at a sign for the Florida Trail (not to be confused with the Florida National Scenic Trail at Eglin) follow a sturdy boardwalk as it descends towards Anderson Pond.
The walkway crosses marshy terrain before turning to parallel a small creek.
Main trailheadIn a tenth of a mile, an arm of the boardwalk leads to the pond’s edge, a popular fishing spot where shaded picnic tables sit underneath a stand of pines.
Stay on the elevated pathway as it curves around the water’s edge to a junction of trails near the 0.2 mile mark.
Boardwalk overlooking pondTurning right to cross a wide wooden bridge, look for a sign at the start of the Jackson Trail.
White blazes lead the way past an outflow from the pond, where a clear creek meanders into the dense mixed hardwood forest.
Trailside creekNearing an intersection of trails at a half mile, continue onto the Spence Trail, marked with yellow blazes.
This loop winds westward across along a wide pathway before taking a sharp turn to the east and emerging at a campsite clearing in a half mile.
Junction of trailsFrom this point, follow a dirt road back to the wooden bridge and turn to the right, continuing along the second half of the Florida Trail.
Blue trail markers affixed to trees indicate the path as the trail traverses gently sloping ravines on the far side of the pond.
Contoured terrainAt the two mile mark, a wooden bridge spans the clear waters of Anderson Branch next to a trickling waterfall.
Across the creek, the trail turns westward, entering a small clearing before concluding the hike in a tenth of a mile.
Creek bridgeTrail Map
Explore More!
Learn more about recreation at Eglin Air Force Base
Eglin Air Force Base Florida's largest military base is also a major destination for outdoor recreation, thanks to well-managed habitats across a former national forest.Video
Hiking the trails of Anderson Pond Recreation Area
Nearby Adventures
Turkey Creek Walk A clear tannic stream draining 67 square miles of forests in the sandhills encompassed by Eglin Air Force Base, Turkey Creek is the centerpiece of a linear boardwalk in Niceville.
Florida Trail, Catface 14.2 miles. Climbing to the highest elevations along the Florida Trail, the challenging Catface section traverses hilly terrain along the northern edge of Eglin Air Force Base.
Florida Trail, Titi 14.8 miles. Paralleling the floodplain of Titi Creek and its tributaries, this hike on the Florida Trail across Eglin will surprise you with its mature longleaf pine forests and its steep descents into creek basins.
Cimmaron Trail Sunny sandhill communities transition to the deeply shaded Yellow River floodplain along the well-maintained Cimarron Trail at Eglin Air Force Base. 
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