Near the mouth of the Matanzas River, Faver-Dykes State Park is a popular launch point for paddlers eager to explore the estuaries between the barrier islands and the coast.
Nestled in oak hammocks along Pellicer Creek, this peaceful park also has an easy nature trail, the Pine Loop Trail, for landlubbers to trace the route of the creek through old-growth pines.
It’s a mecca for birders thanks to more than a hundred migratory species that pass through the marshes.
Resources
Resources for exploring the area
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Overview
Location: St. Augustine
Length: 0.5 mile loop
Trailhead: 29.669967, -81.258967
Address: 1000 Faver-Dykes Rd, St. Augustine
Fees: $4-5 per vehicle
Restroom: At trailhead
Land Manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 904-794-0997
Open 8 AM to sunset. Leashed dogs welcome.
Directions
From Interstate 95 exit 298, drive north on US 1 to the first road on the right, Faver Dykes Rd, located between two gas stations at the interchange. Follow the road for 1.5 miles to the park entrance. From the park entrance, continue along the one-way dirt road to a T intersection; turn right and make a right turn at the fork. The trailhead parking is on the right. Do not block the road leading back to the campsites.
Hike
To find the trailhead, walk the road past the campsites to the second “Nature Trail” sign along the treeline near the salt marsh. The trail is broad and level and carpeted in pine needles.
Starting behind the campsites, the short interpretive nature trail leads along a footpath dense with pine duff through coastal pine flatwoods.
Yaupon, low bush blueberry, wax myrtle, and saw palmetto dominate the understory.
At 0.3 mile, reach the loop portion of the trail. Follow the loop around a peninsula along the salt marsh.
A bench provides a panoramic view of the Pellicer Creek salt marshes, a great spot for birding. Pay close attention to the slash pines along the walk. Some of them are massive.
Trail Map
Explore More!
Learn more about Faver-Dykes State Park
Faver-Dykes State Park
At Faver-Dykes State Park, explore the estuaries of the Matanzas River and the uplands above Pellicer Creek.
Nearby Adventures
More worth exploring while you’re in this area.
Princess Place Preserve
Gentle loop trails showcase wild spaces and cultivated grounds at Princess Place Preserve, an 1880s homestead on Pellicer Creek with a campground on site.
Fort Matanzas Nature Trail
On the shores of Fort Matanzas, a significant historic site south of St. Augustine, the dunes are now swaddled in maritime forest, a gentle place with ancient oaks and an accessible boardwalk.