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Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides

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Florida Trail Seashore Dunes

Florida Trail, UWF/SRIA Dunes Preserve

3.2 miles. At the UWF/SRIA Dunes Preserve on Santa Rosa Island, the Florida Trail traverses a series of coastal habitats cradled by the sweeping dunes, providing a one-of-a-kind hike.

Florida Trail, Seashore  |  Pensacola Beach
( 30.351600,-87.032350 )      3.2 miles

3.2 miles. Climbing to the top of a sand dune on a barrier island where you can see both ocean and bay: that’s a rare treat in Florida.

At the UWF/SRIA Dunes Preserve on Santa Rosa Island, the Florida Trail traverses a series of coastal habitats cradled by the sweeping dunes, providing a one-of-a-kind hike.


Resources

Florida Trail Hikes book cover The Florida Trail Guide book cover North Florida Panhandle Explorers Guide book cover Florida Trail history book
Full details on this hike, including a trail map, are in our full-color guidebook Florida Trail Hikes.

Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.

 
Guthook GuidesGuthook Guides GPS-driven map-based guide to the Florida National Scenic Trail with thousands of waypoints from The Florida Trail Guide. Works offline. For iPhone and Android.


Overview

If you’ve ever wanted to scramble up and down Florida dunes, here’s your chance! This part of Santa Rosa Island is a coastal desert that the Florida Trail weaves up and over. It’s unique enough that our National Scenic Trail meanders along a beach, but this short segment is truly the beauty spot of the entire Seashore section.

Here, the trail shifts to the bay side of CR 399 and leads you through enormous dunes. Drawing close to Santa Rosa Sound, the trail provides a look at a maritime hammock and needlerush marshes as well.

Trip Planning

While there’s not-so-pleasant evidence that locals walk their dogs in the dunes – the Pensacola Dog Beach is across the road from this preserve – we’d prefer that you didn’t, for several reasons. First, the poop. Then, your dog’s health: the sand is quite hot underfoot once the sun has warmed it up, and it’s easy to dehydrate out here. All surface water is salt water. Finally, an endangered species live here: the Santa Rosa beach mouse. Look closely below tufts of grass for tiny burrows and tinier mouse prints.

Long distance backpackers will appreciate the Bayview primitive campsite – the only one in the Seashore section – that overlooks the bay. There isn’t much to it, save a designated camping area and a view, but it’s cheaper than springing for a hotel. You must bring water with you, as you’re surrounded by salt water.

Although this is a short hike, it’s surprisingly rugged because of the soft footing and climbs. Be sure to carry more than the usual amount of water with you, and wear sunscreen, as there is no shade and plenty of reflection into your face from the white sands. We’ve done this hike at different times of the day and find dawn and dusk to be most pleasant.

Directions

This section of the Florida Trail parallels CR 399, which is the sole highway along Santa Rosa Island between Navarre Beach and Pensacola Beach. Access CR 399 from US 98 in Navarre, south of Interstate 10 at Milton, or at Gulf Breeze, south of Pensacola along US 98.

Although there is no nearby parking, the paved Pensacola Beach Trail bike path starts at the beginning of section along CR 399. Either plan to get dropped off at the start of the trail or make a 5.4-mile loop of it by parking at one of the beach parking areas. There is a beach parking area a quarter mile north of the north end of this hike.

Hike

Starting from the beach west of the preserve, cross over CR 399 and start following the blaze posts that begin behind the big Pensacola Beach sign. Each has an orange blaze painted on a tall white post. Your mission is to find your way across this windswept landscape, post to post. The first quarter mile is quite flat.

However, once the size of the dunes increase, it gets trickier to find the next post through simple line of sight. Since there is no worn footpath, you can choose the best route around a large wetland area. As you climb atop dunes, take the time to look back towards the Gulf of Mexico for the views.

Florida Trail UWF-SRIA Dunes
Follow the blaze posts to find your way

Nearly a mile in, the trail enters a sliver of maritime forest. It then dives right into a needlerush marsh. Use a hiking stick to keep your balance.

Florida Trail needlerush marsh
Walking through a needlerush marsh

Past the marsh is the side trail to the Bayview campsite, the only place other than Fort Pickens Campground where backpackers are welcome to pitch a tent along the Seashore section.

The best tenting is under the pines, although you can loop out to the beach on the bay and find your way up to a couple of benches that overlook the water. After 2 miles, there are more marshes to cross. A high peak gives a nice perspective on Santa Rosa Sound.

Florida Trail Seashore Dunes
Swale in the dunes, and a view of Santa Rosa Sound

By the time you reach the final marsh crossing, the Portofino condo towers loom in the distance, built very near the preserve. The bridge over this marsh marks the boundary between UWF (University of West Florida) and SRIA (Santa Rosa Island Authority) management of this preserve.

As you get closer to the condos, the trail turns away from its compass west route to lead you towards the beach, reaching the paved Pensacola Beach Trail after 3.2 miles.

NORTHBOUND: Florida Trail, Pensacola Beach Trail
SOUTHBOUND: Florida Trail, Santa Rosa Beach

Category: Backpacking, Beach Hikes, Day Hikes, Florida Trail, Hikes, Natural Lands, Northwest Florida, TrailsTag: Best Hikes, Birding, Favorites, Florida Trail, FT Seashore, Geology, Gulf of Mexico, Hilly, Opt Outside, Pensacola, Primitive Camping, Scenic Hikes

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Our Florida Trail Books

The Florida Trail Guide

The Florida Trail GuideThe comprehensive mile-by-mile guidebook to planning section and thru-hikes along the entire length of the Florida Trail. 356 pages, $19.95 + tax and shipping.

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Florida Trail Hikes

Florida Trail HikesFifty of the best day hikes, overnights, and weekend trips on the Florida Trail, plus nine of the best section hikes. Full hike descriptions and maps, full color. 376 pages. $24.95 + tax and shipping.

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Discovering the Florida Trail

Florida Trail mini coffee table book cover of trail into palm hammock
Our virtual walk along the length of the Florida Trail, covering more than 1,500 miles from the Everglades to Pensacola Beach. Hardcover, 196 pages. $24.95 + tax and shipping.

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The Florida Trail

Florida Trail large coffee table book cover of trail down swamp causeway under ancient pines

Our history of the first 50 years of the Florida Trail, from its founding in 1966 to becoming a National Scenic Trail to volunteer efforts today.

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The Florida Trail App

Comprehensive logistics and offline maps all in one: The Florida Trail Guide is now also an interactive map-based mile-by-mile app by Guthook Guides.

Get the App!

Florida Trail Updates


Get periodic recaps of changes to the Florida Trail, which we accumulate between editions of our guidebook. Find all official Trail Closures & Notices here.

Hiking the Florida Trail

  • Florida Trail Overview
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Florida Trail by Section

Porter Lake, Apalachicola National Forest

Florida Trail, Apalachicola

Florida Trail, Apalachicola
Florida Trail Big Bend view

Florida Trail, Big Bend

Florida Trail, Big Bend
Florida Trail Big Cypress

Florida Trail, Big Cypress

Florida Trail, Big Cypress

Florida Trail, Blackwater

Florida Trail, Blackwater
Florida Trail Nokuse

Florida Trail, Central Panhandle

Florida Trail, Central Panhandle
Eglin Weaver Creek

Florida Trail, Eglin

Florida Trail, Eglin
Florida Trail Kissimmee

Florida Trail, Kissimmee

Florida Trail, Kissimmee
Florida Trail at Rice Creek

Florida Trail, Northeast Florida

Florida Trail, Northeast Florida
Juniper Prairie Wilderness

Florida Trail, Ocala

Florida Trail, Ocala
Ocean to Lake Hiking Trail

Ocean to Lake Hiking Trail

Ocean to Lake Hiking Trail
Florida Trail, Okeechobee

Florida Trail, Okeechobee

Florida Trail, Okeechobee
Florida Trail at Forever Florida

Florida Trail, Orlando

Florida Trail, Orlando
Florida Trail Seashore Dunes

Florida Trail, Seashore

Florida Trail, Seashore
Florida Trail along a canal south of Clewiston

Florida Trail, Seminole

Florida Trail, Seminole
No Name Creek

Florida Trail, Suwannee

Florida Trail, Suwannee
Cypress Lakes Preserve

Florida Trail, Western Corridor

Florida Trail, Western Corridor

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