For over thirty years, the 90 acre South Tract of LEAFS Preserve been a showcase for restoration and management of longleaf pine flatwoods.
Established by the Longleaf Ecology and Forestry Society in 1993, it was donated to the Alachua Conservation Trust in 2022.
On higher ground than the North Tract, it sits just east of US 301. A mile circuit, the Longleaf Trail, follows easy-to-walk mowed footpaths and forest roads.
Original LEAFS signResources
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Overview
Location: Waldo
Length: 1 mile loop
Trailhead: 29.76513, -82.13623
Address: 11985 NE CR 1471, Waldo
Fees: Free
Restroom: None
Land manager: Alachua Conservation Trust
Phone: 352-373-1078
Open sunrise to sunset. Leashed dogs welcome. Check the ACT website before visiting: the preserve may close for prescribed burns and other maintenance activities.
Directions
From the SR 26 interchange in Hawthorne, follow US 301 north 3 miles to CR 1471. Turn right. The trailhead is on the right in a half mile. From the SR 24 junction in Waldo, it’s 2.5 miles south on US 301 to a turnoff on NE 114th Ave, with a quick left onto CR 1471 for the half mile to the trailhead.
Hike
Visit the trailhead kiosk to pick up a map or snap a photo of it. On our visit, an interpretive guide corresponded to numbered posts.
Follow the path into a forest of younger longleaf pines, its dense understory yielding to open patches of pine duff with wildflowers.
Restored flatwoodsIn a tenth of a mile, reach the start of the loop at Marker 3. Bear right for a counterclockwise hike.
Saw palmetto interlaced with gallberry swarms across the understory. Candle-stage longleaf pines poke through it like big green bottlebrushes.
Nearing the start of the loopPine duff yields to a grassy footpath amid younger pines. Pay attention to trail markers with arrows at junctions with fire lines.
After several jogs, a soft layer of pine needles once again carpets the footpath.
One of several marked jogs to the pathDraped in blossoms seasonally, dwarf pawpaw rises from small clearings in the pine duff.
Pass through a low spot, sometimes slightly damp. Gallberry starts choking out the saw palmetto.
Low spotA half mile into the hike, past Marker 7, an arrow points the correct path across a firebreak.
Amid drier surroundings, the flatwoods a thicket of trunks, saw palmetto retakes the understory. Low bush blueberry grows trailside.
Firebreak crossingBetween Markers 9 and 11, the trail provides an impressive immersion in the restored pine flatwoods
Surrounded by a sea of saw palmetto, the ribbon of pathway is occasionally broken by clusters of chalky bluestem poking out of clumps in the footpath.
Rounding a large saw palmettoReaching a T intersection at 0.7 miles, make a sharp left. To the north, a drop in elevation in the forest is signaled by bay trees among the pines.
Close the loop in another two tenths of a mile. Continue straight ahead, emerging at the trailhead to complete this mile loop.
Final segmentTrail Map
Explore More!
Slideshow
See our photos from LEAFS Preserve South
Nearby Adventures
LEAFS Preserve North On the North Tract of LEAFS Preserve, explore a forest undergoing longleaf pine restoration along a well-defined loop with scenic views of Lake Alto. 
Little Lake Santa Fe Preserve Meander across an upland pine forest to cypress-filled wetlands on a short loop trail alongside Little Lake Santa Fe.
Lake Alto Preserve North A well-marked system of trails weaves around wetlands and across upland pine forests to a dock overlooking scenic Lake Alto.
Little Orange Creek Preserve Protected uplands and wetlands converge where a set of trails lead to observation platforms overlooking scenic vistas of the Little Orange Creek watershed. 
- Michael Crotty Bicentennial Park - November 3, 2026
- A.J. Henry Park - November 1, 2026
- Okeeheelee Nature Center Trails - October 22, 2026