Located in a rural area south of St. Augustine, Matanzas State Forest is part of the Northeast Florida Blueway project.
It’s a collection of conservation lands that protect sensitive habitats along the Tolomato and Matanzas rivers.
The forest hosts three trails listed in the State Forest Trailwalker program, the Cedar Creek, Loop, and Hammock Trails.
In addition to the trail network, primitive campsites are available under a shady canopy along Cedar Creek, a small tributary to the Matanzas River.
Yellow-blazed trail through pinesResources
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Overview
Location: St. Augustine
Length: 3.9 miles
Trailhead: 29.728639, -81.261500
Address: 6840 US 1 South, St. Augustine
Fees: $2 per vehicle
Restrooms: None
Land manager: Florida State Forests
Phone: 904-797-5073
Open sunrise to sunset. Leashed dogs welcome.
Seasonal hunting occurs in Matanzas State Forest, be sure to check on hunting dates in advance. Wear bright orange if you choose to hike during hunts.
Sites at the Cedar Creek Campground must be reserved in advance and are accessible by vehicle via the forest roads.
Directions
Take the exit for SR 206 off Interstate 95, head east on SR 206 for 2.1 miles. Turn right on US 1. In 2.9 mile, turn left onto Double Gate Rd. In 200 feet, turn left into a large parking area with a kiosk that explains how to obtain a permit to drive into the forest. Using the lock combination provided with the permit to open the gate adjacent to the parking area, continue along Double Gate Rd for 1.3 mile, then turn left onto Longleaf Rd. In 0.4 mile, make a right onto Evans Grade Rd, continuing for 1.3 miles to the end of the road.
Hike
Before starting the hike, stop by the trailhead kiosk to pick up a paper map and fill out information on the sign in sheet.
From the kiosk, yellow markers lead the way along a grassy pathway lined with ferns, bay trees and cabbage palms.
Flatwoods Loop & Hammock TrailheadThe terrain can be rough and soggy in spots while following the perimeter of a former pine plantation that extends to the edge of tidal salt marshes.
Nearing a quarter mile, the path begins to trace alongside dense oak hammocks before reaching an intersection with the loop trail at 0.7 mile.
Yellow blazed path close to the salt marshTurning left at the trail junction, follow red blazed posts for a short jog to the south on a forest road before making a sharp right turn to enter an open expanse of mesic flatwoods.
A shrubby wall of saw palmettos, gallberry, and wax myrtles flank the grassy corridor as it leads towards a corner of the loop where a basin swamp turns the trail northward.
Bench at the trail junctionFormed at the base of a relict dune ridge, this low lying, linear wetland holds water for long periods of time, providing a habitat for bay and cypress trees to thrive.
The trail continues along a mostly straight pathway next to the swamp before turning eastward at the 1.7-mile mark.
Following alongside the basin swampAt the northeast corner of the loop at 2.1 miles, red blazes lead past a sign for the group campground and a map kiosk. Delve back into the woods where a hammock meets the flatwoods.
Gnarled oak covered in Spanish moss arch over the path on the left in stark contrast to tall columns of pine on the right.
Edge of an oak hammockAt 3.2 miles, the trail emerges onto a forest road shortly before completing the loop at a junction with the Hammock Trail.
From this point, hikers can turn left to follow yellow blazes or continue along forest roads back to the trailhead, a 0.7 mile trip either way.
Forest road routeFrom the trailhead, blue blazes lead southward for 0.6 mile along the Cedar Creek Trail, ending at a kiosk next to the Cedar Creek Campground.
Nestled alongside its namesake tidal waterway, this rustic primitive camping area offers four tent sites with picnic tables and fire rings.
Campsite at Cedar Creek CampgroundTrail Map
Explore More!
Video
Hiking Matanzas State Forest
Nearby Adventures
Faver-Dykes State Park At Faver-Dykes State Park, explore the estuaries of the Matanzas River and the uplands above Pellicer Creek.
Princess Place Preserve Explore wild spaces and cultivated grounds along eight different trails at Princess Place Preserve, an 1880s homestead at Cherokee Grove on Pellicer Creek. 
Fort Matanzas National Monument On the shores of Fort Matanzas, a significant historic site south of St. Augustine, the dunes are now swaddled in coastal hammock. Visit them on an accessible boardwalk.
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