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

A historic North Florida city along the St. Johns River, Palatka is located just a few miles east of the Florida Trail and a fifteen minute drive from the Ocala National Forest, providing a great gateway to outdoor adventures.

Exploring Palatka

Trails and Parks near Palatka

  • Cross Florida Greenway - Stretching 90 miles from the St. Johns River near Palatka to the Gulf of Mexico, the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway is a mile-wide recreational corridor with hiking, biking, and equestrian trails as well as paddling and boating access.
  • Davenport Landing Davenport Landing Trail - Deep in the Ocala National Forest, the Davenport Landing Trail leads you on a scenic loop to a historic landing and archaeological site along the Ocklawaha River.
  • Dunns Creek State Park Dunns Creek State Park - Walking along a sand road crunching oak leaves underfoot like cornflakes, you'd hardly believe Dunns Creek State Park is along a bend in the St. Johns River. But it's easy to miss the state's biggest river when you have 6,200 acres to roam.
  • Dunns Creek State Park Dunns Creek Yellow Trail - Dunns Creek State Park protects sandhills and scrub along a sharp bend in the St. Johns River and is home to the rare Etonia rosemary (Conradina etonia) along its trail system.
  • Florida Trail, Buckman Lock to SR 20 Florida Trail, Buckman Lock to SR 20 - 7.3 miles. A rough and swampy connector through timber lands, the Florida Trail between Buckman Lock and SR 20 west of Palatka is an often muddy ramble down old forest roads.
  • Cross Florida Barge Canal segment near Buckman Lock Florida Trail, Buckman to Rodman Dam - Paralleling a segment of the Cross Florida Barge Canal, the Buckman Lock to Rodman Dam hike on of the Florida Trail sticks to a high berm for most of the 5.3 miles.
  • FT Etoniah West Florida Trail, Etoniah West - On this 3.5-mile segment of the Florida Trail in Etoniah State Forest, you'll encounter the rare Etonia rosemary and a number of sinkholes in the pine forests and scrub
  • Florida Trail at Rice Creek Florida Trail, Northeast Florida - 123 miles. Showcasing the best public lands, the Florida Trail walks you into the past between Palatka and Osceola National Forest, through rural farms and timber lands.
  • Juniper Prairie Wilderness Florida Trail, Ocala - 72.3 miles. The birthplace of the Florida Trail and home of the world’s largest sand pine scrub forest, the Ocala section is Florida’s top backpacking destination
  • Florida Trail, Rice Creek Florida Trail, Rice Creek - Home of ancient cypress trees and the remains of a 1700s rice plantation, Rice Creek Conservation Area has a fascinating loop trail along the statewide Florida Trail
  • Florida Trail, Rodman to Lake Delancy Florida Trail, Rodman to Lake Delancy - Providing a fine balance between the Big Scrub habitats and breathtaking old-growth longleaf pines, the Florida Trail from Rodman to Lake Delancy is simply superb.
  • John's Landing, Welaka State Forest John’s Landing Trail - Following a series of forest roads through the heart of Welaka State Forest, the John's Landing Trail has several scenic spots along its 4.3-mile loop, from bluffs along the St. Johns River to shimmering lily-covered flatwoods ponds.
  • Mud Spring in Welaka State Forest Mud Spring Trail - At Mud Spring, mud isn't what you'll see in the gently rounded basin that cradles an underwater garden. This glassy natural pool is the payoff halfway around a 1.7-mile hike that is one of the highlights of Welaka State Forest.
  • Murphy Creek Trail Murphy Creek Conservation Area - With hiking in scrubby flatwoods and sandhills above forested slopes draining to Murphy Creek, as well as on Murphy Island in the St. Johns River, this water management preserve provides two places to explore.
  • Florida Trail north of Farles Prairie Ocala National Forest - Established in 1908 as the first National Forest east of the Mississippi, the Ocala National Forest is a mecca for hikers and campers, and the birthplace of the Florida Trail
  • Bartram's Bass sculpture in Riverfront Park, Palatka Palatka Riverfront Park - Recently re-imagined to showcase the beauty of the St. Johns River, Palatka Riverfront Park offers a quarter-mile riverfront walk with panoramic views.
  • Palatka Water Works Palatka Water Works - On the grounds of the Water Works Environmental Education Center, explore the historic Palatka Water Works and a short interpretive trail dedicated to William Bartram's travels as Puc Puggy, the Flower Hunter.
  • Palatka-Lake Butler State Trail Palatka-Lake Butler Trail - With a corridor spanning nearly 50 miles through North Florida, the Palatka-Lake Butler State Trail provides paved trail for riders and an unpaved corridor used by the Florida Trail
  • Hiking at Ravine Gardens Ravine Gardens Hiking Trails - A steeply sloped ravine. Tunnels of azaleas. Bubbling springs. Two swaying suspension bridges. That's what makes the loop at Ravine Gardens State Park so much fun.
  • Swinging bridge at Ravine Gardens Ravine Gardens State Park - Known best for its hillsides of blooming azaleas each February, Ravine Gardens State Park melds historic planted public gardens with the intriguing setting of a deep steephead ravine above the St. Johns River in Palatka.
  • St. Johns River Center in Palatka St. Johns River Center - A destination for environmental education with a dash of regional history, the St. Johns River Center in downtown Palatka tells the story of Florida's longest and most storied river.
  • Floral bounty on the river's edge Tanglewyld Nature Park - Perched on a bluff above the St. Johns River north of Palatka, Tanglewyld Nature Park is a patch of public land along the horseshoe bend that River Road follows through Bostwick.
  • John's Landing, Welaka State Forest Welaka State Forest - Welaka State Forest protects more than four miles of deeply forested waterfront on the St. Johns River
  • View of John's Landing from the William Bartram Loop William Bartram St. Johns River Loop - Discover the beauty of Welaka State Forest on a 5 mile footpath that winds along ecotones and hugs the bluffs of the St. Johns River to showcase the natural wonders that botanist William Bartram documented in 1774.

Related Articles

  • Ocean Pond Olustee National Forests in Florida Implement New Fees Jul 2019 - Effective July 26, 2019, fees go up at many National Forest campgrounds, boat ramps, and recreation areas
  • St Johns River paddling Paddling the Bartram Trail in Welaka Apr 2019 - Learning how botanists William and John Bartram traveled along the St. Johns River in the 1700s, I followed an experienced river guide for a look at part of the Bartram National Recreation Trail from the water on our Bartram Adventure Tour in Palatka.
  • Friends in the Forest Apr 2013 - We met Ruth at the Florida Trail Association Conference in March and spent time hiking with her on the Panhandle Trace. At both events, she invited us to come hike in her backyard and visit. With five hikes left for Five Star Trails Gainesville and Ocala, we headed to North Gainesville, staying at the Best …
  • Cross Florida Barge Canal segment near Buckman Lock Hiking Buckman Lock to Rodman Dam Jan 2009 - Following the Florida Trail between Buckman Lock and the Rodman Recreation Area means walking down a levee along an orphaned section of the Cross Florida Barge Canal for most of the hike.
  • Buckman Lock at St. Johns South OGT Palatka Visitor Center closed Nov 2008 - The Office of Greenways and Trails quietly closed their Visitor Center at Buckman Lock, near the north end of the Cross Florida Greenway in Palatka, for budget savings.
Nearby: Bunnell, Gainesville, Ocala, Palm Coast, Salt Springs, St. Augustine, Welaka
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