Florida Hikes

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

Large pond with a boardwalk on its far shore

Pedrick Pond Park

Adjoining the Eastside Branch Library off Mahan Drive, an easy mile loop around a big pond lets families both read and watch wildlife together.

Tallahassee (30.47417, -84.18246)   1.0 miles  

A suburban park on the east side of Tallahassee, Pedrick Pond Park features a well-trodden compacted loop around a large pond.

Turtles and ducks swim under the boardwalk and bridge along the path, and benches provide resting spots for slow walkers.

Boardwalk on a pond The boardwalk

Families will gravitate to the shaded playground adjoining the Eastside Branch Library, where a StoryWalk awaits young readers.

Along it, benches shaped like open books encourage visitors to curl up with one.

Bench shaped like a book under a live oak One of the book benches

Resources

Resources for exploring the area
Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover North Florida Panhandle Explorers Guide book cover Paddlers Guide Florida The Hiking Trails of Floridas National Forests Parks Preserves book cover
 
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Overview

Location: Tallahassee
Length: 1 mile loop
Trailhead: 30.47417, -84.18246
Address: 1583 Pedrick Rd, Tallahassee
Fees: Free
Restroom: At the library
Land manager: Leon County
Phone: 850-606-1470

Open sunrise to sunset. Leashed dogs welcome. Stay alert for alligators and do not approach them.

Directions


 
From Interstate 10 exit 209 in Tallahassee, drive west on US 90 (Mahan Dr). After 1.5 miles turn left at the light for Pedrick Rd. After 0.2 miles make the left into the park entrance and park near the playground.

Hike

From the parking area, follow the sidewalk past the playground and the large kiosk for Pedrick Pond Park to the start of loop.

Turn right to begin a counterclockwise walk around the pond. The StoryWalk begins.

Kiosk with playground and pathway beyond Kiosk

A trademarked concept that’s spread nationwide, it brings panels from a picture book into nature.

Stories differ at each location and change occasionally, but are meant to interest children in walking from panel to panel.

Signs with pages from a picture book along a path under pines A line of StoryWalk panels

The compacted natural path passes the first book-shaped bench under a tall pine.

The expanse of Pedrick Pond adjoins on the left, a boardwalk visible on its far shore.

Expanse of pond Pedrick Pond

Around a curve, live oaks shade benches on the park’s manicured lawn, the story panels progressing beyond them.

Trees screen off the shoreline as the last of the panels completes the story. A sidewalk joins in from the left at a quarter mile.

People walking towards a trail junction and curve End of the StoryWalk

Curving along the north shore of the pond, the views open where a park bench sits in a sunny spot.

Beyond it, wildflowers bloom amid shrubs on the water’s edge. A strip of pines and oaks buffers the park from an adjoining neighborhood.

Bench along path facing pond Bench

A little over halfway around the loop, join a lengthy boardwalk curving along the water’s edge.

It provides a panorama of the pond’s expanse, making it easy to spot coots and ducks paddling across its surface.

Boardwalk along pond Boardwalk, clockwise

Look straight down, too, to scan for turtles and alligators. Shaded by a massive live oak, a gentle ramp provides an exit onto the hard-packed path.

Follow a languid curve around a cove of the pond. A bench and a picnic bench await along the next curve.

Benches under a tree by pond Benches along the curve

Both enjoy the protective canopy of another ancient live oak. Across the lawn to the west, traffic hums along Mahan Drive.

Around a final curve, the path becomes a sidewalk next to the pond, approaching a bridge over its outflow.

Bridge on pond Atop the bridge

Below the bridge, turtles, particularly red-eared sliders, tend to gather when anyone approaches.

They’ve become habituated to visitors feeding them, so they look up expectantly.

Turtles in water Red-eared sliders

A straightaway of sidewalk squeezes between the park fence and the pond, aiming for the parking area.

Seal the loop at your starting point. Proceed along the sidewalk to the trailhead to complete a mile walk.

Library building behind playground The library is just beyond the playground

Trail Map

Pedrick Pond Park Trail Map

Explore More!

Video

Hiking Pedrick Pond Park

Slideshow

See our photos from Pedrick Pond Park

Nearby Adventures

Grassy trail with directional post J.R. Alford Greenway Preserving a peninsula in the Lake Lafayette basin for recreational use, the J.R. Alford Greenway is the eastern gateway to the Lafayette Heritage Trail.
Boardwalk leading to a covered bridge past cherry blossoms Lafayette Heritage Trail Park Hike, bike, paddle, or fish along the well-marked trails of Lafayette Heritage Trail Park in a deeply wooded landscape east of downtown Tallahassee.
Yellow iris blooming along open water Tom Brown Park Gateway to two notable Tallahassee trails, Tom Brown Park has its own network of trails and a variety of recreation for all.

Official Website

Sandra Friend
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