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Alfred Ring Park Trail

Alfred A. Ring Park

Featuring a dense slope forest along Hogtown Creek with old-growth trees and rare wildflowers along Appalachian-style ravines, this is a scenic hike in the heart of Gainesville

Hogtown Creek Greenway  |  Gainesville
( 29.674283, -82.347019 )      1.5 miles

280 shares

A strip of dense slope forest along Hogtown Creek with old-growth trees and rare wildflowers along Appalachian-style ravines, this destination is a delight to hike.

Gainesville’s first linear park, Alfred Ring Park was a gift to the city from a University of Florida college professor who enjoyed the outdoors and donated the acreage to the county.

He was present for the ribbon cutting when the park opened in 1990, and lived to the age of 101.


Resources

Five Star Trails Gainesville Ocala book cover North Florida Panhandle Explorers Guide book cover Complete Guide to Florida Wildflowers

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


Overview

Location: Gainesville
Length: 1.5 mile round-trip
Trailhead: 29.674283, -82.347019
Address: 1801 NW 23rd Blvd, Gainesville
Fees: None
Restroom: adjoining the picnic pavilion and playground
Land manager: City of Gainesville
Phone: 352-334-5067

Open 8 AM to 6 PM Nov-Apr, 8 AM – 8 PM May-Oct. Leashed pets are welcome.

Dense forest at Alfred Ring Park

Although you may see visitors wade in the creek, it is against park rules, and more importantly, could be a risk to your health. Hogtown Creek is contaminated with a lot of runoff from nearby neighborhoods.


Directions

 
From the corner of University Avenue and US 441, drive north on US 441 to Glen Springs Rd (NW 23rd Blvd). Follow it to the entrance for Alfred A. Ring Park on the left, entered through the Elks Lodge parking lot. Your GPS may try to steer you to the walk-in entrance to the park off NW 16th St, where there is no parking.

Hike

Leaving the parking area, you descend towards a broad iron bridge that stretches across Hogtown Creek.

It’s a climb into the upland forest on a nice, broad natural footpath. Skinny loblolly pines tower overhead.

Near a trail coming in from the left, you pass an interpretive sign, “Discover the Habitats of Ring Park.” Look for these detailed signs throughout the park.

The trail reaches a clearing with restrooms, a playground, and a picnic shelter. The trail to the right heads for a back gate into a neighborhood.

Pond surrounded by ferns Pond in the wildflower garden at Alfred Ring Park


Continue straight ahead to walk through the Emily S. Ring wildflower garden, with native plants – including silver-tinged saw palmetto – accompanied by colorful azalea and camellia.

After a quarter mile, the trail descends out of the cultivated wildflower garden into the upland forest.

In spring, the hillside is carpeted with smooth Solomon’s seal, a wildflower identified with the southern Appalachians.

Passing a trail junction, continue straight ahead and downhill into the slope forest, where ancient Southern magnolias cast broad pools of shade.

Boardwalk with a creek view One of the many boardwalks at Alfred Ring Park


At a half mile, the trail reaches a T intersection with a trail paralleling the creek. Turn right to follow this route downstream.

A bench overlooks a pretty horseshoe curve in Hogtown Creek, just before you start walking down a broad boardwalk.

Looking up from a creek to a boardwalk on a bluff A series of boardwalks parallel Hogtown Creek


The creek basin is a deeply folded landscape, with terrain and views reminiscent of a mountain ravine in North Carolina.

The trail traverses numerous boardwalks and there are several off-trail overlooks for a good perspective of the creek.

Pass an interpretive marker on “Seepage Streams,” which describes how Hogtown Creek is naturally fed by shallow groundwater percolating through the sand.

Alfred Ring Park kiosk on a deck Turn around at this kiosk at the south end of the trail


Just past it is the turnaround point for this walk at the pedestrian entrance off NW 16th Avenue. Return back along the same route to the bench you encountered above the horseshoe bend.

Past the bench after 1.2 miles, continue straight, with a sign alerting you this is the direction to the observation deck and parking area.

Sign pointing to observation deck or parking areaTake the right fork at this sign


As the trail works its way through a flatter floodplain, you can see a water-filled sink to the right.

The interpretive sign at the observation deck explains how Hogtown Creek is now fed by Gainesville’s runoff, which means that although it is pretty, it’s not very clean.

View down into Hogtown Creek Enjoy the many views of Hogtown Creek


Leaving the deck, turn right to follow the trail uphill. Meet the next trail junction and turn right, walk between a row of towering Southern magnolias as the trail climbs uphill.

When you reach the T intersection, turn right to head to the parking area. Cross the bridge and reach the parking area at the trailhead after 1.5 miles.

Alfred Ring Park trail in slope forest Climbing up through the slope forest at the north end of the trail


Trail Map

Alfred Ring Park Trail Map


Explore More!

Slideshow

See our photos of Alfred Ring Park


Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Devils Millhopper stairs down

Devils Millhopper Geological State Park

It’s the trickle of water that catches your attention, the steady drip and splash down the rocky rim and into the depths of one of Florida’s largest sinkholes at Devils Millhopper Geological State Park

John Mahon Nature Park

John Mahon Nature Park

Ten acres isn’t a lot for a natural area, but at John Mahon Nature Park in Gainesville, it’s plenty for a quick, refreshing walk in the woods off Newberry Road.

Path through deciduous forest

Loblolly Woods Nature Park

Protecting 159 acres of lush forests along the confluence of Possum Creek and Hogtown Creek, Loblolly Woods Nature Park is a beauty spot in urban Gainesville.

Footpath along winding creek in greenery of forest

Hogtown Creek Greenway

As Hogtown Creek threads its way through modern-day Gainesville, step into the past along a string of urban nature preserves.

Official Website

Category: City Parks, Day Hikes, Gardens, Hikes, North Florida, Parks, Places, TrailsTag: Big Trees, Birding, Botanical, Dog-friendly, Family-Friendly, Gainesville, Hogtown Creek Greenway, Picnic, Playgrounds, Wildflowers

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