Park Overview

Originally known as Southeast Regional Park North, Losco Regional Park is located on Hood Road near Julington Creek. This 210-acre City of Jacksonville Park features hiking trails, covered picnic pavilions, football/soccer fields, a playground, splash pad, and a paved walking path. Since 2004, nearby residents have enjoyed this family fun park that is conveniently located off I-95.

Hike or bike a short ½ mile or up to a 3.1-mile round trip (red to white to blue) through this upland forest of longleaf pines, deep rooted magnolias, and prickly saw palmetto. You’ll traverse a bottomland cypress swamp along Julington Creek through a trail system of muddy, pine needled paths.

Our Adventure - The Red Loop

We begin our hike along the Red Loop to connect to the White Loop through thick wet bark, infinite fern, and a bountiful understory of saw palmetto bushes. Protruding roots lead the way and twisted trunks of sand live oaks wrap around tall, sheltered pines. After just a 0.7-mile stint through the damp path, we come to a resting place where a bench marks the trail’s continuation along the White Loop.

The White Loop

Dark clouds leer overhead as we walk beyond the white blazes. The wide path is covered in diamond-shaped stones forming a walking connector to a fork in the trail where we keep right to continue along the White Loop for 1.5 miles. Red and white spotted moss covers live oaks, lighting up the space, and small green mushrooms and vines grow up from the ground, winding around the pine trees. We descend into a narrow path lined by large palms, a mixture of green life and brown decay spanning as high as my head. Giant live oaks stretch out their branches covered in resurrection fern.

The Blue Loop

We press forward to the Blue Loop where we are first greeted by a long boardwalk over a small creek. The wooden planks span about 50 feet and take us to the other side where the 0.7-mile Blue Loop begins. Below our feet, the fern runs wild, and a large brown snake appears as a stick in the mud. The path opens to expansive views of pine, magnolia, fern, and palm. We keep right to a small seating area and then trek further into a thick pinewood forest, surrendering to the wilderness.

Aromas of bountiful fern fill the misty morning where wildflowers bloom along the wide path and small side trails beg for exploring. Leaves fall gently from the trees as the wind whips voraciously with an impending storm lurking around the corner. Pinecones crash to the ground with sauntering squirrels through the trees and red cardinals fluttering about the brush.

The path narrows again. A few more snakes scurry out of sight along the grassy edges as we make our way back to the boardwalk. We traverse mossy pines and hop over large, downed trees, winding around on the White Loop once more. The pines sway and lean in the wind. Raindrops begin to fall as we come upon the Red Loop. On the final segment of our hike, we pass through thick underbrush and dense green lands of magnolia and pine. Together, we find our way out of the red blazes and into the billowing rainstorm with borrowed time in nature and an even stronger sense of wonder than before.

Explore More:

Join us on a hike along other Jacksonville Trails: