Hiking the Main Trail at Cedar Point Preserve

Pumpkin Hill Creek at Cedar Point Preserve

Park Overview

Venture out for a short hike or pack in a day full of adventure at 7 Creeks Recreation Area, one of Jacksonville’s infamous attractions for outdoor enthusiasts. This area contains 7 creeks, 7 parks and preserves, and 30+ miles of multi-use trails on 5,600 acres of contiguous conservation lands in northeast Jacksonville. Explore via hiking, biking, kayaking, boating, fishing, or horseback riding!

Cedar Point Preserve is a City of Jacksonville park with over 600 acres of oak hammocks, pine flatwoods, and a freshwater marsh system. If you’re looking for a long trek, take the 7-mile 7 Creeks Trail which traverses from Betz-Tiger Point Preserve through four parks and preserves.

Biking 7 Creeks Trail at Cedar Point Preserve — Biking 7 Creeks Trail in Cedar Point Preserve

The Main Trail at Cedar Point

One of our favorite journeys is from the Fitzpatrick Creek Trailhead to access three parks in a day’s hike! The first segment blazes through the southern end of Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park, a diverse community of creeks, marshes, pine flatwoods, and sandhills. Along the next segment, explore Cedar Point Preserve, and finally, you’ll encounter Cedar Point, a National Park which features its own 4.4 miles of hiking and biking trails at the south end of Black Hammock Island.

You’ll need to turn around at the 3-mile mark for a round trip of 6 miles unless you park a second vehicle at the Horseshoe Creek trailhead.

hiking 7 creeks trail in jacksonville florida — Hiking 7 Creeks Trail near the Fitzpatrick Creek Trailhead

Our Adventure

We launch from the Fitzpatrick Creek Trailhead, keeping left and yielding right where Deer Run and Turkey Trot Trails intersect. A sporadic canopy of magnolia and turkey oak winds along a wide, sandy terrain with a saw palmetto understory. The land transforms to a long row of tall pines with benches along the route, inviting the weary to have a seat for a while under live oaks weeping in moss. At the fork in the trail, opt for Deer Run, Bobcat, or stay on the Main Trail which passes by the Marsh Loop Trail.

Bird Pond Cedar Point Preserve — Bird Pond at Cedar Point Preserve

A quick detour on the Bird Pond Trail offers a seating area and overlook of the pond. The narrow trail lined by sabal and cabbage palms leads to a view of the habitat that is home to over 200 species of birds.

Overlook Spur Trail at Cedar Point Preserve — Overlooking Pumpkin Hill Creek towards Cedar Point on Overlook Spur Trail

Back on the Main Trail, the grassy path opens up and winds toward the Overlook Spur Trail where we had lunch. There is a sole picnic pavilion aside the salt marsh and cordgrass with a serene view of the Cedar Point Trail Bridge that connects the 7 Creeks Recreation Area.

7 Creeks Trail Bridge at Cedar Point Preserve — 7 Creeks Trail Bridge over Pumpkin Hill Creek

This 245-foot trail bridge, constructed in 2018, spans over Pumpkin Hill Creek and connects Cedar Point Preserve (COJ) east to Cedar Point (NPS). Check out vast views of Pumpkin Hill Creek lined by tidal coastline, oyster beds, and pine and oak forest. The creek winds out of sight into the St. Johns River. The tidal creek’s translucent sandy bottom is inviting on a breezy day as seagulls linger overhead and fishermen catch a bite in the sun.