Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, Ponte Vedra Beach FL

Absolutely glorious location for hiking. The trails are very well marked and there are a lot of benches scattered about. I don't know why, but I didn't expect there would be so many trees. For some reason I thought it was all in the open and was absolutely delighted by all the live oaks. $3 for parking, which is reasonable. There was no one at the entrance booth, so parking is on the honor system with a little box and envelopes, so bring exact change. They got an extra $2 out of me since I only had a $5 bill, but it's for a good cause. I believe you can buy an annual pass if you're a frequent visitor.

Very pleasant Florida hiking trails. Plenty of wildlife in the summer if you brave the heat and walk the longest loop. Saw deer, armadillo, pigmy rattlesnake, and a deceased horseshoe crab.

This place is beautiful and well worth the three dollar entry every time! Trails are super well maintained and well marked. Restrooms at the beginning in the trail pavilion. Several different color coded trails of varying lengths. You can combine them to be shorter or longer as well. All are family friendly and easy terrain. Just watch for a couple of tree roots here and there. Plenty of benches to sit and take a rest. Every single trail is lovely, but if you want to see the most wildlife I highly recommend the purple/red trail combo. Saw 5 armadillos, 3 deer, 1 turtle, and heard even more rustling in the bushes. Its much longer than the others though.

Only issue is the bugs since its very marshy. I always be sure to wear spray even if it’s not that hot. Don’t recommend in the summer, worst time of the year to visit when it’s hot + humid all the bugs on the planet are out in this area. Otherwise very highly recommend checking out this place. Can’t wait to visit again!

We rented an Airbnb across the River from the preserve. We would kayak over every morning and then choose a different trail to hike the first day we saw a bag of garbage right on the beach right near the sign “leave no trace” we came the next day with garbage bags and it was already cleaned up. The trails were perfectly marked, what a gift, this preserve is!

So pretty I rode my bike through trails then walked across to beach and enjoyed the view.