If you’re looking for some great places to run in NE Florida, I’ve got you covered. There are so many incredible running routes, so the only limit to varying my run is how far I’m willing to drive, and how much time I have in a given day. Come check out some of my favorite running routes in my corner of the Sunshine State.
Downtown St. Augustine (Bayfront)
Historic downtown is such a perfect choice for a great run. Not only does it offer gorgeous city views, but the Bayfront path is simply stunning, with the water on one side, and palm trees and beautiful old building on the other. The layout of the city offers the option of running anything from a mile to anything in the double digits, if you explore all the side streets and residential pieces. There is also the option to cross the Bridge of Lions to the Davis Shores neighborhoods, and even the lighthouse if you’re feeling ambitious. Parking can be a challenges, as can the cobblestones on some of the older streets, but it’s worth it.
Vilano Bridge
As I have mentioned, if you want any kind of hills in St. Augustine, Vilano Bridge is the place to go. At about one mile in length, with a maximum height of about 75-80 feet, the bridge is a great way to get some solid elevation training. For us, that’s quite the climb! The views are gorgeous, and you can choose to take on repeats, run from the bridge to the beach to the Vilano Beach Pier, or even cross into town, and run long all the way into the city. Who doesn’t love options? Parking is plentiful in the morning, although you’ll need to keep an eye on the construction leading away from the bridge which limits safe sidewalk areas, at least for a little while.
Pioneer Trail – Jennings State Forest
There are some lovely trails in the northeast Florida region, but I think Jennings State Forest is the prettiest by far. Not only that, but it’s hilly and technical and all the things that make trails … well, trails. So many of the trails here are hard-packed dirt or sand, so they are beautiful but not particularly challenging. The Pioneer Trail is definitely a different story, and it’a absolutely worth a visit. Please note: finding the entrance is super tricky, and if there are amenities like bathrooms or information centers, I didn’t find them, but that doesn’t take away at all from how awesome the trail is.
Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuary Research Reserve
Whew! That’s a mouthful! But the trails at the GTM Research Reserve are so beautiful. They are well-marked, well-tended, scenic, and above all, incredibly accessible. Runners can log miles by utilizing all of the interconnected trails. Additionally, each trail comes with its own unique views and characteristics, which keeps things interesting. Bring $3 per car for parking, and please note that while the bathrooms and picnic areas are open, the visitor center is closed due to COVID.
Riverside
The Riverside portion of Jacksonville is wonderful for running, with a mix of river and urban views. From the Riverside Arts Market underpass, runners can follow the Riverwalk all the way into downtown Jacksonville, or wind through the charming streets of Riverside, for a beautiful urban run.
What are some great running locations in your area?
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You really do have nice options for running! If I was willing to drive more I would have more options but around here I am very limited. The Baltimore Harbor is a nice place to run and I used to live down there and run there all the time. But now it takes about 25 minutes to drive there, plus parking and traffic, which is just too much extra time. There is also the NCR trail which is long and flat and goes all the way to PA! But again, its a little far for me to drive- about 30 minutes.
Jennings is probably the farthest away – maybe an hour. My neighborhood is great for running, but for races or to switch things up, I’ve got a nice mix of options.
I have some to your region twice as I have friends in Flagler beach.
But I have more friends in the Delray region. Sigh.
Beautiful places. Thanks for sharing.
Delray definitely has some beautiful areas. I have friends there, too, but we haven’t been down there in a while because of… you guessed it, COVID. Boo.
I grew up in south Florida until I was 12. We don’t go back too often now but love to hear about new places to run everywhere
I never really ran in South Florida. Although, now I can think of so many cool places to run down there. Maybe I’ll get to do a race down there one of these days.
Ooh! All of those places look lovely! I love the variety of options you have and look forward to checking out part 2!
There are so many cool places to run, so I hope to add on to this from time to time. Of course, that means I have to get out there and get current photos of my favorite places 🙂
Wasn’t a runner when we went to St. Augustine, but I would love to run the bayfront and hope to with you one day!
You got it! I know all the great routes downtown!
Looks like a great place with plenty of great things to see and do! We’ve been to Florida, many times, but we’ve never ever spent any time in the NE area.
It’s a different world. The joke in Miami was that the further north you travel in Florida, the further South you really are. However, it has its own charm and character, and is definitely worth a visit, in my opinion. Plus, I’m here 🙂
So many fun places! Once it is safe to travel and I can visit, we’ll go there, right?
Absolutely!
So many lovely spots! Now I want to take a road trip 😉
Come on down!
So you live in the St. Augustine area? I’ve visited a couple times and it’s beautiful there! Way different than South Florida.
You know if I come to Florida you’re obliged to hang out AND run with me in all these great places, right? 😉
Looks like you’ve got some very lovely options! I am blessed with about a 5-mile loop of trails right out my back door but if I want to drive 10 minutes, either East or West, there are huge trail systems I like to use for marathon training. There’s also the option of getting downtown to the Lakefront Path, but that almost never happens.
I’ve been to St Augustine but it was years ago! I need to come back. Looks like you have some amazing trails nearby!
Those all look pretty amazing! I love running anywhere near water. We have that here, but obviously no ocean. Party of me wishes I lived near the ocean — part of me doesn’t want to deal with the hurricanes! Especially the poor dogs during a hurricane!
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