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Ancient Dunes Nature Trail
4.7 ★★★★★ 53 Google reviews · Running trail in St. Augustine, Florida · Open 24 hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Mixed
- Loop distance
- 1.1 mi
- Shape
- Loop
- Shade
- Tree cover
- Access
- Open 24 hours
Confirmed from Ancient Dunes Nature Trail's own listing, the park or land manager's website, and runner reviews. Blank cells mean we could not verify that fact — we would rather say "not reported" than invent one. There is no Easy / Moderate / Hard rating on this page on purpose: a one-word difficulty score tells you nothing about whether a trail suits your run. Surface, distance, shade and hours do.
What runners say about Ancient Dunes Nature Trail
“It's serene, beautiful, and very well maintained.”
“Beautiful and relaxing short hiking trail from the campground to the shore of Salt Run.”
“It is very nice that it is shaded by plenty of foliage, so it's a nice way to escape the sun.”
A quick and easy 30-minute trail loop. It is very nice that it is shaded by plenty of foliage, so it's a nice way to escape the sun. We ended up also hiking the Marsh Trail that you can access across the street since we were interested in spending some more time outside.
Nice little trail which only took us about 25 minutes or so. Some elevation changes with some stairs. We got lucky and saw a falcon I think just sitting on a branch!
Great short trail - definitely in the shade. Well labeled trees and they even marked the root /stumps to help keep you from tripping over them.
Loved walking this trail with my dog. A nice getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Trail conditions & character
“Beautiful and relaxing short hiking trail from the campground to the shore of Salt Run.”
“It’s a unique place where you can see a forest growing over dunes and climb up and down them throughout.”
“It is very nice that it is shaded by plenty of foliage, so it's a nice way to escape the sun.”
“But be careful with dogs- there were prickly burr things throughout the grassy areas that mine kept getting stuck to their feet- very spikey!”
“There are also many tree roots growing on the path… potential Tripping hazards… But they paint those orange, which helps a lot.”
Plan your run at Ancient Dunes Nature Trail
The practical stuff
- AccessOpen 24 hours — no gate to beat, so a 5am or a 10pm run both work
- SurfaceMixed — more than one surface along the route, so check the segment you plan to run
- Loop distance1.1 mi back to where you parked
- ShadeRunners describe real tree cover here — it makes a summer afternoon workable
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.
- Trail mapOfficial trail map
- Websitefloridahikes.com
- Social Instagram · Facebook
Hours
| Monday | Open 24 hours |
| Tuesday | Open 24 hours |
| Wednesday | Open 24 hours |
| Thursday | Open 24 hours |
| Friday | Open 24 hours |
| Saturday | Open 24 hours |
| Sunday | Open 24 hours |
Running trails near St. Augustine
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
