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Blackwater River State Forest
4.8 ★★★★★ 334 Google reviews · Running trail in Milton, Florida · Dawn to dusk
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Boardwalk
- Loop distance
- 1.3 mi
- Shape
- Loop
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Dawn to dusk
Confirmed from Blackwater River State Forest'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.
Wooded park offering hiking paths, campsites & a recreational lake for swimming, canoeing & fishing.
What runners say about Blackwater River State Forest
“Relaxing, clean, great place to bring the kiddos, dogs or just come with your S.”
“The campgrounds are beautiful.”
“The park was very nice - clean, tidy, organized, good signage.”
The state forest here is the best in North western Florida. There is plenty of hiking and places to picnic and play in the water. Our family loves to escape up here from busy Pensacola. The trails are not too difficult to hike. It's more of a casual walk through the forest.
There are nice hiking trails that are around Bear Lake, 1 loop trail as well as the Sweetwater Trail. The Sweetwater Trail includes a long boardwalk that ends at the campground just past the historic Munson Grist Mill.
Kids and I love this place!!! Water play is fun nature trail to walk great scenery and definitely a wonderful time
The campgrounds are beautiful. The sites are large and clean. The restrooms are kept clean and they don't have a musty smell. There's a 4 mile walking trail that connects to Krull lake .
Trail conditions & character
“There are nice hiking trails that are around Bear Lake, 1 loop trail as well as the Sweetwater Trail.”
“The restrooms are kept clean and they don't have a musty smell.”
“The Sweetwater Trail includes a long boardwalk that ends at the campground just past the historic Munson Grist Mill.”
Plan your run at Blackwater River State Forest
The practical stuff
- AccessDawn to dusk — the gates close, so do not plan a run that finishes after dark
- SurfaceBoardwalk — flat and scenic, and slick when wet, so watch your footing
- Loop distance1.3 mi back to where you parked
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadrestrooms — reported by runners
- Websitefdacs.gov
- Phone(850) 957-5700
- Social Facebook
Hours
| Monday | 6 AM–7 PM |
| Tuesday | 6 AM–7 PM |
| Wednesday | 6 AM–7 PM |
| Thursday | 6 AM–7 PM |
| Friday | 6 AM–7 PM |
| Saturday | 6 AM–7 PM |
| Sunday | 6 AM–7 PM |
Running trails near Milton
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
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Old River Trail
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