Home › Florida › Clermont › Ferndale Preserve
Ferndale Preserve
4.5 ★★★★★ 213 Google reviews · Running trail in Clermont, Florida · Posted hours
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Not reported
- Loop distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Loop
- Shade
- Not reported
- Access
- Posted hours
Confirmed from Ferndale Preserve'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.
Nature preserve featuring a network of trails through varied terrain, plus a playground.
What runners say about Ferndale Preserve
“They have horse, bike and hiking trail with beautiful views of the lake and a nice variety of wild life.”
“The trails are well marked and laid out.”
“A beautiful, quiet, free park that has some of the best native wildflowers that I’ve witnessed.”
I love this place. Great views of Lake Apopka. The trails are well marked and laid out. Great altitude change gives the trails a modern edge. I ran into a Florida Panther on the trail by the lake. Without a doubt that's what it was. So keep an eye out.
Nice trails. A new playground for kids. Well marked and mapped. A great place to experience the hills of central Florida.
Great little piece of nature in restoration in the West Apopka lake area. They have horse, bike and hiking trail with beautiful views of the lake and a nice variety of wild life. Parking, bathrooms and playground is in the trailhead. Totally worth for a short (30 to 120 minutes) hiking.
Nice large parking lot. Enjoyed the loop hike with some Peak views of the lake. Lots of grasshoppers flying out of the way. There are bathrooms at a playground for the kids. The interpretive panels about the wildlife in the area were fabulous!
Trail conditions & character
“They have horse, bike and hiking trail with beautiful views of the lake and a nice variety of wild life.”
“The view from the top of the hill was also pretty sweet but I was disappointed that the trails don’t take you to the edge of lake when you get to the bottom of the hill.”
“Parking, bathrooms and playground is in the trailhead.”
“A beautiful, quiet, free park that has some of the best native wildflowers that I’ve witnessed.”
“Parking, bathrooms and playground is in the trailhead.”
“It took us about 90 mins to walk the loop, definitely taking time to look at the plants and bugs along the way.”
Plan your run at Ferndale Preserve
The practical stuff
- AccessPosted hours — posted hours below; park gates sometimes close earlier than the listing says
- DistanceNot reported. Trail systems often quote total path mileage rather than a single loop, so measure the route you actually want before you drive out.
- ShadeNot reported. Assume some of it is exposed and carry water in summer.
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms — reported by runners
- DogsWelcome, per reviewers. Leash rules vary by park — the trailhead sign is the authority.
- Websitelakecountyfl.gov
- Phone(352) 253-4950
Hours
| Monday | 7 AM–8:30 PM |
| Tuesday | 7 AM–8:30 PM |
| Wednesday | 7 AM–8:30 PM |
| Thursday | 7 AM–8:30 PM |
| Friday | 7 AM–8:30 PM |
| Saturday | 7 AM–8:30 PM |
| Sunday | 7 AM–8:30 PM |
Running trails near Clermont
Other trails within easy driving distance — useful when this one is flooded, gated, or just not the run you had in mind today.
Green Mountain Scenic Overlook & Trailhead
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Hilly park featuring trails for hiking, biking and dog-walking. Picnic tables, restroom, birdwatching.
Clay Island Trailhead
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Wildlife-rich nature reserve featuring trails for hiking, biking and walking.
Park Trail Place
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Minneola Dog park
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Public park featuring a playground, skateboarding area, and artificial turf dog park.
