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Ponce Inlet Preserve
4.8 ★★★★★ 528 Google reviews · Running trail in Ponce Inlet, Florida · Dawn to dusk
Runner's snapshot
- Surface
- Boardwalk
- Distance
- Not reported
- Shape
- Not reported
- Shade
- Tree cover
- Access
- Dawn to dusk
Confirmed from Ponce Inlet 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.
City park featuring a boardwalk, a beach, a playground, and a kayak launch.
What runners say about Ponce Inlet Preserve
“The place has a small but mighty park, two clean restrooms, plenty of parking and a few different resting points as well a picnic tables.”
“The mangrove is beautiful and the trails are very wooded and make you feel as though you are isolated from the world.”
Great little park with trails, beach access, viewpoints, and a historical shell mound. The trails are easy enough to walk and wind through a diverse patch of wooded area and up and down a few decent hills. There is also a boardwalk out to the intercoastal waterway with some kayak launches along the way.
Wow the cutest, cleanest park. We enjoyed approx and hour and a half worth of stumbling around the trails. Mostly sand and dirt we enjoyed taking in the old trees and watching the lizards scatter.
I would suggest parking on the South peninsula lot for ease of access to the children's playground and picnic tables also bathrooms. This park has an extensive nature trail it is as hilly as anything in Florida can be so it's for people in good condition and it is excellent exercise.
A beautiful small Florida wilderness park with access to the beach. A wide and walkable trail through native trees and flora. This is not Florida flat and has some elevation. The trail is hard to soft sand and only takes 15 to 20 minutes to do “a lap” depending on your route.
Trail conditions & character
“The nature trail does not have many places to sit and the overlook Tower has no seats at all just fyi for those of you who need to sit and catch your breath from time to time.”
“The place has a small but mighty park, two clean restrooms, plenty of parking and a few different resting points as well a picnic tables.”
“There is also a boardwalk out to the intercoastal waterway with some kayak launches along the way.”
“The place has a small but mighty park, two clean restrooms, plenty of parking and a few different resting points as well a picnic tables.”
“This park has an extensive nature trail it is as hilly as anything in Florida can be so it's for people in good condition and it is excellent exercise.”
“The trails are easy enough to walk and wind through a diverse patch of wooded area and up and down a few decent hills.”
“In the same parckong area you would find bathroom for Female and Male and water fountain for humans and also for pets.”
Plan your run at Ponce Inlet Preserve
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
- 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.
- ShadeRunners describe real tree cover here — it makes a summer afternoon workable
- At the trailheadparking, restrooms, water — reported by runners
- Stroller / wheelchairReported as smooth and step-free enough for a running stroller or a chair.
- Websiteponce-inlet.org
Hours
| Monday | 5 am–8 pm |
| Tuesday | 5 am–8 pm |
| Wednesday | 5 am–8 pm |
| Thursday | 5 am–8 pm |
| Friday | 5 am–8 pm |
| Saturday | 5 am–8 pm |
| Sunday | 5 am–8 pm |
Running trails near Ponce Inlet
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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