Where's the best park or walking/running?

[Burn to Shine]

Is there one hidden somewhere in Jax?  Preferably with trees and the river but I'm not toooo picky. 

Help me out if you know.  Thanks!

Address for GPS would be helpful as well. 

[Captain Zissou]

The biggest park I have run in is Westside Regional Park (it's named something different now). It's west of Roosevelt across from NAS Jax.  It's good for a 30-40 minute run. 

Otherwise, the riverwalk is great for running as long as the sun is low in the sky.

[Burn to Shine]

Yeah, I've done the riverwalk a few times - the bridges. 

[Dog Walker]

Westside Regional Park is now the Tillie Fowler Memorial Park.

For walking, Memorial Park in Riverside is good because you can go round and round and round and round..

Lots of people jog the Northbank Riverwalk or Riverside Ave then up and over the Acosta Bridge.

[buckethead]

Riverside-Avondale is the nicest walk in Jacksonville if you are closeby. There are parks within, but cycling on the lesser traveled streets is a lovely journey.

Closer to the river is best, IMO.

[Burn to Shine]

Riverside-Avondale is the nicest walk in Jacksonville if you are closeby. There are parks within, but cycling on the lesser traveled streets is a lovely journey.

Closer to the river is best, IMO.

We did that the other night actually - getting ready for the Avondale 5K.  I did notice a park in the middle there. 

[Lunican]

You could try Blue Cypress Park.



http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2009-jul-blue-cypress-park-and-golf-course

[Burn to Shine]

Great thanks for the replies!  Keep them coming!!! 

[subro]

Alpine Groves in St John’s County is a great park right on the St John’s river. It is very shaded and has a mile-and-a-quarter nature trail. It used to be an orange grove farm and the county is restoring several of the buildings from the 1800s. They also just added a fishing pier.

http://www.co.st-johns.fl.us/BCC/Land_Management/LAMP/FLct_agp.aspx

[billy]

The nature trails at UNF get my vote.
I ran there this past May after not visiting for years.
It is a truly surreal experience to drive out J. Turner Butler and exit on that ungodly centrifugal cluster**k ramp,
and then to park and find yourself running on the trail past the cypress trees and creeks
a few minutes later.

[Burn to Shine]

The nature trails at UNF get my vote.
I ran there this past May after not visiting for years.
It is a truly surreal experience to drive out J. Turner Butler and exit on that ungodly centrifugal cluster**k ramp,
and then to park and find yourself running on the trail past the cypress trees and creeks
a few minutes later.

I've heard about this one but how do I get there - exactly?  Is there a website/link/map or anything?

[Captain Zissou]

JTB to 9A, get off on St Johns Bluff, turn right into the country club entrance to UNF, can't miss it.  Stay on the main road until just before the first light and then turn into the small parking lot on the right.  Proceed into the trees.

I love the UNF trails in the winter, but I have had bad experiences with the bugs in warmer weather.  If you run the yellow trail, you run through swampy pine forest, past 2 lakes, on a boardwalk for a quarter to half mile, through the burned out brush/pine area, it's unreal.  
Back in high school we used to start at UNF and then run through the tree farms over to Costco/Black Creek.  Not so much anymore.

[Burn to Shine]

I've only lived here for six months so I'm trying to find all the good places to go.  Thanks!

[billy]

I was in high school when UNF and the trails opened.
J. Turner Butler stopped midway to the Intracoastal.

[billy]

Regarding UNF, I could not find a water fountain near or at the parking area the last time I was there.