Jacksonville Forest Trails

On a quick ride departing from the charming town of Jacksonville, you will find the trail parking lot to your left. Ample room for about six large vehicles. A large map of the trails is located right off the parking lot – making it convenient for you to plan your trail adventure. Two immediate choices to enter the trails: one path directly in front with a charming bridge and one dirt path to the left. We went across the bridge, and entered a relatively steep zig-zag path. The path is well kept, and the area is lovely. There are wooden benches sprinkled along the way. My son and I spent about an hour hiking. I will be back with the hubby and dogs as it is a dog friendly place. Warning: The path has plenty of crisscrossed pathways that can be confusing and cause you to get lost. Bonus: The top of the hill is relatively flat and has tons of beautiful trees to admire. We saw a few deers!

Great trail to hike around with easy access in Jacksonville. Trails are decently marked, sometimes you have to look a little, I depended on my All Trails app a few times. Muddy in some spots but sneakers are fine. We thought it was a little tricky to find the trail from the big parking lot by the library, but if you just go across the little bridge you'll see the staircase that goes up and across the street. Several different trails, we did zigler and britte ridge which were easy/moderate. 10/10

The Jacksonville Forest trails are a great place to hike. The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is because the trails are bit confusing. There are a bunch of trails that intertwine making it easy to get lost. I literally spent an hour searching for the trail back to the parking lot. I might still be wandering the trails if it weren’t for the “find my car” feature on google maps 🤣

Awesome trail system!! 💙💙 Well maintained, super well marked and dog friendly. Hands down my favorite trail of the year. Parking can be a bit tight, and thankful they have a port-a potty in the parking lot too!! Bring your own tissues with you though, as it tends to be out of toilet paper, even though it’s clean! 🤷🏼‍♀️ You’ll run into bikers, runners, casual walkers, families and the like. During our 4 mile walk I’d say we crossed paths with 6 folks, but could see and hear others, which makes you feel safe. Great panoramic views at the top 📸

Views are stunning..great workout hiking around up there..and alot of history to learn as well.