Mill Creek Preserve - Alachua, FL
Mill Creek Preserve in Alachua, FL, is a fantastic dog park offering pet-friendly trails perfect for dog owners looking for a scenic and accessible outdoor experience. This dog park in Alachua features well-maintained hiking trails that range from easy half-mile loops to longer 3-mile routes, making it ideal for all fitness levels. The preserve is wheelchair accessible and kid-friendly, making it a great spot for families to enjoy nature together with their pets.
The park boasts a variety of natural landscapes, including flatwood pines, oak hammocks, and creek views with small bridges, providing a peaceful and beautiful setting for dog-friendly hiking. Dogs are welcome on leash, and owners are encouraged to clean up after their pets to keep the trails pristine. With clearly marked paths, a small parking lot with handicap spaces, and no crowds even on weekends, Mill Creek Preserve is a top choice for those seeking a tranquil and well-maintained dog park near Alachua, FL.
FAQ for Mill Creek Preserve in Alachua FL:
- What are the park’s leash requirements? Dogs are allowed but must remain on a leash, and owners are required to bag and remove their waste.
- Are dogs allowed off-leash at this park? No, dogs must remain on a leash during their time at the park.
- Are poop bags or waste stations provided? There is a trash can at the entrance, but none along the trails, so visitors should bring their own bags and pack out waste.
- Is the park wheelchair accessible? Yes, the parking lot is wheelchair accessible.
- Is there a playground or activities for kids nearby? The park is good for kids and kid-friendly hikes are available.
- Where is the best place to park? Parking is available at the small parking lot off 241, NW County Road 236, and 241, including a designated handicap space.
- Is the park regularly cleaned and maintained? Yes, the trails are well maintained, clearly marked, cleaned, and supported.
- How busy does the park get on weekends? The parking lot was reported to have no issues with space even on a Saturday, indicating it is not very crowded on weekends.
- Are there walking or hiking trails connected to the park? Yes, there are clearly marked hiking trails and several unmarked roads and fire breaks offering loops of varying lengths from 0.5 to over 3 miles, suitable for all skill levels.
- Is there shade or shelter available? The park features a variety of ecological areas including shaded oak hammocks and flatwood pines providing natural shade.
- Are restrooms available for owners? No, there are no public restrooms at the park.
- Is the park muddy after it rains? Some parts of the trail can be mucky, but these areas can generally be walked around.
Reviews
There should have been more signage showing the exits. No public restrooms.
This place has four conjoined trails. But it’s a relatively flat hiking trail. The longest trail is about 3 MI. But enjoyable. The trails are decently cleared. it looks like they’ve been maintained and mowed. Just be careful with banana spiders. Because there are a couple here and there that stretch across the trails. But that’s just part of nature. It’s definitely a secluded area of a main road. But definitely somewhere to go to enjoy a half a day of walking exploring and just being out in the woods.
Nice, clearly-marked hiking trails. Well maintained with pretty scenery.They had recently done a controlled burn in the area so everything is a little crispy at the moment, but greenery is already growing back in fast!
Parking lot with a handicap space. There are several trails well marked and a good number of unmarked roads and fire breaks. Plenty of loops to fit all levels. One of the highlights is definitely the beech trees in the Hammock trail. There are also some great creek views and small bridges. Some areas of trail are very wide and others are narrow. A few mucky areas but nothing that can’t be walked around if you have an aversion to getting muddy or wet.
This parks gets 5 stars for a few reasons, but mostly due to its impeccable maintenance. Trails are very clearly marked, cleaned, and supported.There’s a variety of ways you can complete the trail loops ranging from as short as 0.5 mile all the way up to over 3 miles. No combination is very difficult, as the terrain is quite flat and forgiving. Most of the trails are very wide (15’-25’ wide). The oak hammock trail is much more narrow (2’-5’ wide) and can be a tad hard to see/follow at times but getting lost would be a challenge.As you can see in the photos, there’s a variety of “ecological islands” in this park. There’s flatwood pines leading to oak hammocks as you continue deeper into the preserve. Less than a mile in, you can find a creek leading to a small waterfall with a bench nearby to listen and relax.At the trailhead, there’s a kiosk which gives you a comprehensive overview, and full color printed brochures with maps. Parking lot was small, but even on a Saturday, there weren’t many people here so there was no issue getting a space.Erosion is a concern, so they do not allow equestrians or bikes on any of the trails. They do allow dogs, provided they remain on a leash and you bag and remove their waste. There’s a trash can at the entrance, but none along the trail, so please pack in and pack out.