Jacksonville Baldwin Rail Trail

Great place to run, rollerblade or ride your bike. Approximately 16 miles of paved trail that stretches between Imeson Rd in Jacksonville to Baldwin (western Duval county). The trail is relatively flat (minor elevation changes) and pretty straight, so it's not the most exciting trail. But it's recently been replaced (2022) and there are several access points & rest areas along the way.I prefer to start at the Halsema entrance around mile marker #6. There's a nice pavilion with grills and a porta potty that's kept somewhat clean.Near the end on the Baldwin side, there's a nice park with lots of shade that's good for picnics. There's a skate park & playground and an old train station

This is a great place for some easy nature hiking close to downtown Jacksonville. I use the parking lot on Halsema which always has plenty of spots and bathrooms nearby. You can walk or bike in either direction down a paved path. It's bordered by lots of trees and forest so even in summer the path stays pretty shady and cool, and you're never in direct sunlight. There are a few things path-adjacent that are also interesting to check out, like the Milton civil war campsite. It's a nice place to get out and walk for a while, I think the whole path is around 14mi and you can do as much or as little as you like. Glad that not too many people must know about this place because it's usually pretty quiet!

No biking for me today but I took the opportunity to go for a bit of a walk along the trail today. After driving for a couple of hours, it was great to get some fresh air and a bit of exercise. The trail is part of a piece of land purchased from CSX Transportation through the "Rails to Trails" program. The Jacksonville-Baldwin Rail Trail is a right-of-way extending approximately 14.5 miles from Imeson Road in Jacksonville to the Town of Baldwin. A 12' wide paved trail currently exists for hikers, bikers and roller-bladers to enjoy.The trail is contiguous with the Camp Milton Historic Preserve, which serves as a mid-point trailhead. Five other trailheads along the Rail Trail are located at Imeson Road, Halsema Road, Otis Road, the old trail depot in the City of Baldwin, and Brandy Branch Road. There are approx. 8.5 miles of spur trails onto the Jacksonville Rail Trail Buffer Properties that are designated for unpaved day hiking and equestrain use.Always walk with a friend.There is a small parking lot. No facilities but there is a port-a-potty.[Review 13242 overall, 559 of 2020.]

***This is one of the Trailheads in the Jacksonville-Baldwin Rail Trail and it is located in between MM12 & MM13***Now that I have walk/run/bike on this trail and have gone end to end, it's a very nice, well-maintained trail and it's paved all the way though. The east end is the Imeson Trailhead (30.345407° -81.772870°), there's a paved parking lot w/ restroom facility. This trailhead seems to be the busiest and can get crowded.Mile Markers go up from there. Just after MM1, trail crosses Bulls Bay Hwy and there's a very slight elevation change (down) from the road to about midway to MM2 and goes back up. There are a few spans throughout the trail that has a slight elevation change but not really noticeable unless you're on a bike, imo. Just after MM2, trail crosses Jones Road and about 0.20 mile before MM3, the powerline makes a 90-degree turn to the right and tree cover starts on the trail but does not get totally shaded. Once you cross a gravel road (Hannah Rd) between MM3 & MM4, that's where the trail gets really shaded and nice :). Between MM4 & MM5, trail goes under Pritchard road and about 0.15 mile before Halsema Road is the Camp Milton rest area, there's a faucet, restroom facility and picnic tables. On the other side of Halsema Road is the Halsema Trailhead (30.337500° -81.869663°). There's a dirt/gravel parking lot, portable toilet, picnic area and bike repair area. The trail crosses Otis Road just before MM8 and in between MM10 & MM11, there is a pig farm south (left side) of the trail and depending on which way the wind/breeze is blowing, there may be a very unpleasant smell that can start from MM9 to MM12. At MM11, trail crosses JEA Brandy Branch property and ends the shaded part of the trail, although there are sporadic shaded areas remaining. After MM12, trail crosses Palmetto Ave then goes under US 301 then crosses a railroad crossing before entering the Baldwin Trailhead facility. Baldwin Trailhead (30.310229° -81.972572°) is similar to the Imeson Trailhead but adds a bike/skate park and bike repair area. The Baldwin Permanent Locomotive Exhibit is accessible here. Trail crosses an overpass construction area in between MM13 & MM14. West end of the trail is the Brandy Branch Trailhead, approximately 0.50 mile after MM14. Brandy Branch Trailhead (30.306482° -82.008222°) has a paved parking lot & portable toilet. Some days, horses from the nearby farm comes here and they're friendly enough to take pics with.

Nice shady bike and hiking trail. Busy place, but definitely not crowed. Full of wildlife. We saw cows, chickens, fish, a rabbit, turtles, lots of butterfly's. 4 stars.

Great biking, running, walking or whatever you wanna do trail. This is the western most entrance to the trail. It stretches some 14 or more miles into Jacksonville. Its pretty much a straight shot through some back woods and farming areas. Cuts through the town of Baldwin with a nice little rest area available. Its pretty well used most everyday with lots of riders. They seem to keep it well maintained and clean. Ill continue to frequent it.