Two New Preserves Opened Near Lake Santa Fe This Summer, and Only One Allows Horses

"At some point, the Gainesville people will probably like to come out here," Jeff Million said in August. He was standing at the entrance to Black Lake Preserve in Melrose on the morning it opened. He and Jill Conti walk together every day. Until that Friday, their choices were the shoulder of the road or a 24-minute drive to Sweetwater Wetlands Park.

Alachua County opened two preserves near Lake Santa Fe this summer. Little Lake Santa Fe Preserve, outside Waldo, opened after a July 10 ribbon-cutting. Black Lake Preserve followed on August 21. Both are about a 20-to-25-minute drive east of Gainesville on SR 26. Both were laid out first for the people who live around them, and the rules show it. If you're driving out from town, those rules decide how your visit goes.

Black Lake Was Supposed to Be a Subdivision

The land under Black Lake Preserve was planned as a neighborhood. Alachua County Forever bought it instead in 2020 for $2.3 million, paid for with the voter-approved Wild Spaces Public Places surtax. At the ribbon-cutting, Stephen Hofstetter, director of the Alachua County Environmental Protection Department, explained the stakes. Millions of gallons of rainwater collect in the wetlands on and around the property. That water gets filtered there and released slowly into the Santa Fe River and the lake. "If this was a subdivision, we don't know where that water would be," he said.

The preserve covers 287 acres south of Lake Santa Fe. The county lists more than three miles of trail, including a 0.1-mile paved path to a pond overlook. The Alligator's opening-day report described a 1-mile loop and a 2-mile trail. Two threatened carnivorous plants grow there, the hooded pitcher plant and the spoonleaf sundew. Visitors may also see gopher tortoises and southern fox squirrels.

County Commission Chair Ken Cornell put the purpose plainly at the opening: "The people that live out here deserve the same access to protection, walkable, natural land as anyone else in this county." The Alligator reported that Black Lake is one of only two nature parks in and around Melrose. The other is Little Lake Santa Fe.

The main trailhead is at 6197 NE 225th St. in Melrose. A separate walk-in trailhead is at 6551 NE 221st St. The county says parking is at the main trailhead, and its opening notice said that parking is limited. The trails are for walkers and cyclists only, with cyclists yielding to hikers. Leashed dogs are welcome on the trails if you clean up after them, but pets can't go into the wetlands or ponds. No horses are allowed here.

Little Lake Santa Fe Allows Horses, but There Is Nowhere to Park a Trailer

Eight miles or so across the lake country, Little Lake Santa Fe Preserve has different rules. Its trails are open to hikers, cyclists, and riders. Cyclists yield to hikers and riders, and hikers yield to riders. The county's notes also say there is no equestrian trailer parking.

So the riders this trail serves are the ones who can get there on horseback. The county's trail description says it's for "hikers, bikers, and local equestrian users." If you trailer your horse in from Gainesville or Micanopy, there's nowhere to put the rig. If you keep a horse within riding distance of NE 132nd Avenue, this is a new trail you can reach without loading up.

The trail itself is short. The orange-blazed Marsh Trail is a one-mile loop through the pines and along the edge of the wetlands. A 0.1-mile Short-cut Trail splits it in half. The trailhead and a small parking area are at 20201 NE 132nd Ave. in Waldo. Leashed dogs are allowed here too.

This preserve took a different path to opening than Black Lake. The state bought its 69 acres in 2021 through the Florida Forever program. Alachua County then signed a 50-year lease to manage it for the state. It protects more than 800 feet of shoreline on Little Lake Santa Fe. Visitors can't reach the lake from the preserve, though. Alison Blakeslee of the Santa Fe Lake Dwellers spoke at the July ribbon-cutting along with Cornell and Bradley Perry of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

The land is still being restored. The uplands are mostly leftover loblolly pine in the early stages of restoration to an upland pine community. County Preserve Manager Matt Barker told the Alachua Chronicle that restoration work "will continue improving habitat quality for years to come." Some trails also serve as firebreaks and get harrowed from time to time, so expect soft or rough footing in places. If you ride, that's worth knowing before you set out.

The Closing Time Moved Up on October 1

Both preserves opened in the long-daylight months, when the trails stayed open until 8 p.m. That schedule ended this week. From October through March, both close at 6 p.m. The Little Lake rules say anyone still on the preserve after hours is trespassing. A weekday walk after work now needs a fairly early start.

The drive is short. A Google Maps estimate this week put Black Lake about 20 minutes and 16.3 miles from Gainesville by SR 26. Little Lake Santa Fe came out at about 25 minutes and 18.6 miles. Neither preserve has restrooms or drinking water. Little Lake has no picnic facilities either. Bring water for yourself and your dog. The county also suggests sunscreen and insect repellent. After a hard rain, parts of the Little Lake trail may be underwater.

Both preserves have trail maps on site. The county's Black Lake Preserve page and nature preserves page link to brochures you can look at before you go.

Making an Afternoon of It East on SR 26

The two trailheads are close enough to visit both in one outing. A morning loop at Little Lake and an afternoon walk to the Black Lake overlook makes a full day without much driving. A few stops nearby fill out a weekend trip:

1. Waldo Farmers and Flea Market, 17805 US-301 in Waldo. It runs Saturdays and Sundays, and vendors set their own hours. It's listed as open this weekend, October 3 and 4.
2. Paper and Clay in Melrose. This artisan shop marked its third year in January 2026. It offers pottery classes and sells work from local artists and small businesses.
3. Melrose Bay Art Gallery. The gallery's website describes monthly First Friday art walks. The page isn't dated, so check the current schedule before planning around it.

Black Lake's opening came after years of work. "Our staff have worked really hard over many years of getting this place ready," said Ryan Kennelly, Alachua County Forever's land stewardship coordinator. For Million and Conti, it means a daily walk close to home. For visitors from Gainesville, both preserves open at 7 a.m., and in October and November that early start works best.

If you're looking at horse property east of Gainesville, it matters whether you could ride to a trail like the Marsh Trail or would need to trailer somewhere else. That's the kind of practical detail I look at on every rural property I show. If you'd like help with it, Dean Graham is glad to walk the land with you. Let's Connect.