Sierra Club Northeast Florida Group

For Active/Former Military Only
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NOTE: You are required to sign a Participants Agreement to participate in our outings. Please sign the agreement online NOW.
The link is: https://tinyurl.com/mrt4xbpb

Come and see the oldest homestead in Flagler County located in this 1500 acre off-the-beaten path location. We will explore 5 miles of trails along the Pellicer Creek and through the saltwater marsh. The hunting lodge, with a wrap-around porch, overlooks the saltwater marsh and has several rocking chairs to enjoy the view.
The lodge is available to tour on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 pm, but on a limited basis. We will also see the first in-ground artesian fed swimming pool in Florida.
Princess Place Preserve offers camping sites, a canoe/kayak launch, 3 cabin rentals, equestrian trails, walking trails and plenty of room for families to enjoy the day. There will be an opportunity to enjoy a picnic lunch after the hike.

The terrain is flat and mostly hard packed dirt. One trail has a sidewalk and will lead us to a small observation area. Another trail has some muddy areas and we will need to walk close along the edge of the trail. Each of the trails has minimal tripping hazards. Young children are welcome as long as they are able and willing to walk the distance.

For the safety and comfort of the group pets will not be able to join on this hike. Bring sunscreen, repellent, snack, and water. Restrooms are located close to the Ranger Office.

DIRECTIONS AND MEETING LOCATION: The preserve is located at 2500 Princess Place Road, Palm Coast. From Jacksonville take 95 south to exit 298. Take a right, then travel 1.5 miles until you enter a traffic circle and follow to Old Kings Road. Pass a Pellicer Creek sign and continue for another 1.5 miles until you see the sign for Princess Place Preserve on the left. Continue down the dirt road (bypassing the equestrian trail parking lot on the left). Continue straight, pass through a metal gate, over a wooden bridge and follow signs for the Ranger Office. We will meet in the parking area. There’s a large grassy area between the parking lot and Ranger Office that’s located at the hunting lodge.

Sierra Club maintains a safe space agreement between participants, leaders, volunteers, and staff. We want to support everyone in exploring, enjoying, and protecting our natural environment, and hateful and dangerous behavior will not be tolerated. We don’t want to deny participation in these outdoor programs and we will always say no to racism, sexism, ageism, homophobia, impairment, and disruption. We request that all participants cooperate with the outing leader's direction to ensure a safe and enjoyable outing for everyone.

Come explore the UNF trails with the Sierra Club! This mental health focused hike will allow participants the opportunity to take a deep breath and practice mindfulness on the trails. This easy exercise will provide a sense of calm in the midst of a busy schedule, as well as the chance to get outside and get your body moving. We will be taking the Red Maple Boardwalk trail, following the loop, and then finishing up around the lake on the Blueberry Trail, and as we will be keeping a slow walking pace this event should last a little less than an hour. A portion of the hiking will be done on a wooden boardwalk, and the rest on trails with some exposed roots. There are minimal changes in elevation. Proper footwear is advised (hiking shoes or comfortable sneakers). It is also advised to wear long pants and/or high socks to avoid ticks and to bring bug spray in order to avoid getting bitten.

Try to avoid plastic waste by bringing a reusable water bottle to stay hydrated. Even though we will be under the shaded trees, it is also still advised to wear sunscreen as this is Florida and the sun burns bright. There is a restroom near the meeting point, so you should plan to use this restroom either before or after the hike as there are no restrooms during the hike. We will meet at the UNF Eco Adventures. It is right next to the UNF Parking Services so if you are having trouble finding it on the map, just go to parking services and you will see Eco Adventure.

NOTE: You are required to sign our Participation Agreement to participate in our outings. To save time the day of the hike, we encourage you to sign the agreement online ahead of time at:
https://act.sierraclub.org/events/details?formcampaignid=701Po00001GE9D1IAL
A paper copy will also be available at the outing.

Cancellation Policy: Event will be held rain or shine, but may be cancelled if weather threatens safety such as in the case of lightning or high winds in the forecast. Also, if the heat index is forecast to be over 103, then the outing will be cancelled. Participants are advised to check Meetup for current status before traveling to the event. Events may need to be cancelled at short notice.

Sierra Club maintains a safe space agreement between participants, leaders, volunteers, and staff. We want to support everyone in exploring, enjoying, and protecting our natural environment, and hateful and dangerous behavior will not be tolerated. We don’t want to deny participation in these outdoor programs and we will always say no to racism, sexism, ageism, homophobia, impairment, and disruption. We request that all participants cooperate with the outing leader's direction to ensure a safe and enjoyable outing for everyone.