Verified: Preserve opens on Little Lake Santa Fe

Alachua County and the Florida Forever program cut the ribbon on a new 69-acre preserve at Little Lake Santa Fe on Friday, so Mainstreet sent reporters to check it out on Saturday morning.  

Reporters confirmed that the preserve was called Little Lake Santa Fe Preserve (see photo) and that it was, in fact, on Little Lake Santa Fe, just southeast of Waldo and northwest of Melrose. Also verified was the given address (20201 NE 132nd Ave., Waldo) and the presence of a small parking lot. 

Alachua County entered into a 50-year lease to manage the property and public access, including a loop trail that reporters marked at 0.81 miles compared to the advertised full mile.     

The trail is open to walkers, runners, horse riders and cyclists, according to a Monday press release. Mainstreet reporters noted that the trail was also in use by common ground doves, with one Carolina Wren heard nearby. The trail is mostly dirt, pine needles and wood chips that run through pine uplands. 

There’s also a bench along the far side of the trail from the parking lot, as seen in the brochure (included below). 

“Every Florida Forever project has a lasting impact, and Little Lake Santa Fe Preserve is no exception,” Bradley Perry, director of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Division of State Lands, said in a press release. “This investment protects an important piece of Florida’s natural heritage while creating a place where families can explore, learn and enjoy the outdoors for years to come.” 

The preserve is on the same road as the South Tract of Lake Alto Preserve, if visitors want to add the 1.6 miles (unverified) of the Canal Trail to the outing.