Ralph E. Simmons Memorial State Forest

Great spot on the river. A bit of a hike to camping site. However, I Do not recommend for those who are afraid of the dark. Saw and heard very very creepy stuff. In the Middle of the night I swear I heard something that sounded like a screaming banshee and tons of shadow figures. Ghost hunter paranormal hot spot for sure. (Wasn’t expecting that!)

It is a great resource for everyone who enjoys nature. Well maintained trails, and one of the most diverse ecosystems I've ever encountered. The North side ( Georgia border) of the park is the st Mary's river.

Very nice trail. The 'big loop' starting at the trailhead, going to the cabin, going all the way to picnic area at the beach and back to the trailhead is about 9.5 miles. You can bring your horses.

The camping location here on the banks of the St.Mary's River was perfect for our short overnight hike. Very quiet and beautiful. The area has gently slopping terrain with several micro-environments that make for an interesting albeit short hike. This would be a perfect spot for someones first backpacking camp out or someone not interested in a strenuous hike.

Really great hike in mid-December. Peaceful, great views, and the trail is very well marked (white blazes). Saw a few hunters, but they were friendly and didn't seem to mind hikers. Overall I highly recommend it.

Really nice place to hike for a Florida park. Multiple trails near a river and wildlife. Went during a hunting season though, and didn't know until we heard shots and left when a worker advised us to. Still was able to finish the red and yellow trails by that time.

Nice for a day hike. The trail is all double track forest road. Trail is well marked. Primitive camp site comes with a picnic table and fire ring.

I'm rating it high based on what it is, not on the pure excitement level. We hiked the 3.25 miles red and yellow trails to see the river and plant life. The trail is excellent in that it was mowed fairly recently and wide enough to easily walk 2 (or more) abreast. There is some elevation change (90') and a couple of mud sections (we stayed dry by picking our way through) but otherwise is your typical Florida flat trail. No bathrooms. No gorgeous views. But it is a nice hike with several different environments with pines, oaks, river, and fields. We didn't experience any mosquitoes in October and the wildflowers were blooming along the trail. A relaxing hike.

I have experience the greenway style trail here a few times and I love the elevation changes as a challenge on my bicycle.

This is a review of the White Blaze Loop Trail. The longest of the trails within Ralph E Simmons State Forest, the White Blaze Trail offers and variety of hiking opportunities for the day tripper. In doing this hike, I broke it up into three legs. The western leg, northern leg and the eastern leg. The western leg of the trail is by far the easiest to follow and walk along as it is pretty well maintained up until you get to the second spur trail to the St. Marys River. It's an absolutely gorgeous leg of the trail with gently rolling terrain, a variety of pineland ecosystems and a easy two track trail. During this part of the trail I spotted several birds, heard owls, and found a diverse array of flora. It almost has an alpine feel to it because there are wide pastures of grass intermixed with pines and just great views that feel "foresty." Of the two spur trails (Blue Blazes) on this leg the first one was overgrown but the second one was in good shape despite some fallen tree hopping (did spot a pitcher plant next to the fallen pine). The spur eventually came to a clearing on the river which was pretty fantastic. The St. Marys is a BUSY river on the weekend, so expect to see boat traffic (I believe you can camp here too). Once I headed east from the spur trails, things got interesting for the next 5 miles. The northern leg of the loop and the eastern leg of the loop is good, pure hiking where you are hiking from blaze to blaze because the trail is not maintained as well and is overgrown to some degree. It can get a bit wily at times BUT that makes for a good hike I think. Dodging puddles, walking through the tall grass and the potential to get lost all make for a great adventure! Really, the biggest problem on this section of the trail was that several of the blazes were lying on the ground. Despite the fallen blazes, the high grass and occasional sogginess, this leg of the trail was still a joy to traverse. I saw more butterflies than I have seen at any other State Forest (I counted six species) and I saw three deer. The unkempt nature of this section seems to have brought out the best in Mother Nature. All in all, if you do the whole loop you're rewarded with a great long hike with awesome views and awesome wildlife on parade. With a simple mow of the entire trail this would be one of the best hikes in Northeast Florida. Until that happens, it's still a five star ramble and I recommend doing the whole thing...BUT...be prepared: wear hiking pants, bring trekking poles, don't forget the Off! and don't expect to do it for the 'Gram because there's no cellphone service out there.

Lots of fresh air and sunshine! Long trails through the woods to the St Mary's river. There were deer tracks, only a few other people and very quiet. A nice way to spend a Saturday enjoying nature.

The park surrounds me. The Forrest's diversify is unparalleled in my experience, since I lived in Alaska. (Cordoba on the Cooper river) it's a magical place should get more visitors than it does. People don't know what they're missing. They really don't.

The trail has been updated. Maps have been provided as well as the trails are marked and safe. There are wild animals, but you stay away from them and they'll stay away from you.

Beautiful little park tucked away in a small town. Great place for a walk or a run, and there are spaces for overnight camping. Lots of birds, and I saw two armadillos!

Great place to visit. Quiet trails for hiking, and a you might see some wildlife, including birds and deer. Just watch out for the rattlesnakes and cottonmouths.

Great place to hike. Pine Forest with trails along the St. Mary's River. There's a couple of primative camp site as well as a cabin.

Good fishing and freindly folks!

Great place for a quick backpacking overnight getaway

Great place to let the pups and the kids release some energy. Lots of easy trails and easy access

Nice trails, easy hike. The river was great.