The North Florida Land Trust this weekend will open its first public park, Bogey Creek Preserve in North Jacksonville.
“People are always asking if they can access our properties. Most of our properties are designed to be protected - particularly because of the habitat. But this is one we knew we could open to the public and make this available to everybody,” said North Florida Land Trust President Jim McCarthy.
McCarthy said the trust raised $1.3 million through private donations to buy the property from the Spencer family. Tom Spencer lives nearby. He said he’s thrilled the 75 acres in the preserve will be kept in its natural state.
“As children, we would swim the creeks and play with the otters and watch the gators cross into the pond and back and forth. And it’s just wonderful the Land Trust was able to make this possible and to preserve this,” said Spencer.
Bogey Creek Preserve off Cedar Point Road is adjacent to the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve.
It has a one mile unpaved hiking trail.
The public grand opening is set for this Saturday, May 4, from 11-to-4.
Contact reporter Cyd Hoskinson at choskinson@wjct.org, 904-358-6351 and on Twitter at @cydwjctnews.
