Archer Braid Trail
- 14.5 mi
- round trip
- 507 ft
- climb
- 124 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Oct–Apr
- best months
Archer Braid Trail is a 14.5-mile out-and-back hike in Florida, about half a mile from the town of Archer. The trail is rated hard, and the climb is modest: the high point is 124 feet, with a total elevation gain of 117 feet over the round trip. The route is long, so plan on a full day. The trail is a single route, and the steepest stretch comes at about 10 miles in, where the grade reaches 3 percent. Bikes are allowed, so it works for riders as well as hikers. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Gainesville show March highs around 77°F and October highs around 83°F, while July and August average highs near 92°F. Nearby, Memory Boulder offers climbing about 8 miles away, and the Main Trail and Split Rock Conservation Area Trail are both about 9 miles off.
- Memory BoulderRock climbing8.2 mi
- Main TrailHiking9.4 mi
- Split Rock Conservation Area TrailHiking9.4 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
Dudley Farm Historic State Park TrailHiking · ~14 min drivePhoto: clembore, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
Hammock LoopHiking · ~20 min drivePhoto: clembore, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park TrailHiking · ~25 min drivePhoto: Rob Bixby, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- Still Branch CrossingHiking · ~20 min drivePhoto: clembore, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
Bolen Bluff TrailHiking · ~20 min drivePhoto: gary_leavens, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)- San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park TrailHiking · ~21 min drive
Alfred a Ring Park TrailHiking · ~23 min drivePhoto: clembore — CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)- Gainesville Depot Avenue TrailHiking · ~23 min drive
- Gainesville-Hawthorne State TrailHiking · ~31 min drive
Springtree Park TrailHiking · ~24 min drivePhoto: clembore, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
Best time to visit Archer Braid Trail
Best months: October–April. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
67° / 43°
Feb
71° / 45°
Mar
77° / 50°
Apr
82° / 55°
May
88° / 62°
Jun
91° / 69°
Jul
92° / 71°
Aug
92° / 70°
Sep
89° / 69°
Oct
83° / 60°
Nov
76° / 51°
Dec
69° / 46°
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Gainesville 11 Wnw, FL, 10 mi away at 95 ft. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
