A free half-mile boardwalk meanders through Thompson Bayou over a hardwood swamp on the UWF campus, a quiet, easy walk in the woods. It starts behind Crosby Hall and is foot traffic only.
Before you go
- Get the free visitor parking permit online before you drive over
- Park in visitor Lot G or F
- Half-mile boardwalk behind Crosby Hall, foot traffic only
What we checked, and when
Read off the venue's own page on 2026-09-02.
The trail costs nothing and so does parking, but UWF requires a visitor permit for the car: register the plate in the university's parking portal first and the permit is free and good for 14 days. The trail is foot traffic only, starts behind Crosby Hall, and the university publishes no opening or closing time, so treat it as a daylight walk.
⚠ The car needs a free visitor permit from UWF's parking portal, registered before you arrive.
Alligators live in Thompson Bayou. Keep small ones on the boardwalk.
Narrow/uneven entrance. Hard for a toddler's stroller (baby-carrier stop)
Where this came from
- UWF Outdoor Adventures trail maps, read 09/02/2026: the Edward Ball Nature Trail is a “half-mile boardwalk” that “meanders through Thompson Bayou over a hardwood swamp”, “accessed behind Crosby Hall (Bldg. 10) and Bldg. 11”, and “Foot traffic may only explore the preserve trail”. No hours and no fee are published anywhere on the page.
- UWF parking for visitors, same read: “Visitor permits are required and are available at no cost”, registered through the university's parking portal as a free 14-day virtual permit.