Past Projects and Accomplishments
Friends of the Gainesville Hawthorne Trail

FrOGHaT was committed to working on with the Park Service on a wide variety of important trail maintenance and improvement projects. A selection includes the following:

Using funds from member donations and an Alachua County Tourism Product Development Grant, Froghat installs a concrete pad over the unpaved crossing at S.E. 200th Drive and the Trail next to the equestrian Trailhead in August of 2007.

Froghat volunteers removed invasive weeds from the recently relandscaped Hawthorne Trailhead (see May 2005 entry below) on May 19th, 2007, See more pictures!

Froghat collaborates with Watershed Action Volunteers, UF International Student Volunteers Campus Club, and Friends of Paynes Prairie to clean-up the Trail and County Road 2082. February 2007. See picture diary here!

Thanks to a generous donation by Sonny's Bar-B-Q in Hawthorne, a grant from the Alachua County Tourism Development Program, and our membership fees, Froghat and the Park Service install a vandal resistant water fountain at the Hawthorne Trailhead. December 2006.

Froghat hold its third annual Yulee Days 10K Trail Race with over 200 participants and 40 volunteers. June 2006.

Froghat, the Park Service, and County leaders celebrate the Grand Re-Opening of the Hawthorne Trailhead with a Fall Festival in September of 2005.

Froghat hold its second annual Yulee Days 10K Trail Race with over 200 participants and 40 volunteers. June 2005.

With leadership from David Pais, Froghat helps relandscape the Hawthorne Trailhead with monies from a Department of Forestry Grant and the Alachua County Destination Enhancement program. May, 2005.

Froghat collaborated with Paynes Prairie Preserve, the Gainesville Cycle Club and the Families of Will Cupples and Gustavo Antonini to build a sheltered memorial bench at the Sweet Water Overlook. April, 2005.

Froghat is not all fun and games. Each spring we hike out to Persimmon point for our annual campout and an unparalleled view of the Prairie. February, 2005.

Froghat works with Paynes Prairie Preserve Park volunteers to restore natural vegetative cover over the original Railbed in environmentally sensitive areas. December, 2003.

Froghat collaborates with other volunteer organizations to improve public parks and amenities. Here AmeriCorps volunteers helped trim the Trail so that horseback riders can use the Trail right-of-way unobstructed; Spring of 2003.

Improving trail safety though upgrading signage is an important project for FrOGHaT and the Park Service. Here members are painting over faded white "Stop" signs with more visible and bicycle-friendly yellow "Yield" signs on November 9th, 2002.

Reflective stripes were placed around Bollards on the evening of November 8th, 2002 to improve visability.

Wiregrass was planted on October 11, 2002 near mile-marker 2 with the help of members of the Native Plant Society and other volunteers to help restore Park ecosystems.

This photo is from the July 20th, 2002 Trail Improvement Day when FrOGHaT helped clean and repaint the trail Bollards! Bollards, prevent cars and trucks from driving on the Trail. Yes, it was Hot, and these are Bollards.

Official Florida Park Service website
Trail map
Self-guided Tour Brochure - A Traders Path (LARGE PDF- 5Mb)
Trail safety tips