Turkey Creek Sanctuary/Malabar Trails

One of the finer off-road running routes in the Palm Bay area, the Turkey Creek Sanctuary has a variety of trails abutting the eponymous river. The most popular option in the 117 acre nature reserve is the ~2 mile Boardwalk Trail, a bouncy loop through pine scrub and riverside bluffs. There is also a 1.5 mile “jogging trail” with a mostly dirt surface and various exercise stations. In addition, the mulched Sand Pine Trail connects to the boardwalk. All three trails can be combined for a longer loop of about 3 miles.

Longer/Additional Options: Runners can head south into the Cameron Wildlife Preserve and Malabar Scrub Sanctuary. Though the trails here are slightly less groomed, they’re all quite runnable. Another good addition is the Boundary Canal Trail, a multi-use trail from Port Malabar Boulevard (at the northeast corner of Turkey Creek Sanctuary) east to Onyx Dr. It’s ~3 miles out and back, with an additional 1 mile spur south to Malabar Community Park.