Nature Parks & Preserves in Jacksonville area which are just an hour or less away.
Check out our listing of parks and beaches.
Amelia Island State Park is an 18-mile drive from Jacksonville but a world away from the sights and sounds of Florida's modern, urban scene. The state park protects 200 acres of beaches, salt marshes and maritime forests, and attracts fishermen, birders, shell collectors and kayakers. It is also one of the few beaches on the Florida east coast that offers horseback riding tours.
Anastasia State Recreation Area is a 1,600-acre Florida State Park located on a peninsula on the Atlantic coast of Anastasia Island across Matanzas Bay from downtown St. Augustine.
This conservation area's importance is magnified by its closeness to the St. Johns River and the Jacksonville metropolitan area. It is a key to providing flood storage and preservation of water and natural resources in the Lower St. Johns River Basin. Riverine bottomland hardwoods, pine flatwoods and sandhill communities are bordered on the east by the St. Johns River with approximately seven miles of river frontage.
As part of the Jacksonville Urban Pond Project, Bethesda Park, offers excellent fishing opportunites and enjoyment for the entire family. At this location you will find: restrooms, walking trail, 3 fishing piers, a boardwalk, picnic area (equipped with grills), and a boat ramp for those that would like to paddle around.
Located on one of Northeast Florida's unique sea islands, Big Talbot Island State Park is primarily a natural preserve providing a premier location for nature study, bird-watching, and photography. Explore the diverse island habitats by hiking Blackrock Trail to the shoreline, Big Pine Trail to the marsh or Old Kings Highway and Jones Cut through the maritime forest.
This tract consists primarily of natural woodlands and wetlands. The site exhibits a remarkable amount of relief for Florida landscapes, with elevations ranging from five feet above mean sea level at points along the creek to 90 feet above mean sea level on the sandhills in the property's southern portion.
The recently developed park includes picnic areas, gazebo, playground and a structure for environmental education programs, all along Raggedy Point Road. There are also upland trails and wetland boardwalks with observation decks and a kayak launch.
Park and start your way up the wide trail, where sand live oaks provide plenty of shade and dense saw palmetto defines the corridor. Fallen, sun-bleached trees are everywhere. At low tide, you can walk up at least a half-mile in either direction, to the north up to the promontory visited from the main parking lot, to the south to bluffs falling into the sea.
The ecosystems on Cary State Forest are varied and include longleaf pine/wiregrass, mesic flatwoods, wet flatwoods, sandhills, basin swamps and cypress domes. Wildlife species found on the forest include: white-tailed deer, wild turkey, bobcat, otter, alligator, great horned and barred owl, wild hog, pileated woodpecker, yellow-throated vireo, pinewood tree frog and various venomous and non-venomous snake species.
The City's largest park is located at the end of Dutton Island Drive, west of Mayport Road. Dutton Island is a passive park that consists of 9,000 feet of nature trails, a fishing and viewing pier, a canoe/kayak launch, picnic areas, pavilions, camping areas, and parking. A wheelchair is available to reserve at no cost.
The City of Jacksonville purchased this 144-acre site in 1994, and was formerly the Dunes Golf course. Among the amenities at this large, Arlington-area park is the City's top disc golf course.
Over 300 acres that run north to south along Egans Creek, the Greenway was opened for public use in the summer of 2000 as an undeveloped park for passive recreational use. Its grass-covered roads are suitable for walking and bicycling and its environment exhibits a variety of natural wildlife and vegetation.
Visit one of the last unspoiled coastal wetlands on the Atlantic Coast. Discover 6,000 years of human history and experience the beauty of salt marshes, coastal dunes, and hardwood hammocks. Fort Caroline was the first French colony in the present-day United States. Established in what is now Jacksonville, Florida, on June 22, 1564.
Visitors come for boating, fishing, off-road bicycling, and hiking. A key attraction is the restored Ribault Club. Once an exclusive resort, it is now a visitor center with meeting space available for special functions. Behind the club, small boats, canoes, and kayaks can be launched on the tidal waters.
Situated at the west end of the Southbank Riverwalk adjacent to the Museum of Science and History is Friendship Fountain. Whether you are looking for a peaceful place for a picnic, or just want to watch the river flow by, Friendship Fountain provides the ideal setting for a sunny afternoon or a romantic evening Downtown.
The Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve encompasses approximately 73,352 acres of salt marsh and mangrove tidal wetlands, oyster bars, estuarine lagoons, upland habitat and offshore seas in Northeast Florida. The GTM Reserve is located in the East Florida subregion, south of Jacksonville and sandwiching St. Augustine. The coastal waters of the GTM Reserve are also important calving grounds for the endangered Right Whale.
1.5 miles of pristine sandy beach. A 60-acre freshwater lake (fishing, kayaks, pedal boats and canoes). Kids splash park (Memorial Day through Labor Day). Camping facilities (RV and tent camping, and rustic cabin rentals. Scenic trails designed for both biking and hiking.
Huguenot Park offers visitors waterfront campsites, a bird observation area, and gorgeous views of some of North Florida's remaining natural areas. Amenities include swimming, fishing, surfing, a boat launch area, picnic shelters, restrooms, and shower facilities. The park is also a part of the Great Florida Birding Trail.
Jennings State Forest was purchased through the State of Florida's Conservation and Recreation Lands Program, Preservation 2000 Program, and the Save Our Rivers Program in cooperation with the St. John's River Water Management District. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Florida Forest Service has management responsibility for Jennings State Forest.
With more than five miles of beautiful, white sandy beaches, Little Talbot Island is one of the few remaining undeveloped barrier islands in Northeast Florida. Maritime forests, desert-like dunes and undisturbed salt marshes on the western side of the island allow for hours of nature study and relaxation. The diverse habitats in the park host a wealth of wildlife for viewing, including river otters, marsh rabbits, bobcats and a variety of native and migratory birds.
The Moses Creek Conservation Area preserves one of the few remaining undeveloped tidal creeks in the region. The tidal marshes served as an important resource to Native Americans who occupied the area thousands of years ago. The diverse vegetative communities provide habitat for a variety of wildlife. Canopied dirt roads serve as trails beneath grand old live oaks, through scrub, to sandy bluffs overlooking Moses Creek.
This Jacksonville fishing spot is a 411 acre regional park located on Jacksonville's westside near Baldwin. Pope Duval park is part of Jacksonvilless Urban Ponds project which is managed by the FWC. Being that this is an FWC Fish Management Area, be sure to check the latest regulations and observe all posted rules in this area. There are trails, picnic tables, a pedestrian dock, and grills are also available at this location. There is a fishing pier at the third pond with allows the youngters the ability to drop a line without having to trek through the woods.
East of Jacksonville's skyscrapers and west of the beaches, this state park protects one of the largest contiguous areas of coastal uplands remaining in Duval County. Wildlife is abundant and ranges from the threatened American alligator to the endangered wood stork. Equestrians, hikers, and off-road bicyclists can explore five miles of multi-use trails that wind through the park's many different natural communities.
Ralph E. Simmons State Forest (previously known as St. Mary's State Forest) was renamed in 1996 as a memorial to a former St. Johns River Water Management District Governing Board Member who was instrumental in the purchase of the forest. The St. Johns River Water Management District purchased the parcel with funds from the Preservation 2000 and the Save Our Rivers Programs.
Spanish Pond's boardwalk and trail provide an opportunity for a quiet walk and connects you to more trails through pine flatwoods, oak hammock, tidal marsh in the neighboring Theodore Roosevelt Area. Spanish Pond is located across from the entrance to Fort Caroline National Memorial and is open from sunrise to sunset daily.
This was the first District acquisition within the coastal basin of the Tolomato River. This conservation area was purchased to protect water resources, wetlands and wildlife habitat. Stokes Landing serves as an outdoor classroom for environmental education, as it has been visited by area students and their teachers over the years. An observation platform for wildlife and marsh viewing was rebuilt by St. Johns County students.
Tideviews Preserve is located at the end of West 1st Street and Begonia Street, west of Mayport Road. Tideviews Preserve consists of 8 acres of passive parkland. Tideviews offers a scenic view of the Intracoastal Waterway, 2500 feet of trail and boardwalk, restroom facilities, canoe launch, scenic overlook, a fishing area and public parking.
One of Jacksonville's largest parks, this 509-acre property features the Tillie K. Fowler Nature Center with outdoor classroom, picnic area with grills and playground equipment, biking trails, a series of hiking.
Located in the center of Jacksonville, Florida, Tree Hill Nature Center is THE place to connect with nature for individuals, school field trips, home schoolers, scout troops, business groups and families.
Trout Creek Park is a 16.5 acre passive park open free of charge to all visitors. The site features a double boat ramp with handy access to Trout Creek and the St. Johns River. An accessible boardwalk borders the canal and ramps. A half-mile nature trail meanders along the inside perimeter of the park. A small outdoor amphitheater provides an ideal location for small classes and lectures.
Main trails and two loop connector trails are open to the public daily from sunrise to sunset. UNF campus Robert Loftin along with the Sawmill Slough Conservation Club, UNF faculty, staff and community members established our original 12 mile nature trail system on campus.
Located near the mouth of the St. Johns River, this site was an important military position during the Civil War, allowing access to the inland areas of Florida's east coast. There was never an actual fort on Yellow Bluff, but an encampment that was fortified and equipped with large guns for protection. Constructed in 1862, the site was occupied by both Confederate and Union troops during the Civil War and-at its peak-housed over 250 soldiers.