Timucuan

Timucuan National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Ecological and Historic Preserve One-Day Excursions Jacksonville is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States. Plan an excursion to explore the city’s urban and natural treasures. Listed below are many parks, museums, and attractions that are within the Timucuan Preserve or near the city of Jacksonville. Please call each site for up-to-date information regarding hours, prices and facilities. Park Areas Fort Caroline National Memorial Home of the Timucuan Preserve Visitor Center, this park memorializes the site of a 16th-century French colony – the first European settlement in the area. Open daily 9 am to 5 pm, closed Thanksgiving, New Years Day, Christmas Day. Free admission. 12713 Ft. Caroline Rd. (904) 641-7155, www.nps.gov/timu Talbot Islands State Parks These two beautiful park areas offer nature trails, campsites, picnic areas and lots of beach. Open daily 8 am to sunset. Admission fee charged. Located off Hwy A1A, approx. 3 miles north of the St. Johns River ferry. (904) 251­ 2320, www.floridastateparks.org/littletalbotisland Fort Clinch State Park This restored Civil War fort from the 1840s is surrounded by beaches and nature trails. Park offers fishing, campsites and picnic grounds. Open daily 8 am to sundown; Fort open daily 9 am to 5 pm. Located off Hwy A1A in Fernandina Beach. (904) 277-7274, www.floridastateparks.org/fortclinch Theodore Roosevelt Area This 600-acre natural area within the Timucuan Preserve has over 5 miles of hiking trails winding through one of North Florida’s most pristine areas. Summer hours: 6 am to 8 pm; Winter hours: 6 am to 6 pm. Closed Thanksgiving, New Years Day, Christmas. Free admission. Located 1.5 miles southeast of the entrance to Fort Caroline National Memorial. (904) 641-7155, www.nps.gov/timu Huguenot Memorial Park This beautiful beach area offers camping, fishing and nature trails. Open daily 6 am until one hour before sunset. Admission fee charged. Located just north of the St. Johns River ferry landing on Hwy A1A. (904) 251-3335, www.coj.net Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park A 450-acre city park with beaches, trails, picnic areas, freshwater fishing lakes and 300 campsites. Open daily. Winter hours: 8 am to 6 pm; Summer hours: 8 am to 8:30 pm. Located south of Mayport Naval Station on Hwy A1A. (904) 249­ 4700, www.coj.net Kingsley Plantation Located on historic Ft. George Island within the Timucuan Preserve, this site includes the oldest standing plantation house in Florida and the remains of original tabby slave cabins. Open daily 9 am to 5 pm, closed Thanksgiving, New Years Day, Christmas. Ranger talks offered daily. Free admission. Located off Hwy A1A just north of the St. Johns River ferry. (904) 251-3537, www.nps.gov/timu Tree Hill Nature Center This 42-acre preserve includes two nature trails, a garden area, and gift shop. Open Monday through Saturday 8 am to 4:30 pm. Admission fee is charged. 7152 Lone Star Rd., Jacksonville. (904) 724-4646, www.treehill.org University of North Florida The only university in Florida located in a state wildlife refuge. The area offers fishing, picknicking, canoe rentals, and 4.5 miles of hiking trails. Open daily during daylight hours. 4567 St. Johns Bluff Rd. S. (904) 620-1810, www.unf.edu/recsports/nature More Park Areas Walter Jones Historical Park This 10-acre historical park explores post-Civil War Mandarin. The park includes the farmhouse, barn, outbuildings, sawmill, nature trail, boardwalk, picnic area and restrooms. Mandarin Museum located on park grounds. Guided tours are available by advance reservation. Call for museum and park hours. Located at 11964 Mandarin Rd. (904) 268-0784, www.mandarinmuseum.net/WJPark.html Kids Kampus at Metropolitan Park This 10-acre recreational facility offers a splash park, miniature Jacksonville landmarks and educational and innovative playground equipment. A picnic pavilion and jogging trails are also available. Located Downtown at 1410 Gator Blvd. Open daily, hours vary seasonally. Water park open during summer only. Call for schedule. (904) 630-5437, www.coj.net Museums Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens Well known for its collections of significant European and American paintings and for its world-renowned collection of early Meissen porcelain. Closed Monday. Call for hours of operation and admission prices. 829 Riverside Ave. (904) 356-6857, www.cummer.org Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum Features original documents and manuscripts relating to history, science, literature, music, art and exploration. Open Tues-Sat. 10 am to 4 pm, Sun. 12 pm to 4 pm. (904) 356-2992. Located Downtown at 101 W. 1st Street at Laura St., www.rain.org/~karpeles/jaxfrm.html Jacksonville Maritime Museum Includes the history of the St. Johns River and maritime artifacts. Admission is free. Located on the Southbank Riverwalk. (904) 398-9011, www.jaxmaritimemuseum.org Other Attractions Museum of Science and History (MOSH) Features scientific and historical exhibits as well as a Planetarium and hands-on kids’ exhibits. Open daily. Admission fee is charged. Located at 1025 Museum Circle Dr. (904) 396-7062, www.themosh.org Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) Interactive art exhibits for families; features traveling exhibits, modern art including painting, sculpture and video. Admission fee, call for prices. (904) 366-6911. Located Downtown at 333 N. Laura St., www.mocajacksonville.org Ritz Theatre & LaVilla Museum The museum’s permanent collection features the life and times of African Americans in northeast Florida. The theatre presents spoken word and amateur nights and hosts special events. Call for upcoming shows and hours of operation. Fee charged. Located downtown in historic LaVilla at 829 N. Davis St. (904) 632-5555, www.ritzlavilla.org Fernandina Beach Once a haven for pirates, this 300-year-old coastal town is now a lively shrimping center with many famous seafood restaurants and Florida’s “oldest” bar. The town also has many antique stores, craft centers and modern specialty shops. Located 25 miles north of Jacksonville on A1A, Amelia Island. (904) 261­ 3248, www.fernandinabeachfl.org The City of St. Augustine St. Augustine, the oldest permanent European settlement in the continental U.S., offers hundreds of shops, restaurants and historic sites including the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, a 17th-century Spanish fort. Located about 45 minutes south of Jacksonville. (904) 825-1000, www.ci.st-augustine.fl.us Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens More than 1400 animals and 1000 plants from all over the world can be seen here. This 61-acre zoo features an authentic riverfront African Village, wildlife exhibits, a petting zoo, and a railroad. Open daily 9 am to 5 pm, open until 6 pm in summer. Closed Christmas and Thanksgiving. (904) 757-4462, www.jaxzoo.org EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA TM Riverwalk Located on the south bank of the St. Johns River in downtown Jacksonville, this area features a 1.2-mile boardwalk with restaurants, bars, shops and pavilions, www.downtownjacksonville.org Within 2 Hours of Jacksonville Florida State Parks www.floridastateparks.org Amelia Island State Park: Fernandina Beach, off A1A, (904) 251-2000 Anastasia: St. Augustine Beach, off A1A at S.R. 3, (904) 461-2000 Bulow Plantation Ruins: 3 miles west of Flagler Beach, (904) 517-2084 Devil’s Millhopper: 2 miles NW of Gainesville, (352) 955-2008 Faver-Dykes: 15 miles S of St. Augustine on U.S. 1, (904) 794-0997 Gamble Rogers Memorial Recreation Area: Flagler Beach, off A1A, (904) 517-2086 Ichetucknee Springs: 4 miles NW of Ft. White, (904) 497-2511 Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings: Cross Creek, off S.R. 325, (352) 466-3672 Mike Roess Gold Head Branch: 6 miles NE of Keystone Heights, (352) 473-4701 O’Leno: 20 miles S of Lake City, off U.S. 441, (904) 454-1853 Olustee Battlefield: 2 miles east of Lustee on U.S. 90, (904) 758-0400 Paynes Prairie Preserve: Micanopy, S of Gainesville on U.S. 441, (352) 466-3397 Ravine Gardens: Palatka, off Twigs Street, (904) 329-3721 Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center: White Springs, (904) 397-2733 Suwanee River: 13 miles W of Live Oak, off U.S. 90, (904) 676-4050 Tomoka: 3 miles N of Ormond Beach, on N Beach Street, (904) 446-6780 Washington Oaks: 3 miles S of Marineland, off A1A, (904) 446-6780 Florida State Forests www.fl-dof.com/state_forests Cary State Forest: 7.5 miles N of Baldwin, on S.R. 301, (904) 266-5021 Welaka State Forest: Welaka, on County Road 309 and U.S. 17, (386) 467-2388 National Forests www.fs.fed.us Ocala National Forest: Alexander Springs, Clearwater Lake, Fore Lake, Halfmoon Lake, Johnson Field, Juniper Springs, Lake Deleancy, Lake Dore and Mill Dam, (352) 625-2520 Osceola National Forest: Ocean Pond, (904) 752-2577 National Parks www.nps.gov Castillo de San Marcos: St. Augustine, (904) 829-6506 Fort Matanzas National Monument: St. Augustine, (904) 471-0116 Cumberland Island National Seashore: St. Marys, GA, (912) 882-4336 ext. 254 Georgia State Parks www.gastateparks.org Crooked River: 12 miles E of Kingsland, (912) 882-5256 Laura S. Walker: 10 miles SE of Waycross, (912) 287-4900 Stephen C. Foster: 18 miles NE of Fargo, (912) 637-5274 EXPERIENCE YOUR AMERICA TM