Resources
Resources for exploring the area
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Exploring Amelia Island
In 1562, the French claimed this land, attempting to establish a colony along the St. Johns River to the south.
By 1565, the Spanish were running the show. British loyalists, pirates, and Confederates all had their turn for rule over the centuries.
Fringed by estuary and beaches, it’s a popular getaway with lodgings spanning the spectrum from camping to upscale resorts. The eating is good, too, as Fernandina Beach retains its shrimping fleet.
Timucuan National Preserve protects American Beach, an important part of Florida’s African-American history and home to the largest dune on Florida’s Atlantic Coast.
Amelia Island is part of the Gullah-Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor, a National Historic Area which stretches north to Wilmington, North Carolina.
Trails and Parks Near Amelia Island
Amelia Island State Park The thud of horse's hooves on sand makes for a unique experience at Amelia Island State Park, the only Florida State Park where you can ride horses on the beach
American Beach Home to the largest dune system on the Atlantic Coast in Florida, American Beach has a rich history as a vacation destination that served the African-American community during the days of segregation in the South.
Big Talbot Big Pine Trail The southernmost trail on Big Talbot Island is a short walk out to a bluff above the Simpson Creek estuary through a coastal hammock riffled by breezes.
Big Talbot Black Rock Trail An unusual and picturesque geologic anomaly, Blackrock Beach at Big Talbot Island is covered with formations that look like black lava rocks but are made of sand.
Big Talbot Island State Park Wind and water perpetually reshape the landscape along this rugged Atlantic shoreline with tidal pools, black rock beaches, and a boneyard of sand-scoured trees.
Big Talbot Shoreline Access Trail Slipping through coastal habitats on the bluffs of Big Talbot Island, this linear path keeps extending as erosion forces shifts in shoreline access.
Dune Ridge Trail Expect some elevation change along the Atlantic Coast on this traverse of coastal habitats that includes the tall oceanfront dunes and the beach itself.
Egans Creek Greenway Northeast of Jacksonville in Fernandina Beach, Egans Creek Greenway is a protected area of over 300 acres that runs north to south along Egans Creek. 
Fort Clinch Beach Walk Explore a wave-tossed beach shoreline while searching for sea shells along the northernmost stretch of the Atlantic Coast in Florida.
Fort Clinch Shared Use Trail A 6.2 mile singletrack loop shared by hikers and cyclists provides challenging slopes to climb between the edge of the estuary and a dune front. 
Fort Clinch State Park With 1,100 acres of pristine beaches, towering dunes, maritime forest, and estuarine tidal marshes, Fort Clinch State Park is one of Florida’s paramount recreational areas. 
Fort Clinch Walking Tour Roam an impressive, interpreted Third System fortress on the Florida coast along this walking tour that makes a circuit of the interior of Fort Clinch.
Fort Clinch Willow Pond Trails Explore a coastal ridge and murky swamp along footpaths and levees around ponds created by the Civilian Conservation Corps near Fort Clinch. 
George Crady Fishing Pier State Park A broken highway span between Big Talbot Island and Amelia Island State Parks, this park encompasses not just bridge stubs but a white sand beach along Nassau Sound.
John Muir Ecological Park John Muir Ecological Park in Yulee connects you to an important and mostly forgotten chapter of Florida history: our role in John Muir's "Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf."
Little Talbot Campground Nature Trail At Little Talbot Island State Park, the 0.8-mile Campground Nature Trail offers a side of Little Talbot that the whole family can enjoy—along the estuary.
Little Talbot Island State Park One of the closest wild beaches to Jacksonville, Little Talbot Island State Park provides a front-row seat to the tumultous flow of Fort George Inlet into the Atlantic Ocean. 
Peters Point Park At the south end of Fernandina Beach, a park with a small swath of Atlantic Ocean beachfront includes a trailhead for the East Coast Greenway. 
Timucuan Trail Connecting a series of state parks north of the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, the Timucuan Trail is a delightfully scenic segment of the East Coast Greenway.