At Old Fernandina, civilizations have made their mark here for more than 4,000 years, with the Spanish reaching these shores in the mid-1600s.
The unassuming open space protected as Fernandina Plaza Historic State Park marks the spot of Plaza San Carlos, a parade ground for the fortress that protected a fledgling city known as Fernandina.
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Overview
Location: Fernandina Beach
Trailhead: 30.68849,-81.456237
Address: Estrada St, Fernandina Beach
Fees: Free
Restroom: None
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 904-277-7274
Open: 8 AM until sunset daily. Leashed pets welcome.
Directions
From Interstate 95 exit 373, follow SR 200 east to downtown Fernandina Beach. Turn right on Atlantic Ave, and left on North 14th St. Continue to Old Fernandina. The square is obvious.
About the Park
Tell-tale oyster shells spill down the side of this tall bluff overlooking Cumberland Island, Georgia, along the St. Marys River, the state line.
They reveal the secret that this is no ordinary bluff, but a midden upon which the original city of Fernandina was established.
Explore the side streets to see historic homes that are part of the old town, the town that moved off the bluff at the urging of railroad magnate and Florida senator David Yulee in the mid-1800s.
He wanted his railroad to end not just at a deep-water port, but a thriving commercial center. Current downtown Fernandina Beach was the result.
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Nearby Adventures
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.
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. 
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.
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