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Hiking trail amid large trees

Fort Clinch Main Loop

Extending the length of the peninsula defining the north tip of Amelia Island, the 5.7-mile Main Loop is surprisingly hilly and challenging.

Fort Clinch State Park  |  Fernandina Beach
( 30.703676, -81.452655 )      5.7 miles

160 shares

The longest trail at Fort Clinch State Park, the Main Loop is a 5.7 mile shared-use trail that parallels the paved road, offering a challenge to cyclists and hikers alike.

There are lots of ups and downs along this route, and be sure to watch out for roots and bicycles.

The trail intersects the main road in several spots. The sand dunes are spectacular, and you may come across wildlife like deer if you hike early in the morning or at dusk.

Shared Use Trail signage The Shared Use Trail is also known as the Main Loop


Resources

Resources for exploring the area

50 Hikes in North Florida book cover North Florida Panhandle Explorers Guide book cover Hikers Guide to the Sunshine State book cover

Disclosure: As authors and affiliates, we receive earnings when you buy these through our links. This helps us provide public information on this website.


Overview

Location: Fernandina Beach
Trailhead: 30.703676, -81.452655
Address: 2601 Atlantic Ave, Fernandina Beach
Fees: $6 per vehicle or $4 single occupant; $2 pedestrians and cyclists
Restrooms: At Fort Clinch visitor center and East Beach Access Area
Land manager: Florida State Parks
Phone: 904-277-7274

Park open 8 AM to sunset daily. Leashed pets are welcome on this walk but are prohibited on all beaches, boardwalks, and buildings within the park.

Trail signage indicates one-way travel for cyclists. While hikers are allowed to travel either direction, for your safety it’s best to walk in the same direction of one-way travel as posted. Be cautious of roots and steep dips along this trail.

Path in deep forest canopy


Directions

 
From Jacksonville, follow Interstate 95 north for 20 miles to exit 373. Head east on SR 200 / A1A (Buccaneer Trail) for 10 miles, passing through Yulee and crossing the Intracoastal Waterway into Fernandina Beach on Amelia Island. Continue 2 miles as A1A curves north and merges onto South 8th St. Continue north on South 8th St for 3 miles to Atlantic Ave and turn right. Head east on Atlantic Ave for 1.5 miles. The entrance to Fort Clinch State Park will be on your left. After you stop at the ranger station and pay your park entrance fee, continue 3 miles along the main park road to the parking area at the Fort Clinch Visitor Center. Look for a sign for the Main Loop trailhead there.

Hike

From the parking lot, a multi-use sign marks the trail traveling counter-clockwise. Start here on the west leg of the loop, which fronts Egans Creek Marsh.

The trail climbs up a steep hill into the forest. The sweet scent of pine fills the air as you walk through a grove of loblolly pine.

Campsite under oak canopy Campsite in the maritime hammock at River Campground


Within the first quarter mile, the trail crosses a road that leads to the River Campground and enters a maritime hammock, undulating across the hills.

After 0.8 miles, it climbs through a patch of saw palmetto to reach the parking area for the Willow Pond Trails, which serves as an alternative access point.

Van parked in a sand lot under a tree canopy Parking area at Willow Pond


Beneath red bay and live oak, the trail climbs up and over ancient dunes.

Drop through a low drainage filled with Hercules club, then climb up and over a hill before crossing a sandy service road at 1.3 miles.

West Leg of Loop Near the Marsh Trail along the edge of Egans Creek Marsh


A glimpse of the salt marsh soon glimmers through the trees. By 1.8 miles, a short spur trail leads to the edge of Egans Creek Marsh, offering a view of the Amelia Island Lighhouse.

As you wind along the edge of the salt marsh, you walk behind tall sea myrtle, which show off their fluffy blooms in fall, then back into a forest of slender yaupon holly.

Signage with salt marsh beyond Access point for a broad view of the salt marsh


It winds into a maritime hammock, past gnarled and knobby southern magnolias, some immense, their bark covered with patches of green moss.

Cross the main park road at 2.8 miles. The eastern leg of the loop trail runs along a narrow, hilly strip of forest between the main road and steep dunes.

The trail twists and turns past American beautyberry, saw palmettos, and red mulberry. The sand is soft around some of the sharper curves.

Signs visitors of the fragile nature of this habitat and instruct people not to walk on the dunes.

Wrong way cyclist warning along fence in woods Signs along the trail alert cyclists to one-way travel


At 3.3 miles, the trail meets up with the road for a short roadwalk, bypassing an area of sensitive dunes that spill onto the road.

While it re-enters the forest for a tenth of a mile on a steep and twisting path, you resume another short roadwalk soon after.

Hike and bike signs along a canopied road After a short roadwalk the trail reenters the forest


Hercules’-club rises from a bowl filled with saw palmetto. Crouching low under a bower of wax myrtle, walk between beds of woods ferns.

The trail winds back towards the road, emerging at Egan Creek.

Tree limb covered in ferns Among ancient oaks and red bay trees


Continue over the bridge, and the trail drops down into a forest of yaupon and sugarberry. Briefly follow the sluggish stream.

The calming aroma of cedar fills the air as the trail crosses the road leading to East Beach Access Area and the Atlantic Campground at 4.5 miles.

Tent pitched in a beach area Tent sites are available by reservation near the Atlantic Campground


Tall slash pines rain needles on the footpath. Within a half mile, the trail passes the brick ruins of the Willow Pond Oil House and the foundations of old light beacons.

These are not accessible from the trail, so stop along the park road after your hike for a look at the interpretive site.

Walking between cabbage palms and cedars, follow the trail to where it exits onto the park road just a few feet from the Visitor Center parking lot, completing the 5.7-mile loop.

Brick building with kiosk and picnic tables Fort Clinch Visitor Center


Trail Map

Fort Clinch State Park Trail Map
Red: Main Loop. Blue: Beach Walk. Green/Yellow: Willow Pond Trails.

Explore More!

Learn more about Fort Clinch State Park

Beach with historic fort behind

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.

Explore the other trails of Fort Clinch State Park

Bridge over a tannic waterway

Willow Pond Trails

Tackle two nature trails totaling less than a mile to discover a wildlife haven amid the forested dunes of Fort Clinch State Park.

Oceanfront at Fort Clinch

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.

Slideshow

See our photos of Fort Clinch State Park


Nearby Adventures

More worth exploring while you’re in this area.

Canal along Egans Creek Greenway

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.

Shaded trail in martime forest

Fairway Loop Trail

Showcasing a slow restoration to maritime forest, this uplands loop on Fort George Island traverses what remains of a 1920s-era Scottish-style golf course near Jacksonville.

Red Trail Betz Tiger Point

Betz-Tiger Point Preserve

On a peninsula where the Timucua used the surrounding estuary for sustenance, Betz-Tiger Point Preserve provides more than six miles of breezy trails

Pumpkin Hill Creek Blue Trail

Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve Trails

With interconnections to adjoining public lands, the extensive trail network at Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park connects more than 15 miles of trails to many miles more

Trail Map (PDF) Reserve Campsite Official Website

Category: Biking, Day Hikes, Hikes, Loop Hikes, North Florida, Off Road Biking, TrailsTag: Amelia Island, Big Trees, Dog-friendly, Fernandina Beach, Florida State Parks, Fort Clinch State Park

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Loblolly bay and sweetgum trees along a footpath

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Riverfront with picnic tables

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