• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Florida Hikes logo

Hike Bike Paddle Camp Florida with authors Sandra Friend and John Keatley as your guides

  • Trails
  • Maps
  • Guidebooks
  • Search
  • Hike
    • Scenic Hikes
    • Loop Trails
    • Dog-friendly Hikes
    • Hikes for Kids
    • National Parks in Florida
    • Florida State Parks
  • Bike
    • Major Bike Trails
    • Paved Bike Trails
    • Off Road Biking
    • Biking Articles
  • Paddle
    • Canoe & Kayak Rentals
    • Paddling Destinations
    • Paddling Articles
  • Camp
    • Cabin Rentals
    • Car Camping
    • Primitive Camping
  • Florida Trail
    • Plan your Hike
    • Best Scenic Hikes
    • Best Backpacking
    • Section Hiking
    • Thru-Hiking
    • Trail Updates
  • Travel
  • Hike
    • Scenic Hikes
    • Loop Trails
    • Dog-friendly Hikes
    • Hikes for Kids
    • National Parks in Florida
    • Florida State Parks
  • Bike
    • Major Bike Trails
    • Paved Bike Trails
    • Off Road Biking
    • Biking Articles
  • Paddle
    • Canoe & Kayak Rentals
    • Paddling Destinations
    • Paddling Articles
  • Camp
    • Cabin Rentals
    • Car Camping
    • Primitive Camping
  • Florida Trail
    • Plan your Hike
    • Best Scenic Hikes
    • Best Backpacking
    • Section Hiking
    • Thru-Hiking
    • Trail Updates
  • Travel
Fort Matanzas

Fort Matanzas Nature Trail

On the shores of Fort Matanzas, a significant historic site south of St. Augustine, the dunes are now swaddled in maritime forest, a gentle place with ancient oaks and an accessible boardwalk.

Fort Matanzas National Monument  |  Crescent Beach
( 29.715251, -81.233892 )      0.5 miles

CLOSED indefinitely for public safety
Fort Mantanzas
See more photos from Fort Mantanzas

If there is a place in Florida where ghosts walk the dunes, this would be it. In the early 1560s, France established a foothold in Florida, with Jean Ribault claiming the land for France. The settlement of Fort Caroline took hold along the St. Johns River. A few years later, Pedro Menendez de Aviles established St. Augustine and claimed the land for Spain. Ribault attempted to fend off the newcomers, but his ships were wrecked in a storm off this coast. Menendez marched on Fort Caroline with 500 soldiers and destroyed the colony. Afterwards, he came to this spot, now known as Matanzas – the Spanish word for massacre – and executed the shipwreck survivors on these sands.

Despite the gory past of this spot, the dunes are now swaddled in maritime forest, a gentle place with ancient oaks. The accessible boardwalk has some steep spots, but does well in keeping the kids corralled and off the dunes. A walk through this shady place provides a sense of calm. Nature heals the wounds of history as leafy green swallows up the ghosts of the past.

Resources

Explorers Guide North Florida and PanhandleHiker's Guide to the Sunshine State

Overview

Location: Crescent Beach
Length: 0.5 miles
Lat-Long: 29.715251, -81.233892
Type: loop
Fees / Permits: none
Difficulty: easy
Bug factor: low to moderate
Restroom: at the trailhead

This property is managed by the National Park Service. There is no charge for parking and strolling around the nature trail, the picnic grounds, and the visitor center. If you take the boat tour or visit the beach across the street, there is a fee.

Bicycles are not allowed on the boardwalk, but dogs are welcome.

Directions

From I-95 exit 305, Crescent Beach / Hastings, follow US 1 for 6.6 miles north to SR 206. Drive east along SR 206 for 3.9 miles to Crescent Beach. At the traffic light with A1A, turn right. Continue south for 3.9 miles to the National Historic Site entrance on the right.
Get directions

Hike

The “Nature Trail” sign at Fort Matanzas is right next to the restrooms along the parking loop, and the sign says right up front it’s a half mile trail. The trail ascends a zigzagging boardwalk to climb the first of many dunes hidden under the leafy canopy of this maritime forest, a coastal hammock with an understory dense with yaupon holly and American beautyberry beneath Southern red cedar on this hill. As you head up the walkway, stop and borrow a laminated trail guide to enjoy the interpretive information provided for ten numbered stops along the route.

As you ascend, cool breezes ruffle through the forest, a relief from the hot sun. The boardwalk is made of a plastic wood, so in the heat it gives off that funky aroma that reminds me of the souvenir plastic Mold-A-Rama machines that were all the rage at Florida attractions in the 1960s. Interpretive signs point out the grapevines that swarm across the hilltop. Passing Marker 1, you start to head downhill through a sunny open area. As you descend, you can hear the echo of vehicles on the Fort Matanzas bridge along A1A, which is not far away but not visible through the dense forest. Bees buzz around the blooming catbrier. In late spring, the yaupon is in berry, which attracts songbirds to feed. You’ll hear many calls echoing through the forest. This forest is along the flyway for the painting bunting, one of the most colorful songbirds seen along the Atlantic Coast.

The boardwalk makes a sharp left to continue downhill as a straightaway, reaching a bench at a corner. You descend beneath a dense canopy of red bay trees, with trunks that look distinctly different from the live oaks in the forest, which have twists and twirls in their bark. Continuing past the bench, walk down the next long ramp to a forest road, which you cross to reach the next segment of the boardwalk. Wheelchairs may need a little assistance across the gap between boardwalks, which occurs at 0.1 mile. A large arrow points down the boardwalk, which you enter beneath the extremely crooked boughs of live oaks.

As you pass a large clump of saw palmetto on the right, look for patches of lichen growing on the wizened tree trunks. Even the cedars overhead are twisted and gnarled by the constant sea breezes through Matanzas Inlet. The next patch of saw palmetto rises well up off the forest floor on deeply textured trunks. Birds flit in and out of the fronds. Grapevines dangle from above, and you see Virginia creeper climbing the shaggy bark of the cedars. The next bench is next to Marker 4, which points out the saw palmetto.

Here and there you can glimpse bits of the forest floor beneath the vegetation, even though the boardwalk is several feet above it. Notice that it’s not at all flat, but undulates in every direction between these forest-cloaked dunes. As you walk down another straightway past Marker 5, silk bay pokes out of a copse of saw palmetto. Jogging sharply right, you head down the next straightaway, this one edged with a patch of coastal scrub. While open and sunny, this is a very pretty section of the boardwalk. Look for a prominent gopher tortoise burrow near the treeline on your right; tracks lead through the sand to the hole in the hill

A faded marker, a memorial to the massacre, rises from the forest floor on the left as you reach a trail junction. Turn left to walk up to the breezy observation deck above the dunes. It provides a sweeping view towards the inlet and down the milky aqua shimmer of the Matanzas River, where you may see boats anchored or fisherman walking the far shore. The sand holds impressions of the tracks that wildlife leave on their journeys up and over, from the gopher tortoises to raccoons, birds, and lizards. This is a sunny spot, but worth lingering at for the breeze and the views.

Returning to the main boardwalk, turn left. Walk past a pair of benches to discover a sign recounting a short history of the massacre at Matanzas Inlet, as well as the old concrete marker. It’s hard to tell which era it’s from, but it certainly isn’t a recent addition. The boardwalk turns, and you’re back in the cool shade of the forest. Just beyond Marker 10, crickets hum from beyond the stands of yaupon and the sun blazes down again. Beautiful whorled cedars rise over your head. Walk down a short straightaway, and the boardwalk ends at the forest road. Continue across it to return back to the parking area on the original segment of boardwalk, which zigzags you back down the far side of the hill to the trailhead.

From here, even if you don’t plan to take the guided tour to Fort Matanzas itself – which runs hourly on the half hour – it’s worth a walk down to the boat dock to see the fort. Simply follow the sidewalk around to the park’s visitor center. Pass through the gateway in the middle of the visitor center to continue down to the boat dock for the view.

Trail Map

Website

Category: Hikes, Loop Hikes, Museums, Nature Trails, North Florida, TrailsTag: Accessible, Archaeological Sites, Birding, Boardwalks, Dog-friendly, Family-Friendly, Favorites, Fort Matanzas, Historic Sites, Intracoastal Waterway, Locations, Matanzas River, National Parks, Observation Decks, Picnic, St. Augustine, Wildlife Viewing

Reader Interactions

Have an update? Contact us.

Primary Sidebar

NORTH FLORIDA

NORTH FLORIDA OVERVIEW
East Coast Greenway. Florida Trail

Amelia Island. Branford. Bunnell. Cedar Key. Chiefland. Fernandina Beach. Flagler Beach. Gainesville. Green Cove Springs. High Springs. Jacksonville. Lake Butler. Lake City. Live Oak. Mayo. Micanopy. Osceola National Forest. Palatka. Palatka-Lake Butler Trail. Palm Coast. Perry. Salt Springs. St. Augustine. Suwannee River Wilderness Trail. Timucuan Preserve. Trenton. White Springs

Our Newest Books

Discovering the Florida Trail

Florida Trail mini coffee table book cover of trail into palm hammock

A visual journey the length of the Florida Trail, covering more than 1,500 miles from the Everglades to Pensacola Beach. Hardcover, 196 pages. $24.95 + tax and shipping.

Order Now

Florida Trail Hikes

Florida Trail HikesThe best day hikes, overnights, and weekend trips on the Florida Trail. Full hike descriptions and maps, full color. 376 pages. $24.95 + tax and shipping.

Order Now


50 Hikes in Central Florida
Explorers Guide North Florida Panhandle
The Florida Trail Guide (third edition)
Five Star Trails Orlando
Five Star Trails Gainesville & Ocala

The Florida Trail

Florida Trail large coffee table book cover of trail down swamp causeway under ancient pines

Our history of the first 50 years of the Florida Trail, from its founding in 1966 to becoming a National Scenic Trail to volunteer efforts today.

Learn More

Florida Trail App

Guthook GuidesGuthook Guides Comprehensive logistics and offline maps for the Florida National Scenic Trail.

Get the App!

Explore More

Our recent park & trail updates in this region

Grassy footpath in woods

Simmons Red Yellow Trails

Simmons Red Yellow Trails
Pine forest with grassy understory

Simmons White Trail

Simmons White Trail
Marshy bottomlands in forest

Simmons State Forest

Simmons State Forest
Longleaf pine and saw palmetto

Dunns Farm Trail

Dunns Farm Trail

Footer

FIND A TRAIL OR PARK

NORTHWEST FLORIDA
Apalachicola. Apalachicola National Forest. Blackwater River State Forest. Blountstown. Bonifay. Bristol. Cape San Blas. Carrabelle. Chattahoochee. Chipley. Crawfordville. Crestview. DeFuniak Springs. Destin. Ebro. Eglin Air Force Base. Fort Walton Beach. Freeport. Gulf Islands National Seashore. Madison. Marianna. Milton. Monticello. Mossy Head. Navarre Beach . Niceville. Panama City Beach. Pensacola. Ponce De Leon. Port St. Joe. Quincy. Sopchoppy. South Walton. St. Marks. St. Marks NWR. Tallahassee. Vernon. Wakulla. Wewahitchka

NORTH FLORIDA
Alachua. Amelia Island. Baldwin. Branford. Bunnell. Cedar Key. Chiefland. Dowling Park. Ellaville. Fernandina Beach. Flagler Beach. Gainesville. Green Cove Springs. High Springs. Jacksonville. Keystone Heights. Lake Butler.Lake City. Live Oak. Mayo. Macclenny. Micanopy. Olustee. Orange Park. Osceola National Forest. Palatka. Palatka-Lake Butler Trail. Palm Coast. Perry. Salt Springs. St. Augustine. Starke. Steinhatchee. Suwannee River Wilderness Trail. Suwannee Springs. Talbot Islands. Timucuan Preserve. Trenton. Welaka. White Springs. Williston

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

MULTI-REGION
Big Cypress Swamp. East Coast Greenway. Everglades National Park. Florida National Scenic Trail

CENTRAL FLORIDA
Apopka. Belleview. Brandon. Brooksville. Bushnell. Canaveral National Seashore. Christmas. Chuluota. Clearwater Beach. Clermont. Coast to Coast Trail. Cocoa Beach. Cross Florida Greenway. Crystal River. Dade City. Daytona Beach. De Leon Springs. DeBary. Deland. Deltona. Dunedin. Dunnellon. Frostproof. Geneva. Inverness. Kenansville. Kissimmee. Lake Mary. Lake Wales. Lakeland. Largo. Leesburg. Longwood. Melbourne. Melbourne Beach. Merritt Island. Merritt Island NWR. Mims. Mount Dora. New Port Richey. New Smyrna Beach. Ocala. Ocala National Forest. Ocklawaha. Orlando. Ormond Beach. Osteen. Oviedo. Palm Bay. Ridge Manor. Sanford. Silver Springs. Spring Hill. St. Cloud. St. Petersburg. Tampa. Tarpon Springs. Titusville . Walt Disney World. Weeki Wachee. Winter Springs. Withlacoochee State Forest. Withlacoochee State Trail. Yeehaw Junction

SOUTHWEST FLORIDA
Bradenton . Charlotte Harbor. Ding Darling NWR. Englewood. Estero. Fort Myers. Immokalee. Naples. Pine Island. Port Charlotte. Punta Gorda. Sanibel Island. Sarasota. Venice

SOUTH FLORIDA
Arcadia. Basinger. Big Cypress National Preserve. Big Cypress Seminole Reservation. Clewiston. Everglades City. Fisheating Creek. Lake Okeechobee. Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail. Lake Placid. LaBelle. Lakeport. Moore Haven. Okeechobee. Pahokee. Port Mayaca. Sebring. South Bay

SOUTHEAST FLORIDA
Big Pine Key. Biscayne Bay. Biscayne National Park. Boca Raton. Boynton Beach. Coral Gables. Davie. Delray Beach. Northeast Everglades Natural Area. Florida Keys. Fort Lauderdale. Fort Pierce. Hobe Sound. Hollywood. Homestead. Islamorada. Jensen Beach. Jupiter. Juno Beach. Key Biscayne. Key Largo. Key West. Marathon. Miami. Ocean to Lake Greenway. Overseas Heritage Trail. Palm Beach. Port St. Lucie. Redland. Sebastian. Stuart. Vero Beach. West Palm Beach

  • Trails
  • Parks
  • Beaches
  • Gardens
  • Springs
  • Ecotours
  • Attractions
©2006-2021, Sandra Friend & John Keatley | Disclosure | Site Index | Work with Us | Advertise with Us
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy | Florida Hikes PO Box 93 Mims FL 32754| Contact