• 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 Caroline

Timucuan Preserve

A patchwork of public land on both sides of the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Timucuan Preserve encompasses sites of historic, cultural, and ecological interest scattered between Amelia Island and Mayport.

Jacksonville      ( 30.385751, -81.497519 )      

A patchwork of public land on both sides of the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Timucuan Preserve encompasses sites of historic, cultural, and ecological interest scattered between Amelia Island and Mayport.

Most of these sites are directly tied to the indigenous people of this region, the Timucua, and their interactions with the Europeans who attempted to settle here.

Formally known as the the Timucuan Ecological and Historical Preserve, this is a well-interpreted National Park, with signage filling in the mysteries that surround this region’s long and storied history.


Resources

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

Overview

Location: Jacksonville
Trailhead: 30.385751, -81.497519
Fees: Access is free to all units of Timucuan Preserve
Open: Varies. The park visitor center is at Fort Caroline, open 9 AM to 4:30 PM daily. Hours vary for all units, and some close for Christmas and Thanksgiving. See park hours details.

Accessible facilities are available at Fort Caroline, Kingsley Plantation, Ribault Column, and Spanish Pond. Dogs are welcome, but must be leashed.

Location

Details

A diverse collection of historic and cultural sites are preserved under the umbrella of Timucuan Preserve. Perhaps the most ancient of these is a massive midden along the shores of the St. Johns River, which you can climb up and over and around by hiking the trails of the Theodore Roosevelt Area, one of the most scenic and satisfying destinations for hiking in the Jacksonville metro.

Hiking at Timucuan Preserve
Trail along the midden’s edge in the Theodore Roosevelt Area

Adjoining this rugged landscape and not far by foot is Spanish Pond, so named for an encampment of Spaniards from St. Augustine who sought to slaughter the residents of the new French colony established at Fort Caroline. Up the road from Fort Caroline is the Ribault Monument, a marker denoting where the French disembarked their ships to claim Florida for France in 1562.

North of the St. Johns River, the preserve includes estuary along the rivers and creeks that feed the mighty river’s basin, as well as the northern tip of Fort George Island, home to one of Florida’s historical treasures, the well-preserved remains of a cotton and sugar cane plantation dating back to 1799. On Amelia Island, Timucuan Preserve interprets the story of American Beach, established in 1935 by A.L. Lewis, president of the Afro American Insurance Company in Jacksonville. It remained a safe haven for people of color through the end of segregation. It is home to the tallest dune on the Atlantic Coast of Florida.

Explore the park

  • American 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.
  • Fort Caroline Fort Caroline - At the site of the original French settlement in Florida, explore the rich natural and cultural history of the region at the Timucuan Preserve visitor center, Fort Caroline, and its interpretive nature trail.
  • Freshwater marsh in a saltwater estuary Fort George Island Cultural State Park - With layer upon layer of human habitation atop the highest natural hill on the southeastern Atlantic Coast, Fort George Island offers a long look at the past.
  • Historic buildings and palm trees Kingsley Plantation - One of the historic treasures of Timucuan Preserve in Jacksonville, Kingsley Plantation interprets the everyday lives of free and enslaved peoples on an early Florida plantation.
  • Ribault Column Ribault Column - On a high bluff above the St. Johns River, a memorial pays tribute to the French expedition led by Jean Ribault that claimed Florida for France in 1562, three years before St. Augustine was founded.
  • Spanish Pond Trail Spanish Pond - A connector trail to the Theodore Roosevelt Area from the Fort Caroline area, the Spanish Pond Trail at Timucuan Preserve provides a 2-mile round-trip into early Florida history.
  • Theodore Roosevelt Area Theodore Roosevelt Area - The Theodore Roosevelt Area of Timucuan Preserve provides one of the best hikes in the Jacksonville area, combining rugged terrain with cultural history and scenic views.

Download a map Visit their website

Category: Museums, National Parks, North Florida, Parks, PlacesTag: Amelia Island, Civil War, Dog-friendly, Family-Friendly, Fort George Island, Hilly, Historic Sites, Jacksonville, Jacksonville Northshore, Locations, Mayport, National Parks, St. Johns River

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

The Florida Trail Guide

The Florida Trail GuideOur definitive guidebook to planning backpacking trips on the Florida National Scenic Trail, now in its fourth edition. Full data charts and maps. B&W, 356 pages. $19.95 + tax & shipping.

Order Now


Florida Trail Hikes

Florida Trail Hikes 2nd edition coverFifty of the best day hikes, overnights, and weekend trips on the Florida Trail. Full hike descriptions and maps, full color. 376 pages. $24.95 + tax & shipping.

Order Now


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 & shipping.

Order Now


50 Hikes in Central Florida 3rd edition
Explorer's Guide North Florida & The Panhandle guidebook
Five Star Trails Gainesville & Ocala guidebook

Florida Trail Apps

Farout GuidesFarout Guides Comprehensive logistics and offline maps for the
Florida National Scenic Trail (1,500 miles), the Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail (108 miles), and the ECT Florida Connector (92 miles).

Explore More

Our recent park & trail updates in this region

Sinkhole pond with cypress knees and duckweed

Manatee Springs North End Trails

Manatee Springs North End Trails
Morning light in the upland forest at Manatee Springs

Manatee Springs Scenic Trail

Manatee Springs Scenic Trail
Grassy path edged by dense diminutive scrub forest

Cedar Key Scrub East Loop

Cedar Key Scrub East Loop
Archway at Fort Clinch

Fort Clinch Walking Tour

Fort Clinch Walking Tour

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. Crescent City. 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
  • Vimeo

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
©2006-2023, 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