Hidden alongside a road that winds its way under the interstate, is an old Civil War battlement. Yellow Bluff Fort is an old earthwork, since eroded and over-grown alongside a turn in the river. At its peak, this strategic location contained large guns and 250 soldiers. Now, this park is a quiet and largely unused […]
Category: Park
Dames Point Park / El Faro Memorial
Tucked away under the highest bridge in Jacksonville is a small river front park: Dames Point Park. This park offers a view across the river to Quarantine Island and the river traffic coming and going from Blount Island. Most notable, however, is the memorial for the El Faro. The MV El Faro, a cargo ship, […]
Ravines Gardens State Park
About an hour south of Jacksonville, the geology and landscape changes slightly. Approaching the central part of the state, natural springs become more plentiful. While the spring here isn’t on the scale of say, Ginnie Springs or Silver Springs, the ravine it carved out over the years is impressive, and is worthy of an afternoon […]
Tillie K. Fowler Regional Park
Originally published June 2010: What better way to spend a day off of work than with time on the trail? This week we decided to check out the trails at Tillie K Fowler Regional Park, which I mentioned last week. The entrance is south of the park, off of US-17, across from one of the main […]
Castaway Island Preserve
On a recent visit to Castaway Island, there are now benches and a covered area with bathrooms. Roadwork and new construction are in full swing along San Pablo, so keep an eye out for the entrance to the park. At the moment, it’s a little more difficult to spot. Some photos prior to the afternoon […]
UNF Wildlife Sanctuary
Originally published May 2010: For all the time I had spent on the UNF campus as a student, I feel rather ashamed that I never once took the opportunity to explore the nature trails I had heard about until now. Having imagined a rather shallow collection of nature walks frequented by bored or curious students, […]
Jacksonville Arboretum
February 2021: At long last, dry and mild weather has arrived to Jacksonville, if only for a few days – perfect for examining the upgrades to the Arboretum. The trail layout is the same as it has been in past years, but the area around the lake has been upgraded. New planting beds exhibiting a […]
Washington Oaks State Park
Originally published April 2012:It was a sunny and breezy Sunday – perfect for a trip to Washington Oaks. The park is about an hour south of Jacksonville. Taking I-95 to Palm Coast and then east towards the ocean is probably the quickest route, but you will have to pay the toll to cross the bridge […]
Alpine Grove
Having contemplated this admirable grove, I proceeded towards the shrubberies on the banks of the river, and though it was now late in December, the aromatic groves appeared in full bloom. William Bartram South of Fruit Cove, FL is a town called Switzerland. As SR-13 edges closer to the St. Johns River, the pines fade […]