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NE Florida, Jacksonville Area

at The Nature SiTe photos, information, stories, links to Nature, Birding, the Environment, and the enjoyment of the outdoors.
  The material on this page is copyrighted ©2001 by C.Kling and is from the forthcoming book "Discovering North East Florida on the Trails".
Click to explore these locations:

1 - Little Talbot Island  
2 - Ft. George Island
3 - Pelotes Island   (soon)
4 - Theodore Roosevelt Area
  (Willie Browne Trail )
5 - Guana River State Park (off bottom right of map)
6 - Durbin Creek (off bottom left of map)

Discover the birds of NE Florida


(Driving directions below)
DRIVING DIRECTIONS:
This driving instruction set A, use for both Little Talbot and Ft. George Islands:
Take Highway 9A north across the Dames Point Bridge and to Heckscher Drive (highway 105 on the map above), the first exit north of the bridge, which is also the exit for Blount Island. (if you are coming south on 9A from I-95 or I-295, Heckscher drive is the last exit before the bridge.) Take Heckscher Drive East toward Blount Island, Mayport, and highway A1A. Stay in the left lane and continue through the lights past Blount Island on Heckscher Drive. You will be driving on Heckscher Drive for 9 miles to the Mayport Ferry / A1A crossing. From here follow the directions below for your destination.
  1. Little Talbot Island State Park- Start with driving instruction set A above. From the Mayport Ferry continue on Heckscher Dr./Highway A1A past Huguenot Park and across the Ft. George River Bridge (approximately 2 miles). The Little Talbot Island Park entrance is approximately one mile past the bridge on the right. There is an entrance fee.
  2. Ft. George Island - Start with driving instruction set A above. From the Mayport Ferry/A1A crossing continue on Heckscher Dr./Highway A1A approximately 1/2 mile. Watch on the left side of the road for the signs (brown wood park service signs) for Kingsley Plantation and Ft. George Island. Turn left (north) onto this road. This is a narrow winding road with some residences, so drive carefully, especially on those blind turns. Proceed about 0.7 miles to where the road splits. Both branches of the road make a loop around the island and it does not matter much which direction you drive them. To the left is a 2+ mile dirt road to the National Park Service Kinsley Plantation site. To the right it is about 1.6 miles on pavement to the Ribault Clubhouse Parking, which is the starting point for the trails described in these pages.
  3. Pelotes Island -
  4. Theodore Roosevelt Area (Willie Browne Trail)-From the southside, southwest, north or west: make your way to Merrill Road or Ft. Caroline Rd, possibly from University, Highway 9A, Southside Blvd., or St. Johns Bluff Road (which ends in the north at Ft. Caroline Rd.). Drive east (toward the ocean) on Merrill and continue as it merges into Ft. Caroline Rd. Continue through the light at St. Johns Bluff Rd. (those of you comming north on St. Johns Bluff turn east (right). About 1/4 mile at the split keep to the left on Ft. Caroline Road. Continue appoximately 4 miles through the light at Monument Rd. to where Ft. Caroline Rd. turns left to the Ft. Caroline and Rebault Monument. DO NOT TURN, continue STRAIGHT on the same road as it becomes Mt. Pleasant Rd. Drive a little more than one mile as the road curves to the right (south) watch for a well hidden turn off on the left as the entrance to the Rooselvelt Area of the Timucuan Preserve. The trailhead parking is a short distance in the woods on that preserve entrance dirt road.
    From the southeast and east : Drive north on Kernan Road across Beach and Atlantic until it ends at Mc Cormick Rd. turn right (east) and proceed about 1/2 mile to the intersection of Girvin and Mt. Pleasant Roads, turn left (north) and follow the (B)directions below.
    OR Take A1A, Hodges, or San Pablo north to Atlantic Blvd. Turn left (west) onto Atlantic.
    Proceed westbound on Atlantic and turn right (north) onto Girvin Road. Drive about 4 miles to the intersection with Mc Cormick and Mt. Pleasant Roads. Follow the curve to the right (north) as Girvin becomes Mt. Pleasant Road. (B) Drive about a mile north on Mt. Pleasant Road to the hard to find entrance on the right to the Theodore Roosevelt Area of the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve hidden among the trees ( you will pass Pleasant Valley Drive.) The trailhead parking is a short distance in the woods that preserve entrance dirt road.
  5. Guana River State Park - Drive east on JTB (hwy 202) to it's eastern end across the Intercoastal Waterway at A1A (3rd ave. in Jacksonville Beach). You can also take Beach Blvd, or Atlantic Blvd. east to AIA. (see map above). Go southbound (right) on A1A. You will be traveling south from JTB for about 5 miles through commercial areas of Ponte Vedra, past Sawgrass Village and roads to the right going to Palm Valley. Continue on A1A south an additional 6 miles (approx.) almost all the way through Guana River State Park to the last parking area on the right. If you get to a Gate gas station you have gone about 1/4 mile too far. Take the gravel road west (to the right) into the parking area. There is a $2 per vehicle usage fee. Drive most of the way across the dam and park near the gates. Walk west along the road to get to the wooded area and the trail head.
  6. Durbin Creek -

     

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