This park is one of a series of conservation lands along A1A on the north shore of the mouth of the St. Johns River. At the north tip of this sea island, across the road from the Sawpit Creek boat ramp, check the tidal wetlands a.k.a Spoonbill Pond for waders and shorebirds. Further south, on the east side of the road, is the Bluffs Picnic Area and the Shoreline Access Trail, which offer scenic views of the shore as well as islands in the pass.
The former site of the largest Confederate Army encampment in Florida and several Civil War skirmishes, this family friendly preserve offers great birding during migration and winter. Paved trails meander through open fields and mixed pine/hardwood forests, past longleaf pine regeneration areas and down to a small creek. If time permits, take the adjoining 15-mile Jacksonville-Baldwin Trail (a paved, mostly shaded, multi-use trail) on the north side of the preserve.
Families and kayakers will enjoy the extensive salt marsh and pine flatwoods comprising this preserve. Educational panels make this trail great for kids and a raised, 900-foot boardwalk extension with two observation overlooks provide great views of the salt marsh. At low tide launch a canoe or kayak at the end of the boardwalk. Check the butterfly garden near the entrance for hummingbirds and resident butterflies. On the north side of the preserve, follow the paved interpretive trail through the pines.
Cedar Point features maritime hammock, salt marsh, scrubby flatwoods and freshwater wetlands. This tract is a migrant magnet from mid-April through early May, and again from late September to mid-October. Begin your exploration of this site at the boat basin first, on the east side of the road. Next, walk back to the entrance and go south 200 feet to the end of Cedar Point Rd., where you'll find a locked gate on the west side; 5 miles of hiking trails start here. A short trail system leads west and south and ends within a mile on the marsh front. A northbound trail is longer and extends through some pine plantation areas and past freshwater wetlands.
These two sites are part of the National Park Service's Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, and they represent some of the last untouched coastal habitat in northeast Florida. Stop by the Fort Caroline visitor center for an introduction to the area, a bird checklist and a map. The woodland trail leading to the fort and the Hammock Trail can be good for migratory songbirds during spring and fall.
Fort George Island has two birding sites accessed from Fort George Road: the Cultural State Park and the National Park Service's Kingsley Plantation. When visiting the state park, walk, drive, or bike the Saturiwa Trail through the maritime hammock looking for migratory songbirds in fall. Pick up a guide book at the visitor center and take the foot trail across the street. Alternatively, pick up an audio "virtual ranger tour" of the Saturiwa Trail which can be checked out at the visitor center. An unimproved boat ramp behind the Ribault Clubhouse is available for launching canoes, kayaks, and small flat-bottomed boats.
This oceanfront city park is one of the best birding sites on the east coast of Florida; 237 species of bird have been recorded. Part of the park has been long designated as a critical wildlife area for breeding terns and shorebirds, and is roped off when they are nesting. The beach is also an important resting area for terns, gulls and skimmers by the hundreds, and a good variety of shorebirds feed and rest on the beach and exposed mud flats. The park serves as a vital staging area for endangered Red Knots, which migrate 9,300 miles between Tierra Del Fuego in Chile and their nesting grounds above the Arctic Circle.
Although not as well-known as other sites in the Jacksonville area, Jennings State Forest's wild and scenic lands encompass 15 biological communities, including sandhills, slope forests, bottomland hardwoods, flatwoods and blackwater streams.
This City of Jacksonville beach park offers a diversity of habitats and an impressive checklist of over 200 bird species. This site has nearly 20 miles of hiking and biking trails; pick up a trail guide and a bird checklist at the entrance. Park immediately after passing the entrance gate and walk south on the dirt road, to view the freshwater finger lakes. The hardwood hammock northeast of the parking lot has bike trails where migratory songbirds can be found during the spring and fall. Beach access #9 is equipped with a gazebo and fixed binocular scope to help you search the ocean for seabirds.
Located on the northernmost tip of Fort George Island, the Kingsley Plantation is a good place to view fall Neotropical songbird migration. From mid-September to mid-October, birders will find 20+ species of wood-warbler in the hardwood hammocks, plus wading birds and shorebirds along the salt marsh and mudflats of the Fort George River. Examine the island's daily sightings report and pick up a map and bird checklist at the on-site visitor center, which also details the cultural history of the property.
This state park is the center of the public lands on the north shore of the St. Johns River's outlet to the Atlantic. This should be your first stop before visiting other sites in the area--you can pick up bird lists and maps, and learn of educational programming that may occur during your visit. The park has 7 miles of hiking and biking trails, with one ADA-accessible boardwalk. For a water-based birding and wildlife-viewing excursion, kayak rentals and guided kayak tours of the Talbot Islands are available from the park concessionaire.
This park is one of a series of conservation lands along A1A on the north shore of the mouth of the St. Johns River. At the north tip of this sea island, across the road from the Sawpit Creek boat ramp, check the tidal wetlands a.k.a Spoonbill Pond for waders and shorebirds. Further south, on the east side of the road, is the Bluffs Picnic Area and the Shoreline Access Trail, which offer scenic views of the shore as well as islands in the pass.
The former site of the largest Confederate Army encampment in Florida and several Civil War skirmishes, this family friendly preserve offers great birding during migration and winter. Paved trails meander through open fields and mixed pine/hardwood forests, past longleaf pine regeneration areas and down to a small creek. If time permits, take the adjoining 15-mile Jacksonville-Baldwin Trail (a paved, mostly shaded, multi-use trail) on the north side of the preserve.
Families and kayakers will enjoy the extensive salt marsh and pine flatwoods comprising this preserve. Educational panels make this trail great for kids and a raised, 900-foot boardwalk extension with two observation overlooks provide great views of the salt marsh. At low tide launch a canoe or kayak at the end of the boardwalk. Check the butterfly garden near the entrance for hummingbirds and resident butterflies. On the north side of the preserve, follow the paved interpretive trail through the pines.
Cedar Point features maritime hammock, salt marsh, scrubby flatwoods and freshwater wetlands. This tract is a migrant magnet from mid-April through early May, and again from late September to mid-October. Begin your exploration of this site at the boat basin first, on the east side of the road. Next, walk back to the entrance and go south 200 feet to the end of Cedar Point Rd., where you’ll find a locked gate on the west side; 5 miles of hiking trails start here. A short trail system leads west and south and ends within a mile on the marsh front. A northbound trail is longer and extends through some pine plantation areas and past freshwater wetlands.
These two sites are part of the National Park Service’s Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, and they represent some of the last untouched coastal habitat in northeast Florida. Stop by the Fort Caroline visitor center for an introduction to the area, a bird checklist and a map. The woodland trail leading to the fort and the Hammock Trail can be good for migratory songbirds during spring and fall.
Fort George Island has two birding sites accessed from Fort George Road: the Cultural State Park and the National Park Service’s Kingsley Plantation. When visiting the state park, walk, drive, or bike the Saturiwa Trail through the maritime hammock looking for migratory songbirds in fall. Pick up a guide book at the visitor center and take the foot trail across the street. Alternatively, pick up an audio “virtual ranger tour” of the Saturiwa Trail which can be checked out at the visitor center. An unimproved boat ramp behind the Ribault Clubhouse is available for launching canoes, kayaks, and small flat-bottomed boats.
This oceanfront city park is one of the best birding sites on the east coast of Florida; 237 species of bird have been recorded. Part of the park has been long designated as a critical wildlife area for breeding terns and shorebirds, and is roped off when they are nesting. The beach is also an important resting area for terns, gulls and skimmers by the hundreds, and a good variety of shorebirds feed and rest on the beach and exposed mud flats. The park serves as a vital staging area for endangered Red Knots, which migrate 9,300 miles between Tierra Del Fuego in Chile and their nesting grounds above the Arctic Circle.
Although not as well-known as other sites in the Jacksonville area, Jennings State Forest’s wild and scenic lands encompass 15 biological communities, including sandhills, slope forests, bottomland hardwoods, flatwoods and blackwater streams.
This City of Jacksonville beach park offers a diversity of habitats and an impressive checklist of over 200 bird species. This site has nearly 20 miles of hiking and biking trails; pick up a trail guide and a bird checklist at the entrance. Park immediately after passing the entrance gate and walk south on the dirt road, to view the freshwater finger lakes. The hardwood hammock northeast of the parking lot has bike trails where migratory songbirds can be found during the spring and fall. Beach access #9 is equipped with a gazebo and fixed binocular scope to help you search the ocean for seabirds.
Located on the northernmost tip of Fort George Island, the Kingsley Plantation is a good place to view fall Neotropical songbird migration. From mid-September to mid-October, birders will find 20+ species of wood-warbler in the hardwood hammocks, plus wading birds and shorebirds along the salt marsh and mudflats of the Fort George River. Examine the island’s daily sightings report and pick up a map and bird checklist at the on-site visitor center, which also details the cultural history of the property.
This state park is the center of the public lands on the north shore of the St. Johns River’s outlet to the Atlantic. This should be your first stop before visiting other sites in the area–you can pick up bird lists and maps, and learn of educational programming that may occur during your visit. The park has 7 miles of hiking and biking trails, with one ADA-accessible boardwalk. For a water-based birding and wildlife-viewing excursion, kayak rentals and guided kayak tours of the Talbot Islands are available from the park concessionaire.
The Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail is a network of more than 500 premier wildlife viewing sites across the state. When you want to know where to go in Florida to see native birds, butterflies and more, head for the Trail.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Russell Office Park
1875 Orange Ave. East
Tallahassee, FL 32311