Jacksonville offers different ways to experience nature. The Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve covers 46,000 acres; visitors can explore individual park sites. Kayaking in the Preserve gives visitors a glimpse of the salt marsh plants and wildlife, and waterways that cannot be seen from land. The Theodore Roosevelt Area offers a different activity: visitors can experience five distinct Florida ecosystems on a hike. The activities also differ in how you get around: kayaking on waterways or hiking to experience several ecosystems.
Nature, Wildlife and Plants
The Jacksonville Arboretum & Gardens is a 120-acre urban woodland. At 120 acres, the Jacksonville Arboretum & Gardens is considerably smaller than the 46,000-acre Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve. The Jacksonville Zoo and Botanical Gardens also brings together different aspects of nature. It is home to more than 2,000 exotic and rare animals, and thousands of plant species grow there. Giraffe Overlook is a specific exhibit that brings visitors face to face with a giraffe.
Residents of the Catty Shack Ranch Wildlife Sanctuary include tigers, lions, cougars, leopards, bobcats, servals, caracals, bears, foxes and coatis. The list of animals may change. The Sanctuary offers year-round educational tours for school groups.
History and Culture
The Fort Caroline National Memorial fort model recreates the original, as depicted in drawings from the 1564 expedition. At Kingsley Plantation, the audio tour “The Lion's Story Teller” gives visitors an immersive experience of the past. Another historical detail is the semicircular arrangement of the cabins for enslaved people: it was intended to foster a sense of family connection.
The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens houses nearly 5,000 works of art. The museum also includes historic gardens spanning 2.5 acres.
Trails, Ferry and Local Discoveries
Two routes for outdoor exercise can be compared by their length and form. The Jacksonville-Baldwin Rail Trail stretches about 14.5 miles from Imeson Road in Jacksonville to the Town of Baldwin. The Southbank Riverwalk is a 1.25-mile concrete promenade along the St. Johns River. At about 14.5 miles, the Jacksonville-Baldwin Rail Trail is considerably longer than the 1.25-mile Southbank Riverwalk.
The St. Johns River Ferry carries vehicles and pedestrians between Mayport and Fort George Island. If you are factoring the ferry into your plans, check the schedule in advance. This lets you include the crossing as a distinct part of your route planning, without equating it with the hikes and walking paths described here.
For a culinary touch, try the Jax Ale Trail: visitors can get their Brewery Passport stamped at every local brewery they visit. If you include these stops in your travel plans, the passport is one of the trail's specific ways to participate.
Discover more destinations: Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach.
View the overall travel guide: Duval.
