Experience a fascinating combination of adventure, history and natural beauty at Timucuan Ecological & Historical Preserve (officially Timucuan Ecological and Historical Preserve and Fort Caroline National Memorial). Explore unspoiled areas of Atlantic Ocean beaches, hardwood forests, sand dunes and saltwater marshes. Learn about clashes between indigenous people, European settlers and enslaved Africans at heritage sites.
Within Timucuan Ecological & Historical Preserve you can visit two important landmarks. Take a self-guided audio tour of Kingsley Plantation, founded in the 1800s by an English slave trader and shipping tycoon. Hear the stories of the plantation’s owners and labourers as you look around buildings such as the plantation house and the primitive slave cabins.
Go to Fort Caroline to find exhibits about France’s occupation of Florida in the 16th century and the conflict between the French and Native Americans. Get insight into the connection between humans and Florida’s environment at the Where the Water Meets exposition.
Appreciate the preserve’s magnificent natural setting via outdoor pursuits. Follow the trails once traversed by Timucuan Indians and retrace the routes walked by slaves on their way to the plantations. Hike along the banks of meandering creeks and rivers. Kayak on the calm water of St. Johns River.
Visit American Beach, famous for its huge sand dune and for being established in 1935 as a beach resort exclusively for African-Americans. Spot some 200 bird species and marvel at the varied ecosystems at Cedar Point. Hike through hardwood forest and around wetlands in the 600-acre (242-hectare) Theodore Roosevelt Area.
The preserve is located within the city boundaries of Jacksonville and along its northeast coastline. There are parking lots at Fort Caroline and Kingsley Plantation. Camping is available at nearby Little Talbot Island State Park and Huguenot Memorial Park.
Timucuan Ecological & Historical Preserve is open year-round and admission is free. Pick up maps and information brochures at the Timucuan Preserve Visitor Centre, at Fort Caroline. Alternatively, check the preserve’s official website.
