Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve Custom Search The 46,000 acre Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve was established to protect one of the last unspoiled coastal wetlands on the Atlantic Coast and to preserve historic and prehistoric sites within the area. The estuarine ecosystem includes salt marsh, coastal dunes, hardwood hammock, as well as salt, fresh, and brackish waters, all rich in native vegetation and animal life. The Preserve was inhabited by the native Timucuan people over four thousand years before the arrival of the first Europeans. The area has seen more than four centuries of exploration, colonization, agriculture, and commerce under the flags of France, Spain, England, the Confederacy, and the United States. The Timucuan Preserve has within its boundaries federal, state, and city park lands, and over 300 private landowners. The National Park Service works through cooperative partnerships with these agencies and private citizens towards a common set of management goals.    CONTACTS Email - timu_interpretation@nps.gov Fax- 904-641-3798 Write to 12713 Fort Caroline Road Jacksonville, FL 32225 Phone Visitor Information - (904)641-7155 TRAVEL BASICS Operating Hours, Seasons The Preserve is open daily (except December 25) from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Getting There PLANE - Jacksonville International Airport is about 20 miles northwest of the park. Visitors must provide their own transportation (taxi or private automobile)to the park. CAR - Fort Caroline National Memorial Visitor Center is located near the intersection of Monument Road and Fort Caroline Road, approximately 14 miles east of downtown Jacksonville. For detailed driving directions to the Visitor Center and other sites within the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, please refer to the Timucuan Preserve Visitors Guide. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION - There is no public transportation to or within the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve. Weather & Climate Summers are warm and humid, with frequent thunderstorms. Winters are cool, but freezing temperatures are rare. Accessibility Kingsley Plantation, the Fort Caroline National Memorial Visitor Center, Spanish Pond overlook, and the Ribault Column are accessible. The trail to the interpretive fort at Fort Caroline, and the Willie Browne trail at the Theodore Roosevelt area are packed sand, and may be difficult. Getting Around Private automobiles are necessary to travel between the different sites within the Preserve. FEES/PERMITS Entrance Fee INDIVIDUAL Free! Activity Fee SCHOOL GROUPS Free! Reservations for school groups are taken in advance and are scheduled on a first call basis. For more information or to make a reservation, call (904) 641-7155 or (904) 251-3537. Special Use Permits SPECIAL USE PERMITS Written requests for special park uses, including ceremonies of any kind, are required and must be submitted at least 30 days in advance. CAMPING Huguenot Memorial Park This campsite, located within the boundaries of the Timucuan Preserve, is operated by the City of Jacksonville. For More Information on this campground please call (904) 251-3335 Little Talbot Island State Park This campsite is administered by the State of Florida. For More Information on this campground please call (904) 251-2320 FACILITIES Visitor Centers KINGSLEY PLANTATION VISITOR CENTER Open All Year 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Phone - (904)251-3537 Location - 11676 Palmeto Avenue Jacksonville FL 32226 Kingsley Plantation is located on Fort George Island, on the north side of the St. Johns River, near the Mayport Ferry landing. Closures - December 25 Special Programs - As scheduled; contact the Visitor Center. Exhibits - The planters home, slave quarters, barn, and kitchen house. The kitchen house now houses a series of exhibits on the lives of the people who worked on the plantations in the South. Sea Island Cotton, indigo, corn, and sugar cane are grown in a a small interpretive garden. Available Facilities - Accessible restrooms. TIMUCUAN ECOLOGICAL AND HISTORIC PRESERVE VISITOR CENTER Open All Year 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Phone - (904)641-7155 Location - 12713 Fort Caroline Road Jacksonvile FL 32225 (Near the intersection of Monument Road and Fort Caroline Road) Closures - December 25 Special Programs - As scheduled; contact the Visitor Center Exhibits - 'Where the Waters Meet', a series of exhibits illustrating the ecology of the marine estuarine environment and the interaction with the environment by the peoples who have lived there for more than four thousand years. Artifacts from the Timucuan and early European periods are included. Available Facilities - Limited picnicking in designated areas. Accessible restrooms.   Map Detailed Map Contact Info Phone, Email, Address, GPS coordinates Campgrounds Nearby List of Nearby Campgrounds Weather Local weather forecast These outdoors activities are available near Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve.   Campgrounds Near Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve: Regency Trailer Park, Jacksonville, 2 miles away Little Talbot Island State Park, Jacksonville, 7 miles away Burrell's Camp Chippewa, Jacksonville, 7 miles away Fleetwood RV Park, Jacksonville, 10 miles away Pecan Park Rv Resort, Jacksonville, 14 miles away Flamingo Lake RV Resort, Jacksonville, 16 miles away Bow & Arrow Campground, Yulee, 16 miles away   Marinas Near Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve: Clapboard Creek Marina, Jacksonville , 3 miles away Dames Point Marina, Jacksonville , 5 miles away Monty's Marina Charter Fishing, Atlantic Beach , 5 miles away Beach Marine, Jacksonville Beach , 7 miles away Morningstar Marina at Mayport, Jacksonville Beach , 8 miles away   Hotels Near Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve: St Johns Suites, Jacksonville , 2 miles away Hampton Inn Jacksonville East Regency Square, Jacksonville , 3 miles away Courtyard Jacksonville I-295/East Beltway, Jacksonville , 3 miles away Candlewood Suites JACKSONVILLE EAST MERRIL ROAD, Jacksonville , 3 miles away Value Place Merrill Road, Jacksonville , 4 miles away Hampton Inn & Suites JacksonvilleBeach Boulevard/Mayo Clinic Area, Jacksonville , 5 miles away Kings Inn Motel, Jacksonville , 5 miles away   Beaches Near Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve: Seminole Beach, Duval County , 8 miles away   Public Lands Near Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve: Cumberland Island National Seashore, Saint Marys - GA , 25 miles away Castillo De San Marcos National Monument, St. Augustine - FL , 30 miles away Fort Matanzas National Monument, St. Augustine - FL , 35 miles away Little Talbot Island State Park, Florida , 9 miles away Big Talbot Island State Park, Florida , 10 miles away Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve, Florida , 18 miles away Fort Clinch State Park, Florida , 21 miles away   Golf Courses Near Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve: Mill Cove Golf Club, Jacksonville , 1 miles away Hidden Hills Golf, Jacksonville , 2 miles away Queen's Harbour Country Club, Jacksonville , 3 miles away Advantage Golf, Jacksonville , 5 miles away Glen Kernan Golf, Jacksonville , 5 miles away