Description

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, and hardwood hammocks, all rich in native vegetation and animal life.

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.

Contact Information

12713 Fort Caroline Rd.
Jacksonville, FL 32225

By Phone
Visitor Information: (904) 641-7155
Headquarters: (904) 221-5568
By FaX: (904) 641-3798

Operating Hours & Seasons

The preserve headquarters is open 7:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m., Monday through Friday; closed on all government holidays. The visitor centers and grounds at Fort Caroline and Kingsley Plantation are open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., daily; closed on December 25, Thanksgiving, and New Years Day.

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.

ENTRANCE FEES

Individual Fees: Free!

ACTIVITY FEES

School Groups

Fees: Free!

Details
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

Details
Written requests for special park uses, including ceremonies of any kind, are required and must be submitted at least 30 days in advance.

ACTIVITIES

The Theodore Roosevelt and Cedar Point areas provide the visitor with access to the marine estuarine environment and surrounding coastal forest for hiking, nature observation, birding, and photography.

Kingsley Plantation, a 19th Century sea-island cotton plantation, provides visitors with a view of plantation life. Exhibits include the planters house, barn, slave quarters, and a small interpretive garden with crops typical of the period.

CAMPING

Huguenot Memorial Park Phone: (904) 251-3335

Details
This campsite, located within the boundaries of the Timucuan Preserve, is operated by the City of Jacksonville.

Little Talbot Island State Park

Phone: (904) 251-2320

Details
This campsite, also within the boundaries of the Timucuan Preserve, is administered by the State of Florida.

FACILITIES

VISITOR CENTERS

Kingsley Plantation Visitor Center

Open All Year 9:00 am to 4:45 pm
Phone: (904) 251-3537

Location
11676 Palmetto 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: Closed Thanksgiving, December 25, and January 1.

Special Programs: There is a ranger program daily at 2:00 p.m., please inquire at the visitor center.

Exhibits
You can explore the grounds at Kingsley Plantation, which include the slave quarters, barn, waterfront, plantation house, kitchen house, and interpretive garden. The visitor information center and exhibit area is located in the first floor of the kitchen house. The plantation house is closed to the public.

Available Facilities: Accessible restrooms.

Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve Visitor Center

Open All Year 9:00 am to 4:45 pm
Phone: (904) 641-7155 Location
The preserve visitor center is located at Fort Caroline National Memorial. 12713 Fort Caroline Road, Jacksonville, FL 32225. (Near the intersection of Monument Road and Fort Caroline Road)

Closures: Closed Thanksgiving, December 25, and January 1.

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 Timucua Indians and early European periods are included.

Available Facilities: Limited picnicking in designated areas. Accessible restrooms.

WEATHER AND CLIMATE

Summers are warm and humid, with frequent thunderstorms. Winters are cool, but freezing temperatures are rare.

http://www.nps.gov/timu/indepth/what_timu.htm