TIMUCUAN
ECOLOGICAL AND HISTORIC PRESERVE
Jacksonville, FL
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
