We stopped here on our way to St. Augustine from Savannah. It was worth the small detour. It is a very quaint area. The beaches are beautiful. We went to Fernandina beach. The sand was wonderful.
My husband and I had a wonderful time riding the horses. The horses are gentle and trained to walk the trail with little to no guidance by the handler.
Beautiful white sand stretch of beach. Found lots of whelks and horseshoe crab shells and even a sand dollar! Not a lot of people there in December and we pretty much had the beach to ourselves. There were signs posted that this is not a place for swimming because of the currents. If you have a 4-wheel drive vehicle, you could drive on the beach.
I went to the park for the horse riding. After the horse riding, I did a couple hours hiking along the beach. It was a windy and cloudy that day, but it gives me a breathtaking feeling. You feel like you own the island by yourself. Enjoyed every minute walking there.
It was really fun to take our truck out on the sand. We went during the week, and we were basically the only people on the beach! There are a lot of shells on the beach, but the sand is still nice. Be sure to bring small quantities of cash with you to pay the entrance fee in case the park rangers aren't there to take a payment. I enjoyed this park better than Huguenot because it seemed more remote, and you definitely need 4wd to get out on the beach!
We spent one day in Jackaonville and were looking forward to visit the Amelia and Talbot State Parks. You can drive with your 4WD along the beach, there are only few people sun burning and fishing, even on labor day. We couldn't figure what is so special here. Had seen nicer beaches for no money.
The State Park provides a nice beach area on the south end of the island. The area seemed to be used mostly by local fishermen who would park their vehicles on the beach and fish from the shore. Horses were also allowed on the beach. So if your desire is to have a nice walk, watch where you step.
The six mile round trip hiking and biking trail is wonderful. You'll need good off road bikes though, the trail is unpaved and while fairly level there are numerous tree roots and rough spots that require agility and experience to prevent an accident. We hiked the trail and enjoyed the vegetation and wild life. We did see gators in the ponds along the trail and there are no barriers along the trail, so be careful and on the look out! Be sure to have insect repellant and good hiking shoes. Enjoy the great outdoors.
The beach may be average; but, the shells on the beach are not crushed, broken, and plenty of them. I gathered over 50 whole shells with deep colors of black, brown, multi-brown, and white. This is not a swimming beach. The beach is suited more for fisherman and beach walking.
Very nice clean beaches, lots of antique shops as you are going to the beach. Beaches are not crowded and perfect for families.