It is absolutely beautiful and magical place so much to see and do lots to see and so peaceful and…read morerelaxing I love it the staff are so friendly and friendly and welcoming and happy and helpful very knowledgeable and amazing take good care of the environment and the wildlife and remarkable place to door all ages and great place for date night and dates and family and friends and it is magical place definitely coming back again! They have a great bathroom facility very clean and organized and I love it so much and wear comfortable shoes etc and thank you for all your hard work and determination to the community and environment of different plants spices and wildlife and great job you deserve a award and devotion to the community and etc you rock keep up the good work keeping the wild life clean and healthy and safe and for all plants and animals and etc. Have fall everyone! From Lauren

This was my first visit to the zoo in 20 years. I came here with friends for the Spooktacular event…read moreon Saturday the 23rd. Parking lot was very full but luckily I got a spot as someone was pulling out. The event was one long trail full of Halloween lights and decorations. We decided to enter into the scare zone, and it wasn't that bad. I think they have to tone down the scares since it's a more kid-friendly event. It started raining really hard at the end and it was a sign to start heading home. I need to come back during a nice day and experience more of what the zoo offers, like actually seeing the animals and botanicals.

I love the nature and the privacy.. you walk upon numerous people on the trail riding bikes or…read morewalking laying out in the sun sometimes I find clothes out there but it's a real big place

This place sucks! do not spend the time to come here. the waterfall smells like sewer and is…read moreextremely dirty. The trails are also confusing to follow. I do not recommend this place at all. If i could give it a 0 stars I would.

Free to the public, sun up to sun down. Really cool place…read morefor a little hike, picnic, and some fun educational facts on your hike! You can bring your canoe, or kayak, there is a little ramp to do so!! Remember not to liter!

Ran here with some friends from their apartment and it has beautiful nature and views. The sky is…read morebeautiful here, especially the sunsets. Would love to explore more of the preserve but I think one of the viewpoints was closed off. Would come back here for a run or walk again with friends!

I've been here multiple times, but here is my initial review. Jacksonville Baldwin Rail Trail is…read morebasically old railroad tracks that has been paved, creating a very long, straight, stretch of paved road that reaches up to 15 miles one way (close to 30 miles combined).   This place makes it ideal for bike riding, walking, jogging, running, roller blading, skating, etc...or whatever you want to do.   There are Mile Markers per each mile you pass and once you reach the halfway point, there is an accessible restroom and benches for you to rest until you are ready to go again. It is always well kept. Great views and nice scenery along the way.   I come here particularly for the biking aspect. What a great way to churn out 30 miles of cardio and exercise, while enjoying the nice view along the way. I have found that most road bikers tend to favor this place due to its simplicity and how safe it is (because you are not riding on the side of the road). It is not the mountain bike trails that I would prefer, but it is a perfect Option B for me.   I do want to warn you that through a part of your ride, you will pass a pig farm from afar, and the scent will be a bit shietty and unpleasant. So prep yourself and think & smell happy thoughts as you pass through this. Also note...along the way you will cross actual roads, so be sure to always practice safety and look both ways before crossing.

Absolutely gorgeous bike trail! I'm not usually a big fan of road biking--after allJacksonville…read moredrivers... but the Baldwin Rail Trail is the perfect place for a peaceful, scenic ride. The views through the farmland are truly relaxing, and there's plenty of parking to make getting started a breeze. Everyone we encountered on the trail was courteous, making it an enjoyable experience from start to finish. The added bonus? Benches and bathrooms along the path! I can't wait to come back for another ride.

Big Talbot Island State Park, home of Boneyard Beach!…read more Visited in March on a really hot day. Gorgeous skies though, and all was serene. $3 per vehicle entry fee. From other reviews I thought this place would be a true hike from the parking lot, and a remote distance from your vehicle. This is deceiving. It was not a 20min walk like others said, more like 10 (with a toddler), and you can bike it if you choose. Also, the trail basically parallels the beach, so if you hacked 6' through the brush you'd be on the beach. It's clear they are working on dune protection, so this area is kept off limits. It was definitely frustrating to see roped off old stone staircases and former pathways that went pretty directly to the beach from parking. But those before us didn't take care of things, or nature has shifted its currents enough that we now need to take the long way around in order to steward this beach. However, it's really not a big deal. Get some exercise! Boneyard is similar to Driftwood Beach on Jekyll Island, GA, and another beach in Amelia Island State Park. Sadly, these beaches are eroding and the live oak trees, palms, and others, are slowly dying, leaving majestic driftwood skeletal forms scattered across the sand. The trees are upright or upturned, or in a sagging slow fall to the ground, but their beauty in this state is our sick pleasure as tourists. Unlike Driftwood Beach, Boneyard Beach does NOT allow dogs. Dogs may walk the path to the beach but they may not go on it. I was dismayed to see litter strewn about Boneyard Beach. I have visited Driftwood Beach dozens of times, and I never see litter there. Boneyard, however, was disrespected with trash. You can see Amelia Island State Park across the water from Boneyard Beach. We entered Big Talbot Island coming south on A1A from Amelia Island, and basically the whole island is park territory but there was no entry gate (or place to pay) until you go to access Boneyard Beach. So from all I could research online, I think Boneyard is really the only thing to access and do at this park. Boneyard's parking lot is very cool, lots of little niches under the trees, picnic tables, port-a-potties, info board, etc. You pay in cash in an honor system box. I did not see a Ranger present but they were probably around. There were a lot of trails going various directions off of the parking lot, but the one to the beach is very well marked. Many people had trail bikes and were cycling around. The parking lot is semi-paved in parts, so make sure your vehicle can handle that.

Easy walk to boneyard beach with portable toilets and picnic tables - we had a problem with the…read morecashless pay app. But the beach is unique and worth the trip.

Alejandro Garces Camp Tomahawk Park is a small but very cool park located at the end of a quiet…read moreside street on the southside of Jacksonville, Florida. It has a small but pleasant nature walk, a kayak launch, a children's playground, an open field, adequate parking, and more. There is a private residence on the grounds, so please be mindful of that. All in all, Alejandro Garces Camp Tomahawk Park is a wonderful park and a great place in particular for the residents of this quiet side street. We need parks like this in our communities. This is a wonderful place to come in respite. I would definitely recommend a visit here, especially if you are in the neighborhood or anywhere in the general area. I will give it five stars as an overall rating. Go check it out for yourself, I am confident that you will not be disappointed.

I had an unusual experience here only the second time I have been I am new to the area. I brought…read moremy kids to the playground and a strange woman struck up a conversation and would not leave us alone asking me all sorts of questions and often repeating herself. She continued on by playing with my children but did not have a child with her. A boyfriend was standing and waiting outside of the vehicle just smoking cigarettes. It gave me an uneasy feeling that either she was on drugs or they were involved in trafficking. I have since not gone back. It is a nice park otherwise and it's unfortunate some people have to ruin a good thing. I would just be mindful when you come here with your kids.

When we first started our trail I was very doubtful because you could see how flat the land is…read morealong the tree lines and not typically the type of area I like to hike in we almost turned around, one we got to where the trail turned into a loop that's when we started realizing we made the right decision. We followed the dunns fall trail and the shared dunns fall with the pioneer trail. Before we got to this trail we spent some time driving on the surrounding dirt roads looking for this short access parking look which we were closing but I would recommend going straight down Nolan road which will turn into a dirt road, if you can handle it, make a left and there will be Phillips branch crossing parking area and that would cut at least a half a mile off of your hike and honestly you would not be missing much. My health app tells me I did about 8,000 steps, the trail might have been three miles long but it also was not that taxing on my body. The trail was amazing, it's difficult to find interesting trails with such elevation and this one is kept up so nicely and is extremely beautiful. I usually would go just for the water feature but the star of this place is the trail its self because of how much it has to offer. It does get confusing out there so I recommend planning on where you're going to park and bring a little bag with some essentials just to make your trip More comfortable, or you could stay the night at their reservable camp grounds and I thought it was really cool that even thought the camp ground are a long the trail, they're very secluded and you are able to drive up to it where I thought you would have to park and walk . The following link is to an online map of the forest. Good luck! https://ccmedia.fdacs.gov/content/download/27859/file/Jenningsstateforest-entireforest.pdf

Jennings State Forest is a gem in NE FL. I ventured out with a group yesterday to do the Dunn's…read moreFarm trail. I've also hiked much of the Pioneer Trail. The trails are well maintained and well marked with blazes. The trails take you through a wealth of biological diversity from pine forests to uplands that hug Black Creek and other smaller creeks. I haven't camped so can't speak to the campgrounds but the camp sites are well marked. Cost to visit is $2 pass that can be purchased online. The parking lot does not have good reception so better to purchase in advance. Parts of the trail is shaded but a lot of it is in the sun so be aware if visiting during the hotter months.

I love the trails here. Plenty of different distance options. First time I went I missed the 4…read moremile turn and did 6 by accident. Oops! It is all dirt trail. Some of the cut thrus are more worn than others. Some are a little bumpy to say the least. It's quite clean and well cared for. Bring some binocs and your Merlin bird app for some excellent birding to make the experience even better!

This was a really nice park and we will be back. After leaving a run down regional park we came…read morehere with our puppy to try a trail briefly. The trail was wide and peaceful.

This is a great place to ride your MTB. It's my favorite. Great trails, three jump lines and a pump…read moretrack. There are also hiking trails and a dog park. Check out the Tower Trail too

Great trails and a super playground for kiddos! Very wooded and close to the river so sometimes…read moreparts of the trails are muddy and mosquitoes can be active but it's a great park. Also has a dog park; a side for bigs and a side for littles.

This will always be my go-to beach! The amount of shells and shark teeth you can find here is…read morehonestly overwhelming so bring a bucket! Definitely be prepared to walk! There are also stairs that will make you think twice about bringing a heavy load, so I definitely recommend packing light. But it's absolutely worth it! I believe they accept credit/debit now, but I'd still recommend bringing at least $5 just in case the machine is down. Also, make sure you take a picture of your tag number before heading to the ticket machine, it'll make things a lot easier! I also see plenty of people bring their dogs to the beach, just make sure they're leashed.

We wanted to walk on a quiet beach along the drive from St Augustine back up to Jacksonville. We…read morestopped at the North Beach of the Guana River Preserve. There is a parking lot on the west side of the road (the fee is $3.00, and there is a crosswalk over to the beach on the east side). This is the location where Ponce de Leon supposedly first identified Florida as a land mass and not just an island. There were a few people out on the beach, walking or looking for shells. It was a sunny day in January, with temps in the high 50's. I loved that it was not crowded or commercial. There are no services other than a parking lot and two (well-maintained porta potties). It was exactly what I wanted.