13165 Mount Pleasant Road, Jacksonville, FL 32225
Phone: 904-641-7155 or 904-221-5568
Fax: 904-221-5248
Open All Year
Overview. Just northeast of Jacksonville, this preserve encompasses 46,000 acres of estuary and marine forest landscape situated between the St. Johns and Nassau rivers. It was named after the original American Indian inhabitants, and includes several sites marking occupation by varying groups of American and European colonists. Among the historic ruins are Fort (de la) Caroline, established by sixteenth-century French Huguenots; Kingsley, a nineteenth-century sea island cotton plantation that illustrates antebellum life; and Yellow Bluff Fort, an earthen fortification used by both Union and Confederate forces during the Civil War. The 600-acre Theodore Roosevelt Area highlights the ecological importance of the preserve.What to see and do. You could easily spend a day exploring the several sites within this preserve. Park headquarters are located at the Theodore Roosevelt area. Along with seeing several exhibits introducing you to the colonial history of the area, you can pick up more information about attractions within the preserve. Spend a few morning hours at the Kingsley Plantation. View the historic garden, and then take a self-guided tour of the house and grounds. The house provides insight into the daily life of the owners, while ruins of 25 slave cabins tell another side of the story. The exterior walls of one cabin have been reconstructed. The Theodore Roosevelt Area offers excellent bird-watching, hiking along several miles of trails, and picnicking. Spend a long afternoon identifying a variety of plant life, birds, and animals. Fort Caroline and Kingsley are open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM; Theodore Roosevelt is open from dawn to dusk. Call ahead for any special events happening at the historic sites.
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