10/7 Storm Update: The Ribault Club is CLOSED. Please check back for updates.

Exploring Island Life

Fort George Island

8 am to sunset, year round | 904-251-2320
11241 Fort George Road, Jacksonville FL 32226 | No Fee

When planning your special event, consider the recreational activities of North Florida to enhance your guest’s experience. The area surrounding The Ribault Club is home to a group of state parks abundant with wildlife and some of the few remaining undeveloped barrier islands in Florida. This provides a unique opportunity for any wedding, special event or business gathering to incorporate recreational experiences into the schedule for events spanning a day or more.  

Fort George Visitor Center

Visitor's Center

Located inside The Ribault Club, guests can learn about the history of the area and find useful visitor information. Open 9 am to 5 pm Wednesday through Sunday. Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day.

Fort George Island Hiking

Hiking

Enjoy the club grounds or the 3.3 mile, moderately difficult, 90% hard pack, shaded trail.

Fort George Island Geo-Seeking

Geo-seeking

Check Operation Recreation GeoTour to look for caches.

Fort George Island Off-Road Biking

Off-road Biking

Pick up a map at The Ribault Club for biking the island. Helmets required ages 16 and under. 

Fort George Island Bird Watching

Bird Watching

Capture photos of shorebirds in the tidal shoals behind The Ribault Club. 

Fort George Island Picnic

Picnic

Bring your lunch and picnic under the large oaks or at the picnic pavilion.

Fort George Island Lawn Games

Lawn Games

Get a bocce ball or croquet set from the rangers.

Fort George Island Boat Ramp

Boat Ramp

Launch your own canoe, kayak or small flat-bottom boat. 

Fort George Island Fishing

Fishing

Test your fishing skills in protected waterways. License required and individuals must follow state regulations.

Fort George Island Kingsley Plantation

Kingsley Plantation

Visit this historical plantation house for an audio tour, Saturday and Sunday until 3:30pm. Closed during the week. 

Little Talbot Island

8 am to sunset, year round |  904-251-2320
12157 Heckscher Drive, Jacksonville FL 32226 | $5 per vehicle 

Just across the Fort George River is Little Talbot Island, boasting untouched natural beauty for visitors to explore, with five miles of pristine beaches and three miles of bike trails. Find eroding sun-bleached roots and fallen tree trunks of cedar and palm. Kayak along the bluffs of Myrtle Creek. Camp in a lush forest hammock. It’s an outdoor lover’s paradise. 

Little Talbot Island Beaches

Beaches

Stroll along miles of pristine, white sandy beaches great for water play, sunbathing, shelling, or nature watching.

Little Talbot Island Trail

Hiking

Enjoy the Dune Ridge Trail, four miles of trails, campground facilities and stunning nature. Junior Ranger activity booklets are available at the ranger station.

Little Talbot Island Biking Trail

Bike Trails

Ride the 2.5-mile paved Park Drive Timucuan Trail, the off-road Dune Ridge Trail or along the beach. 

Little Talbot Island Birding

Bird Watching

Spot coastal, wading birds and songbirds in the maritime hammock forest.

Little Talbot Island Picnic

Picnic

Bring your lunch and picnic in Florida’s scenic natural environment. 

Little Talbot Island Paddling

Paddling

Rent a canoe or kayak or take a guided tour from Kayak Amelia. Call 904.251.0016 to schedule a tour. KayakAmelia.com

Little Talbot Island Beach Fishing

Beach Fishing

Fish from shore at the beach. License required and individuals must follow state regulations.

Little Talbot Island Camping

campground

Camp in one of the 36 available campsites that includes bath houses and playground. 

Big Talbot Island

8 am to sunset, year round | 904-251-2320
State Road A1A North, Jacksonville FL 32226 | $3 per vehicle , $2 fishing pier $4 boat launch

Big Talbot Island is primarily a natural preserve. A premier location for nature study, bird watching and photography, visitors can also hike to the shoreline, marsh, or through a maritime forest for a day of unspoiled nature experiences.

Big Talbot Island Hiking

Hiking

Take Big Pine Trail to the marsh or Blackrock Trail to the shoreline.

Big Talbot Island Geo-Seeking

Geo-Seeking

Check Operation Recreation GeoTour to look for caches.

Big Talbot Island Biking Trails

Bike Trails

Rent a bike or bring your own to explore miles and miles of paved and unpaved trails, many that run parallel to AIA with breathtaking overlooks of Spoonbill Pond at the northern boardwalk.

Big Talbot Island Bird Watching

Bird Watching

Head to Spoonbill Pond for a covered pavilion and elevated boardwalk.

Big Talbot Island Picnic

Picnic

Visit the Bluffs and enjoy your lunch at one of the pavilions overlooking the water or take a stroll to Boneyard Beach.

Big Talbot Island Boat Ramp

Boat Ramp

Launch larger vessels from the north end of the island. Smaller boats, kayaks and canoes launch at the southern end.

Big Talbot Island Kayak Amelia

Paddling

Rent a canoe or kayak or take a guided tour from Kayak Amelia. Call 904.251.0016 for information or to schedule a tour. KayakAmelia.com

Big Talbot Island Fishing

Fishing

Fish from shore at the beach. License required and individuals must follow state regulations.

Big Talbot Island Boneyard Beach

Beaches

Visit Boneyard Beach, famous for the salt-washed skeletons of live oak and cedar trees that once grew near the shore.

Amelia Island

8 am to sunset, year round | 904-251-2320
State Road A1A North, Jacksonville FL 32226 | $2 per person

To the north of The Ribault Club and Big Talbot Island on AIA is Amelia Island. This park protects over 200 acres of unspoiled wilderness along the southern tip of Amelia Island. The only Florida state park that offers horseback riding on its beaches, the island provides visitors a glimpse of “real” Florida. Beautiful beaches, salt marshes and coastal forests are just part of the natural surroundings on Amelia Island.

Amelia Island Kelly Seahorse Ranch

Horseback Riding

Ride through a shady maritime hammock forest, the breathtaking seaside, and arrive at the southern point of the island to take in the 360-degree views of Nassau Sound. Visit Kelly Seahorse Ranch to book your guided ride.

Amelia Island Paddling

Paddling

Rent a canoe or kayak or take a guided tour from Kayak Amelia. Call 904.251.0016 for information or to schedule a tour. KayakAmelia.com

Amelia Island Fishing

Fishing

Cast your line from shore or the mile-long, pedestrian-only George Crady Fishing Pier spanning Nassau Sound, open twenty-four hours a day.

Amelia Island Bird Watching

Bird Watching

Capture sights of terns, piping plovers, osprey, and willets at the premier site for viewing shorebirds on the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail.
Amelia Island Beaches

Beaches

Stroll the shore to collect shells, shark’s teeth and memories of wildlife all around you.

Amelia Island Picnic

Picnic

Cast your line from shore or the mile-long, pedestrian-only George Crady Fishing Pier spanning Nassau Sound, open twenty-four hours a day.

Amelia Island BIking Trails

Biking Trails

Hop on your bike and cruise the paved, six-mile Timucuan Trail to Peters Point Park.

Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve

8 am to sunset, year round | 904-696-5980
13802 Pumpkin Hill Road, Jacksonville FL 32226 | No Fee

One of the largest contiguous areas of coastal uplands remaining in Jacksonville, Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve is part of a larger area known as the 7 Creeks Recreation Area. It is nestled between the beaches and the city of Jacksonville, featuring pine flatwoods that protect the water quality of the Nassau and St. Johns Rivers and support abundant wildlife. The Preserve offers more than 30 miles of natural-surface trails for hiking and biking and can be accessed by canoe and kayak.

Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve Hiking

Hiking

Take Big Pine Trail to the marsh or Blackrock Trail to the shoreline.
Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve Geo-Seeking

Geo-Seeking

Check Operation Recreation GeoTour to look for caches.
Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve Off-Road Biking Trails

Bike Trails

Cycle intermediate and advanced terrain through flatwoods and sandhill communities for a challenging bike adventure.

Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve Bird Watching

Bird Watching

Take Big Pine Trail to the marsh or Blackrock Trail to the shoreline.
Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve Picnic

Picnic

Choose from five different picnic areas in the park; overlook the salt marsh, lunch trailside, or under the pines at the main picnic area.

Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve Paddle

Paddling

Paddle your own canoe, kayak or paddle board between Black Hammock Island and Pumpkin Hill Creek.

Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve Fishing

Fishing

Cast your line at one of three access points to unspoiled tidal creeks adjacent to the park. License required and individuals must follow state regulations.

Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve Horseback Riding

Horseback Riding

Bring your own horses and ride Pumpkin Hill trails or connect to adjacent Jacksonville Park trails.

Yellow Bluff Fort

8 am to sunset, year round |  904-251-2320
New Berlin Road, Jacksonville, FL 32226  | No Fee

One of the largest contiguous areas of coastal uplands remaining in Jacksonville, Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve is part of a larger area known as the 7 Creeks Recreation Area. It is nestled between the beaches and the city of Jacksonville, featuring pine flatwoods that protect the water quality of the Nassau and St. Johns Rivers and support abundant wildlife. The Preserve offers more than 30 miles of natural-surface trails for hiking and biking and can be accessed by canoe and kayak.
Yellow Bluff Fort

Yellow Bluff

Learn the history of this Civil War site, explore the park, picnic and enjoy unspoiled nature.

Yellow Bluff Fort Picnic

Picnic

Enjoy a picnic lunch surrounded by the sights and sounds of a peaceful culturally historic setting.

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