Find the top rated birding trails in Jacksonville Beach, whether you're looking for an easy short birding trail or a long birding trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a birding trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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Parking in Boneyard Beach was a plus, it’s gorgeous. The whole trail is pretty, you run into an abandoned part of the park and weave through shaded oak trees covered in Spanish moss. Partly shaded.
So it be really nice if they’d repair the bridge next to the highway.. I thought that was for pedestrians.. It’s an old road that crumbled and is blocked off. The trail is scenic for being in town. With that being said it’s very busy with intersections and cars!
There is a bridge crossing over a River, where there were a couple of fisherman, but no other views on this rail trail. You definitely need hybrid or off road tires for the trail as some areas of crushed rock are not for leaner tires. Eventually, this 3mi trail is due to connect with the Satilla River Trail, and it will be a much more scenic trail, I feel,
I am an inline speed skater and a road bike cyclist. I have been skating and biking in over 10 states. This is so far the best trail I have ever been — over 90% distance is shaded, 10 feet wide, most times is very clean, and not hilly at all.
I set about riding some of the paved sections but I was most intrigued to try the unpaved section from Hampton to New River. I rode the paved section from Lake Geneva to Hampton and back. The pavement is smooth and the section between Keystone and Hampton covers some beautiful country scenery. Highway signage for trailheads and signage at the trailheads themselves could use improvement!!!
As for the unpaved section, a comfortable seat with full suspension comes in handy as parts are bumpy from the ballast rock and some roots.
This rail trail is also part of the Florida National Scenic hiking trail. I saw one pair of hikers on this section. There are two detours required due to removed rail bridges. The detour near Lake Sampson is really minor. The detour over the New River is a much larger detour which I avoided through my routing.
I first rode west from Hampton to Sampson and back then moved my bike via car to New River and road east toward Sampson though I didnt quite reach it before returning to New River. Each out and back section clocks in around 11 miles.
The trail was quite well maintained. Often it was a clear path through a tree canopy as far as the eye I could see. Sometimes it bore through a natural habitat and other times through pine tree farms. This unpaved section is also the most remote. It did require crossing a major US Highway (301) and two different rail lines. If or when it gets paved, it will be the best section on the entire trail. For now, it is for intermediate+ riders.
I had a great 21 mile ride from the Vermont Trailhead towards Palatka and back. The trail was in good shape and I was surprised at how wooded it was.
Parked at the far east trailhead. Good parking and facilities. Great visibility with signals where you need to cross 207. Pavement is a little rough on westside of trail around Armstrong. Best to keep both hands engaged through that area. Rode it twice this week. Met a few others along the way. Highly recommend it.
Rode this combined with the Amelia Island Trail. Parked for free just over the bridge at the trailhead lot. There are no bathrooms nor was there water. The trail goes through the beach parking lot on a separate path. It winds through the park after that. It is wide with few crossings, though there are some blind turns. The surface was very nice, and there are informational signs. To get to the Amelia Island trail you must cross a bridge shared with A1A. There is a bike lane on the bridge but on the southbound trip you have to cross A1A twice.
Rode this in conjunction with the Timucsn trail. We went straight at the turnoff toward’s Peter’s beach, following the sidewalk toward the airport for a mile or so. The trail crosses A1A a few times. Cars were very patient. The paved surface was ok with minor root damage. The sidewalk we did at the end was narrow and had some sandy spots. I would skip that if I did it again. There are places to stop to eat, a bike shop, etc. the trail is well shaded.
Rode twice from the eastern terminus. The trail is almost completely flat and straight. There are some crossings at the beginning but they aren’t busy. The trail is mostly shaded and goes through a mix of forests and swamps. I rode over a 2.5 foot copperhead that I didn’t see until it was too late to avoid. There are bathrooms at the eastern end. I think there was a portable toilet at the other end. The trail was all paved and the surface in good condition. There is a train crossing about 3 miles from the western end. On one trip we waited for a couple of trains. Last year we used it and had a train stop on the tracks blocking access to our car. With help from a local we navigated around the train using roads.
Driving Rt 100 out of town, once you pass the SJ River Water Management District office, you will start to see pull off and parking spots on your right. Especially at Coventry Oaks Farm.
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