Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve
This page also covers Fort Caroline National Memorial, which the Park Service counts as a separate unit.
Visit one of the last unspoiled coastal wetlands on the Atlantic Coast. Discover 6,000 years of human history and experience the beauty of salt marshes, coastal dunes, and hardwood hammocks. The Timucuan Preserve includes Fort Caroline and Kingsley Plantation.
About under an hour from Jacksonville by car.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
Hours
| Timucuan Preserve | Varies by day ▾
|
Hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow |
|
| Nov 11, 2026Closed Veterans Day | Hours not published |
| Nov 11, 2026Veterans Day |
|
| Nov 26, 2026Closed Thanksgiving Day | Hours not published |
| Dec 25, 2026Closed Christmas Day | Hours not published |
| Jan 1, 2027New Years Day | Closed |
| Jan 1, 2027Closed New Year's Day | Hours not published |
| Feb 15, 2027Washington's Birthday Holiday Closure | Closed |
| May 29, 2027Memorial Day Holiday Closure | Closed |
| May 31, 2027Closed Memorial Day | Hours not published |
| Jun 19, 2027Juneteenth National Independence Day |
|
| Jul 4, 2027Independence Day Holiday Closure | Closed |
| Oct 12, 2027Columbus Day Holiday Closure | Closed |
When to go
July draws the most visits here and February the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Timucuan Preserve Visitor Center at Fort Caroline ↗Passport stamp
Located at Fort Caroline National Memorial, the Timucuan Preserve Visitor Center hosts the exhibit "Where the Waters Meet." This exhibit showcases the richness of the environment in northeast Florida and how humans have interacted with this environment for thousands of years.
- Kingsley Plantation Visitor Contact Station ↗Passport stamp
You can explore the grounds at Kingsley Plantation, which include the slave quarters, barn, waterfront, planter's house, kitchen house, and interpretive garden. The visitor contact station/bookstore is located in a 1920s building adjacent to the plantation buildings.
Explore
Things to do
- Photography in Timucuan
The Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve is a stunning location for photography enthusiasts. With its winding drives canopied by majestic oaks, rich wildlife, and historical significance, there’s no shortage of incredible scenes to capture.
Opens on the Park Service site - Become a Senior Ranger15-40 Minutes
Enjoy the learning and excitement of the Junior Ranger program but aimed toward an older audience.
Opens on the Park Service site - Read the Names on the Fort Caroline Memorial10-35 Minutes
Read the known names of the French colonists of Fort Caroline, the failed French attempt to establish a colony in Florida. This first conflict between European powers in North America would lead to more bloodshed, for Native Americans, French…
Opens on the Park Service site - Hike the 7 Creeks Trail200-440 Minutes
Hike the seven mile, Seven Creeks partnership trail crossing through habitats and national, state, and city parks.
Opens on the Park Service site - Kayak with the Dolphins1-4 Hours
Kayak through the creeks and rivers of Timucuan Preserve in the hope of seeing dolphins in the wild.
Opens on the Park Service site - Learn from a Ranger2-60 Minutes
There are a few things park rangers love, pointing at things, getting distracted by cool birds, and sharing our knowledge with the public. Find out how you can learn with Park Rangers at Timucuan Preserve.
Opens on the Park Service site
Show all 12Hide
- Boating in the Backwaters1-24 Hours
Sailboat, fishing boat, kayak, or canoe, choose your own boating adventure in Timucuan Preserve.
Opens on the Park Service site - Drive the Saturiwa Trail20-60 Minutes
Take a drive through 6,000 years of history on Fort George Island.
Opens on the Park Service site - Sunrise at Point Isabel20-60 Minutes
Enjoy a picturesque sunrise at Point Isabel on Fort George Island and beat the heat of midday hiking in Florida. The sea breeze and views are worth it!
Opens on the Park Service site - Join the Club20-90 Minutes
Explore interactive exhibits, launch a kayak, and take in the architecture of the Roaring Twenties at the Ribault Club.
Opens on the Park Service site - Picnic in the Preserve10-60 Minutes
Gather your favorite charcuterie, curate a playlist, and head into the preserve.
Opens on the Park Service site - Discover Our Partnership Parks120-500 Minutes
The power of working together is on display in this park partnership area which offers more than any one unit could provide. The 7 Creeks Recreation Area is managed by state, local, non-profit organizations, and federal agencies.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- Ranger Talk at Fort Caroline National Memorial10/1410:00 AM · runs through Dec 31 · freeMeet at the Fort Caroline National Memorial Visitor Center
- Ranger Talk at Kingsley Plantation10/1410:00 AM · runs through Dec 29 · freeMeet at the Kingsley Plantation Visitor Center
- Open House at Kingsley Plantation10/1610:30 AM · runs through Dec 29 · free
News
- Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve Finalizes Plans to Relocate the Fort Caroline Memorial ↗2026-09-03
Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve today announced it has finalized plans to relocate the Fort Caroline Memorial Exhibit.
- Timucuan Invites Feedback on Plans to Reduce Flood Risks for Kingsley Plantation Seawall and Shoreline Project ↗2026-09-01
Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve seeks public comment on its evaluation of potential flood impacts related to proposed shoreline and seawall repairs at Kingsley Plantation.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for the South
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Wildlife
Seen this monthBald Eagle 21× · Osprey 20× · Peregrine Falcon 9× · Brown Pelican 8× · Belted Kingfisher 7× · Greater Yellowlegs 3× · Indian Peafowl 2×Research-grade observations within 25 km, last 30 days, via iNaturalist
Full checklist: 310 birds, 25 mammalsHide
Raptors & owlsAMERICAN KESTREL · American Swallow-Tailed Kite · BALD EAGLE · BARN OWL · BARRED OWL · BLACK VULTURE · Broad-winged Hawk · COOPER'S HAWK · Eastern Screech Owl · GREAT HORNED OWL · MERLIN · MISSISSIPPI KITE · NORTHERN HARRIER · OSPREY · PEREGRINE FALCON · RED-SHOULDERED HAWK · RED-TAILED HAWK · SHARP-SHINNED HAWK · Short-eared Owl · TURKEY VULTURE
Waterfowl & wadersAMERICAN BITTERN · AMERICAN BLACK DUCK · AMERICAN COOT · AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN · AMERICAN WIGEON · BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON · BLUE-WINGED TEAL · BROWN PELICAN · BUFFLEHEAD · CANADA GOOSE · CATTLE EGRET · CLAPPER RAIL · COMMON GOLDENEYE · COMMON LOON · DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT · GLOSSY IBIS · GREAT BLUE HERON · GREAT EGRET · GREATER SCAUP · GREEN HERON · GREEN-WINGED TEAL · HOODED MERGANSER · HORNED GREBE · KING RAIL · LEAST BITTERN · LESSER SCAUP · LITTLE BLUE HERON · Long-tailed Duck · Mottled Duck · Muscovy Duck · NORTHERN PINTAIL · PIED-BILLED GREBE · RED-BREASTED MERGANSER · RED-THROATED LOON · REDDISH EGRET · RING-NECKED DUCK · RUDDY DUCK · SNOW GOOSE · SNOWY EGRET · Sandhill Crane · TRICOLORED HERON · VIRGINIA RAIL · WHITE IBIS · WOOD DUCK · WOOD STORK · YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON
Shorebirds & seabirdsAMERICAN AVOCET · AMERICAN GOLDEN-PLOVER · AMERICAN OYSTERCATCHER · AMERICAN WOODCOCK · Arctic Tern · BLACK SKIMMER · BLACK TERN · BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER · BONAPARTE'S GULL · BRIDLED TERN · Baird's Sandpiper · Bar-tailed Godwit · Black-headed Gull · Buff-breasted Sandpiper · CASPIAN TERN · COMMON TERN · CORY'S SHEARWATER · Curlew Sandpiper · DUNLIN · FORSTER'S TERN · Franklin's Gull · GLAUCOUS GULL · GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL · GREATER YELLOWLEGS · GULL-BILLED TERN · HERRING GULL · Iceland Gull · KILLDEER · Kentish Plover · LAUGHING GULL · LEAST SANDPIPER · LEAST TERN · LESSER YELLOWLEGS · LONG-BILLED CURLEW · LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER · Leach's Storm Petrel · Lesser Black-backed Gull · Long-tailed Jaeger · MARBLED GODWIT · Magnificent Frigatebird · PARASITIC JAEGER · PECTORAL SANDPIPER · PIPING PLOVER · POMARINE JAEGER · PURPLE SANDPIPER · RED PHALAROPE · RED-NECKED PHALAROPE · RING-BILLED GULL · ROYAL TERN · RUDDY TURNSTONE · SANDERLING · SANDWICH TERN · SEMIPALMATED PLOVER · SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER · SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER · SOLITARY SANDPIPER · SPOTTED SANDPIPER · STILT SANDPIPER · Sabine's Gull · Sooty Tern · UPLAND SANDPIPER · WESTERN SANDPIPER · WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER · WILLET · WILSON'S PLOVER · WILSON'S STORM-PETREL · Wilson's Phalarope · Wilson's Snipe
Gamebirds & dovesCOMMON GROUND-DOVE · Eurasian Collared Dove · MOURNING DOVE · NORTHERN BOBWHITE · ROCK DOVE · White-winged Dove · Wild Turkey
WoodpeckersDOWNY WOODPECKER · NORTHERN FLICKER · PILEATED WOODPECKER · RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER · RED-HEADED WOODPECKER · YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER
Hummingbirds & swiftsCHIMNEY SWIFT · RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD
Also on the checklistACADIAN FLYCATCHER · AMERICAN CROW · AMERICAN GOLDFINCH · AMERICAN PIPIT · AMERICAN REDSTART · AMERICAN ROBIN · ANHINGA · Alder Flycatcher · American Cliff Swallow · BACHMAN'S SPARROW · BALTIMORE ORIOLE · BANK SWALLOW · BARN SWALLOW · BAY-BREASTED WARBLER · BLACK SCOTER · BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER · BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO · BLACK-NECKED STILT · BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER · BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER · BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER · BLACKPOLL WARBLER · BLUE GROSBEAK · BLUE JAY · BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER · BLUE-HEADED VIREO · BLUE-WINGED WARBLER · BOAT-TAILED GRACKLE · BOBOLINK · BROWN THRASHER · BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD · BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH · Bell's Vireo · Belted Kingfisher · Bronzed Cowbird · Bruant de LeConte · CANVASBACK · CAPE MAY WARBLER · CAROLINA CHICKADEE · CAROLINA WREN · CEDAR WAXWING · CERULEAN WARBLER · CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER · CHIPPING SPARROW · CHUCK-WILL'S-WIDOW · COMMON GRACKLE · COMMON MOORHEN · COMMON NIGHTHAWK · COMMON YELLOWTHROAT · Cave Swallow · Clay-colored Sparrow · Connecticut Warbler · DARK-EYED JUNCO · EASTERN BLUEBIRD · EASTERN KINGBIRD · EASTERN MEADOWLARK · EASTERN PHOEBE · EASTERN TOWHEE · EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE · EUROPEAN STARLING · FIELD SPARROW · FISH CROW · FOX SPARROW · GADWALL · GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET · GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER · GRASSHOPPER SPARROW · GRAY CATBIRD · GRAY KINGBIRD · GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH · GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER · HENSLOW'S SPARROW · HERMIT THRUSH · HOODED WARBLER · HOUSE SPARROW · HOUSE WREN · Horned Lark · House Finch · INDIGO BUNTING · KENTUCKY WARBLER · LAPLAND LONGSPUR · LARK SPARROW · LINCOLN'S SPARROW · LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE · LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH · Least Flycatcher · MAGNOLIA WARBLER · MALLARD · MARSH WREN · Monk Parakeet · NASHVILLE WARBLER · NORTHERN CARDINAL · NORTHERN GANNET · NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD · NORTHERN PARULA · NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW · NORTHERN SHOVELER · NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH · Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow · ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER · ORCHARD ORIOLE · OVENBIRD · PAINTED BUNTING · PALM WARBLER · PHILADELPHIA VIREO · PINE SISKIN · PINE WARBLER · PRAIRIE WARBLER · PROTHONOTARY WARBLER · PURPLE FINCH · PURPLE MARTIN · RED KNOT · RED-EYED VIREO · RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD · REDHEAD · ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK · ROSEATE SPOONBILL · RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET · RUSTY BLACKBIRD · Red-breasted Nuthatch · SALTMARSH SHARP-TAILED SPARROW · SAVANNAH SPARROW · SCARLET TANAGER · SEASIDE SPARROW · SEDGE WREN · SONG SPARROW · SORA · SUMMER TANAGER · SURF SCOTER · SWAINSON'S THRUSH · SWAMP SPARROW · Scissor-tailed Flycatcher · Snow Bunting · Swainson's Warbler · TENNESSEE WARBLER · TREE SWALLOW · Tropical Kingbird · Tufted Titmouse · VEERY · VESPER SPARROW · WESTERN KINGBIRD · WHIMBREL · WHIP-POOR-WILL · WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW · WHITE-EYED VIREO · WHITE-THROATED SPARROW · WHITE-WINGED SCOTER · WILSON'S WARBLER · WOOD THRUSH · WORM-EATING WARBLER · Warbling Vireo · Western Tanager · Willow Flycatcher · Winter Wren · YELLOW WARBLER · YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO · YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT · YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER · YELLOW-THROATED VIREO · YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER · Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
Small mammalsAmerican Beaver · EASTERN GRAY SQUIRREL · EASTERN MOLE · Eastern Woodrat · Golden Mouse · Hispid Cotton Rat · MARSH RABBIT · MARSH RICE RAT · Southeastern Shrew · bee shrew
Marine mammalsBottlenose Dolphin · MANATEE
PredatorsBOBCAT · COMMON GRAY FOX · COMMON RACCOON · Common Otter · Coyote · Cross Fox · FLORIDA MINK
Hoofed mammalsWhite-tailed Deer
Also on the checklistEurasian Wild Pig · FERAL CAT · NINE-BANDED ARMADILLO · VIRGINIA OPOSSUM · domestic dog
Activities
Activity guides for this park Birdwatching in the national parks · Canoeing and kayaking in the national parks · Fishing in the national parks · Hiking in the national parks · Wildlife watching in the national parks
Weather & climate
We have mild winters and hot summers. In the winter average highs are in the 60's, lows in the 40's. The summer temperatures reach up into the 90's.
Questions people ask
Does Timucuan charge an entrance fee?
No. Timucuan is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Timucuan?
Standard hours are 9:00AM - 5:00PM on Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and it is closed on Monday and Tuesday. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
How busy is Timucuan?
1,109,821 recreation visits in 2025, number 68 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Timucuan?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 4G LTE and AT&T 5G. No reported coverage for T-Mobile. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
What is the weather like at Timucuan?
We have mild winters and hot summers. In the winter average highs are in the 60's, lows in the 40's.
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
