Camping, trails, maps & photo credits — Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve
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.
Camping & reservations
Use this unit’s official planning instructions to confirm permitted overnight options, tours and any required permits. A day-use parking area is not an authorized campsite.
Confirm official overnight options and permits. Official trip-planning information ↗
Truck-camping & permitted overnight use
Confirm whether this unit offers a designated campsite suitable for a truck camper or RV. Verify permission to stay overnight, the exact site dimensions and vehicle approach before traveling.
Backcountry camping and vehicle camping require park-specific authorization; National Park Service land is not generally open to unrestricted roadside camping. Confirm designated sites, permits and food-storage rules with this unit.
Activities, hiking & trails
Self-Guided Tours - Walking, Hiking. Official activities and trail-planning information ↗
NPS-listed recreation: Auto and ATV, Scenic Driving, Biking, Boating, Motorized Boating, Fishing, Food, Picnicking, Guided Tours, Self-Guided Tours - Walking, Self-Guided Tours - Auto, Hiking, Living History, Historic Weapons Demonstration, Paddling, Canoeing, Kayaking, Stand Up Paddleboarding, Junior Ranger Program, Swimming, Saltwater Swimming, Wildlife Watching, Birdwatching, Museum Exhibits, Shopping, Bookstore and Park Store.
Maps & road access
Use the official NPS directions and current alerts. Check vehicle restrictions and campground approach roads before traveling.
The beautiful expanse of the Timucuan Preserve is located within the city limits of Jacksonville, Florida. The Preserve can be accessed from major roads and highways in and around Jacksonville. Directions to individual park sites such as Kingsley Plantation, American Beach and the Ribault Column can be found on our website. Our main visitor center is located at Fort Caroline, about 14 miles northeast of downtown. Official directions / site access ↗
Before you travel
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.
Source review: 2026-11-01. Conditions, fees, permits and availability can change. National Park Service official information ↗
Photograph sources & licensing
Banner: Kingsley Plantation Slave Quarters
The tabby cabins at Kingsley Plantation were the homes of many enslaved people.
Credit: NPS Photo/Darryl Herring. Original source ↗ · Public domain — NPS-created federal work ↗. Resized and cropped to match the profile display framing; original image source linked.
Second large photograph: Fort Caroline
The fort exhibit at Fort Caroline teaches visitors of the failed French colony in Florida.
Credit: NPS Photo. Original source ↗ · Public domain — NPS-created federal work ↗. Resized and cropped to match the profile display framing; original image source linked.
Photographs are real images of the named unit; no AI-generated photographs are used. Federal photo credit register.