Park Overview

Just north of Jacksonville awaits the white, vacant sands of Amelia Island State Park that contains 12.5 miles of beaches extending the entire length of the island. Upon entering, there are two parking lots for access – one connects to Kelly Seahorse Ranch, as this is the only state park that offers horseback riding tours on the beach, and the other parking lot connects to the adjacent George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier State Park that spans Nassau Sound, offering some of the best fishing in Northeast Florida.

Our Adventure

We walk a brief path to Amelia Island beach, although driving seems to be more popular. Thick, deep tire tracks run parallel to our stroll, yet it is difficult to envision a lively crowd on this vacant seashore. To the south, there are coastal maritime hammocks, tropical palms, and salt marsh for miles.

With the sunshine beating down on the ocean, glistening off the waves, producing a blinding glare, I can hardly keep my eyes open to intake the beauty of this space, but the gusts of 50 degree winds and the gentle sound of waves crashing quickly transfer my mind to a state of tranquility. Our hiking boots sink into the clean, crisp white sand dunes, and we walk together along the quiet beach with an overcast sky and no sense of urgency.

We come upon a long, thick oak tree stem and decide it would be an ideal place to rest for a moment with the cool morning wind whirling around our faces. We contemplate the sturdiness of the sand dunes, admire the piping plovers nibbling along the shoreline, and gawk at the brown pelicans swooping up their lunches. I’m glued to the hard, strong root on my bottom and the soft squeeze of his hand on my leg, as the bright glorious sun basks the entire beach of Amelia Island.

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