Day Trippin' › Florida › From Jacksonville › Best hikes
Our picks for the best hikes within 3 hours of Jacksonville: 31 places, 6 under an hour away, 11 between 1 and 2 hours and 14 between 2 and 3 hours, counted by road time from ZIP 32202.
We put first the places with a real photo, a well-known name, a family-friendly note and an official site, then list the rest by drive time. The closest is Big Talbot Island State Park, 37 min northeast of Jacksonville.
Under 1 hour 1 to 2 hours 2 to 3 hours
Photo: Intergalacticz9 (talk), CC BY-SA 3.0
#1 · Historic site · 58 min southeast
Take a short free ferry to a small Spanish fort on a marsh island. Nice nature trail at the visitor center too.
Heads-up: Free boarding passes go fast, often by 11 am. Ferry runs weather permitting.
Photo: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0
#2 · Bike trail · 1 hr 21 min southwest
A 16-mile paved rail trail through forest and along Paynes Prairie.
Heads-up: Bring water; little shade in places.
Photo: Moni3 at English Wikipedia, CC BY 3.0
#3 · Island · 1 hr 52 min south
A car-free island in the St. Johns River, reached by a free ferry, with trails and a shell mound.
Heads-up: Last ferry leaves the island one hour before sundown.
Photo: LittleT889, CC BY-SA 4.0
#4 · Hike · 2 hr 24 min southwest
Quiet trails and a long loop through salt marsh and pine flatwoods on the Nature Coast. Great for birding and biking.
Heads-up: Open 8 a.m. to sunset. Little shade on some trails, so bring water and bug spray.
Photo: Tupelo the typo fixer, CC BY-SA 4.0
#5 · Bike trail · 2 hr 34 min south
Florida's longest paved rail trail, about 46-47 miles through small towns and forest.
Heads-up: Pick a section; bring water.
Photo: Operator 16, CC0
#6 · Bike trail · 2 hr 35 min west
A flat, paved rail trail about 16 miles from Tallahassee to the riverside town of St. Marks. Great for an easy bike ride.
Heads-up: Little shade in places; bring water. Three trailheads.
Photo: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0
#7 · Island · 37 min northeast
Boneyard Beach is lined with bleached, fallen trees that look like driftwood sculptures. Bluffs and hiking trails too.
Heads-up: Beach access is down a bluff trail. Watch tides.
Photo: “Jon Zander(digon3)”, CC BY-SA 3.0
#8 · Historic site · 48 min southeast
Climb 219 steps up a black and white striped lighthouse for big views of the old city and the ocean.
Heads-up: Free parking. Climb has height limits for kids.
Photo: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0
#9 · Historic site · 51 min northeast
A well-kept Civil War era brick fort with living history weekends, plus beach and trails on Amelia Island.
Heads-up: Fort tickets sold at the visitor center.
Photo: anoldent from Asheville, NC, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
#10 · State park · 54 min north
Marsh trails, river fishing and tabby sugar mill ruins near St. Marys.
Heads-up: Pool is seasonal.
Photo: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 2.5
#11 · Historic site · 1 hr 10 min west
A museum and carillon tower honoring the songwriter of the Suwannee River song, with craft shops and river trails.
Heads-up: Festival of Lights runs in December. Museum days posted differently.
Photo: Ebyabe, CC BY 2.5
#12 · Garden · 1 hr 14 min south
Deep ravines with suspension bridges, azaleas and a loop drive in Palatka.
Heads-up: Azaleas bloom late winter. Steps in the ravines.
Photo: Operator 16, CC0
#13 · Hike · 1 hr 23 min southwest
A boardwalk drops 120 feet into a giant sinkhole with tiny waterfalls and ferns.
Heads-up: Many stairs. Ranger walks Saturdays at 10 am.
Photo: Operator 16, CC0
#14 · Wildlife · 1 hr 24 min southwest
A huge open prairie where wild horses, bison and alligators roam. Climb the tower for the view.
Heads-up: Keep well back from bison, horses and gators. Hot in summer.
Photo: muffinn from Worcester, UK, CC BY 2.0
#15 · State park · 1 hr 24 min northwest
A lake park near Waycross with golf and trails.
Heads-up: Bugs in summer.
Guana Tolomato Matanzas Research Reserve (41 min), St. Simons Lighthouse Museum (1 hr 16 min), Suwannee River State Park (1 hr 26 min), Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park (1 hr 30 min), O'Leno State Park (1 hr 30 min), Fort McAllister State Park (2 hr 6 min), Skidaway Island State Park (2 hr 11 min), General Coffee State Park (2 hr 13 min), Wekiwa Springs State Park (2 hr 14 min), Oatland Island Wildlife Center (2 hr 15 min), Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge (2 hr 18 min), Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park (2 hr 28 min), Lake Jackson Mounds Archaeological State Park (2 hr 32 min), Leon Sinks Geological Area (2 hr 45 min), Birdsong Nature Center (2 hr 48 min), Lake Louisa State Park (2 hr 56 min)
Our top picks are Fort Matanzas (58 min), Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail (1 hr 21 min), Hontoon Island State Park (1 hr 52 min), Crystal River Preserve State Park (2 hr 24 min) and Withlacoochee State Trail (2 hr 34 min). The page lists 31 places in all.
31: 6 under an hour away, 11 between 1 and 2 hours and 14 between 2 and 3 hours, by road from ZIP 32202.
Big Talbot Island State Park, about 37 min northeast of Jacksonville.
6 need no pass or fee, including Tallahassee-St. Marks Historic Railroad State Trail, Hontoon Island State Park and Fort Matanzas. Fees change, so check each place.
17 of the 31 list themselves as open year-round. Places with a season say so on their card; check hours before you go.
Drive times are by road on a typical day from ZIP <class 'zip'> (OpenStreetMap data with the OSRM route planner); places under 25 minutes away count as in town. Facts checked against official sites; passes and hours change, so check before you go.