Take to the Trails This Summer!

       Here in Northeast Florida, our favorite paths are paved with sand, and our local beach parks provide people of all ages access to a spectacular shoreline and the crashing waves of the Atlantic Ocean. But there are lots of other paths you can take throughout the island, too. Egans Creek Greenway, with its grass-covered paths, serve as a network of trails that are suitable for walking and bicycling, its environment exhibiting a variety of natural wildlife and vegetation. 

       Friends of the Amelia Island Trail have completed a bike path between Peters Point County Park to the south end of the George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier State Park, where it connects to Big Talbot Island. A map of the trail can be found at www.ameliaislandtrail.org. In addition, the Amelia River-to-Sea Trail has been completed along Simmons Road from South Fletcher Avenue westward to the city ball fields off Bailey Road and then onward to Crane Island.

       Active outdoor adventure-seekers will want to check out the local maritime forests, state parks, and green spaces located in and around Amelia Island. Fort Clinch State Park, Pumpkin Creek Preserve State Park, Little and Big Talbot Island State Parks, Fort George Island Cultural State Park, Yellow Bluff Fort Historic State Park, and George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier State Park all provide remarkable wilderness experiences that include hiking, biking, fishing, camping, picnicking, bird watching, and beachcombing for the whole family.