Welcome to Amelia Island State Park

An easy drive from Jacksonville or Fernandina Beach, the park protects over 200 acres of unspoiled wilderness along the southern tip of Amelia Island.

Beautiful beaches, salt marshes and coastal maritime forests provide visitors a glimpse of the Real Florida. Visitors can stroll along the beach, look for shells and sharks teeth, or watch the wildlife. Anglers can surf fish along the shoreline or wet their lines from the mile-long George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier spanning Nassau Sound. Amelia Island is the only Florida state park that offers horseback riding on its beaches!

Amelia Island State Park provides visitors with the opportunity to enjoy numerous different coastal activities, including the following:

Beach
Amelia Island State Park offers over 200 acres of undeveloped sea island recreational opportunities. This beach is a perfect place to relax and unwind, search for seashells, surf fish, and possibly view rare wildlife such as the right whale or the piping plover.

Bicycling
The paved Timucuan Trail bike path at the park connects the northern six-mile segment to Peters Point Park on Amelia Island with the A1A driving bridge that crosses the Nassau Sound to Big Talbot Island and an additional four miles of off-road trail.

Birding
Amelia Island State Park is one of the premier sites along the eastern section of the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail. Shorebirds such as least terns, piping plovers, Wilson’s plovers, willets and black skimmers feed and rest along the shoreline. Overhead, osprey, pelicans and royal terns grace the skies. During winter and early spring, bald eagles can be seen fishing these waters. During the spring and summer, shorebirds such as the least tern and Wilson’s plover nest on the sandy beaches.

Fishing
Nassau Sound is one of the best fishing areas in northeast Florida and home to the state record flounder. Fishing is popular from the shore of Amelia Island State Park as well as from the adjacent George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier State Park that spans Nassau Sound. The fishing pier is closed to vehicle traffic and offers the bridge angler a mile of pier to wet their line in hopes of catching the next record fish or tonight’s dinner. Many different species of fish including whiting, redfish, flounder, speckled sea trout, jacks and tarpon can be caught. Redfish and speckled sea trout are available throughout the year, but higher numbers are available in the spring and fall. Along the south end of the fishing bridge, several small grass flats hold a wide variety of fish. Tarpon follow the fall mullet run into Nassau Sound and gorge themselves before continuing their migration to more southern waters.

Picnicking
The sunny shores of Amelia Island State Park are the perfect place for a picnic. Pack your lunch and eat on the beach or use one of the picnic tables located on the fishing bridge across from the Bait and Tackle restrooms.

Shelling
Shelling is a favorite pastime of many visitors and the beaches of Amelia Island are a great place to find shells. Collectors can find a multitude of species, including clam, scallop, oyster and periwinkle. Plan your shelling around the low phase of the tide, which exposes the most beach area. Search in the “shell line” where the highest waves stop as they come upon the beach and deposit groups of shells.

Wildlife Viewing
Amelia Island State Park is the perfect place for viewing shore birds. Black skimmers, piping plovers, terns (including the threatened least tern), brown pelicans and many other birds can be observed in the park. You may even catch a glimpse of a rare right whale or a bald eagle during the winter and early spring.

Usage Fees:
Amelia Island State Park charges a $2 admission fee per person. Please use the honor box to pay fees. Correct change is required.

CONTENT SOURCE: https://www.floridastateparks.org/amelia-island
IMAGE SOURCE: https://www.floridastateparks.org/amelia-island