Top 15 Activities to Experience in Jacksonville Beach, FL

Situated east of Jacksonville, this city is part of a series of coastal communities known collectively as The Beaches.

Due to an unusual aspect of local administration, residents of Jacksonville Beach retain the ability to participate in Jacksonville’s mayoral elections.

Jacksonville Beach became connected to the railroad in the 1880s, swiftly evolving into a popular resort destination. For many years, the city was recognized for its vibrant boardwalk, which was home to numerous dining establishments and amusement rides.

Although the atmosphere is more subdued today, this transformation is welcomed, and the beach continues to be central to the city’s appeal. There are over 20 miles of pristine sandy shoreline, often embellished with whole seashells and sharks’ teeth.

Surfers are attracted to the substantial waves, particularly around Jacksonville Beach’s notable pier. The Intracoastal Waterway serves as a natural boundary on the western side of the city, providing an excellent environment for birdwatching and kayaking excursions.

1. Jacksonville Beach

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The Jacksonville metropolitan area boasts over 20 miles of Atlantic beaches, a significant portion of which falls within Jacksonville Beach’s limits.

What one can expect are immaculate white sands, rolling surf, shorebirds, plentiful space, and sunrises that will elevate your mood for the day ahead. The period from May to October marks the sea turtle nesting season along this coastline.

Notably, the shore adjacent to Jacksonville Beach’s downtown is officially designated as Jacksonville Beach, which may cause some confusion.

This stretch is the southernmost of four public beaches in the area, alongside Neptune Beach, Atlantic Beach, and Mayport Beach.

The charming Oceanfront Park serves as my preferred access point. Spanning two acres, it features sheltered picnic areas, showers, a playground, and two dune walkovers that lead to the beach.

2. Jacksonville Beach Pier

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The charm of Jacksonville Beach would be diminished without its pier, which stands as one of the city’s most recognizable landmarks.

Stretching just over a quarter of a mile, the pier presents a delightful setting for a leisurely walk. Visitors can gaze out over the ocean and back towards the city, admiring both the sea and the skyline.

The pier is an ideal location for both sunrise and sunset, glistening beautifully in the soft light. For fishing enthusiasts, there is an additional fee for a day pass.

During my visit, a fishing pass cost only $5 for non-residents.

3. Surfing

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The Beaches should be the primary location for anyone visiting Florida seeking surfing opportunities.

Unlike many other areas along the Atlantic coastline, Jacksonville Beach and its neighbors enjoy consistent swells year-round. Nevertheless, the principal surfing season occurs in winter, particularly on colder days when cold fronts generate overhead waves.

For those looking to start, Jacksonville Beach Pier is the most logical place. Surfers frequent this site throughout the year, riding the waves that break on either side of the pier.

If you are willing to travel, consider visiting Huguenot Beach, situated on the opposite side of the St. Johns River. This beach permits driving on the sand, allowing the use of a vehicle as a temporary surf hut.

4. Beaches Museum and History Park

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To gain insights into the history of Jacksonville’s beach communities, visitors can explore this museum situated along Beach Blvd downtown.

The main building offers an engaging exploration of the past, encompassing stories of early settlers, Gilded Age tourism, and the erstwhile boardwalk.

Exhibits showcase local artifacts and significant historical moments, reflecting how Jacksonville Beach has transformed over time. During my visit, the temporary exhibit was titled ‘Wish You Were Here: Tourism at the World’s Finest Beach.’

One particular image that stood out featured vehicles lining the shore during the period prior to the ban on beach driving in 1979.

Adjacent to the museum is a campus of relocated historic structures. Guided tours of these buildings are regularly available, including a post office, railway depot, steam locomotive, and a traditional Cracker-style cabin.

These structures are nestled amidst charming gardens filled with vegetables, roses, herbs, perennials, and bromeliads.

5. Jax Beach Golf Club

Recognized as one of the finest municipal golf courses in Florida, Jax Beach Golf Club has a legacy spanning over fifty years. Designed by architect Harrison Minchew, this course is both enjoyable and full of surprises.

A comprehensive series of upgrades occurred in the years preceding my visit. The final four holes underwent reconfiguration, while the fairways and greens were replanted.

Currently, the course features 419 Bermuda grass and Platinum Paspalum, with several of the troublesome water hazards removed.

The only limitation I observed is the course’s popularity, which can make securing a tee time challenging.

6. Adventure Landing

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Adventure Landing stands out as one of the premier family attractions in Jacksonville Beach, featuring a multitude of activities. The centerpiece is Shipwreck Island Waterpark, serving as a delightful alternative to the beach.

Within its offerings are the Little St. Johns River and Typhoon Lagoon, a half-million-gallon wave pool. Additionally, visitors can choose from four high-speed water slides and a play area tailored for younger children.

For those seeking drier entertainment, options include miniature golf, an arcade, laser tag, go-karts, and batting cages, among others.

A unique experience is found at Gator Alley, where guests can purchase a food pole to feed live alligators within a designated enclosure.

7. Cradle Creek Preserve

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This 40-acre preserve invites exploration of the estuarine habitat along the Intracoastal Waterway.

Encompassing the small tributaries that feed into the waterway, Cradle Creek Preserve is a stretch of untouched land nestled between residential communities.

Boardwalks wind through the waterways, providing excellent views from observation platforms. The varied habitats include upland forests, bottomland swamps, and saltwater marshlands.

Kayaking offers a wonderful method to engage with nature at the preserve. Access can be gained from the water via Cradle Creek, which constitutes the southern boundary of the property. Given the prevalence of biting yellow flies, it is advisable to bring insect repellent.

8. South Beach and Sunshine Playground

The most impressive public park in Jacksonville Beach is this location in the southern area of the city. Parents and caregivers, alongside children, will be enchanted by the Sunshine Playground.

Resembling a Medieval castle amid the pines, this fenced facility was modernized in the early 2020s. Within its confines, there are numerous attractions, such as a net climber, a slide from a replica water tower, swings, ADA-accessible ramps, monkey bars, an inclusive merry-go-round, and much more.

A fun-filled seasonal splash pad is adjacent to the park, while an impressive skate park is nearby for older children.

Additional amenities at South Beach Park include a basketball court, multipurpose fields, picnic shelters, a fitness trail, and sand volleyball courts.

9. Beaches Green Market

Every Saturday afternoon, regardless of the weather, a small but steady farmers’ market operates beneath the pines in Penman Park.

The Beaches Green Market is vital as a producers-only market, supporting farmers in Northeast Florida, especially where agriculture is dwindling.

The market has persevered through local political turmoil and hurricanes, continuing to be a beloved community event. In addition to a variety of vendors, cooking demonstrations and children’s activities through the Sprouts program are available.

One of my weekly highlights is the Botanical Beverage Bar, offering craft kombucha, complemented by a strong presence of vendors selling organic soaps, jewelry, or knitwear.

10. Jax Beach Festivals

In the early months of the year, the waterfront in downtown Jacksonville Beach hosts a series of major outdoor festivals. These events take place at the SeaWalk Pavilion, an impressive amphitheater with a spacious plaza.

The festival calendar includes the Seawalk Music Festival in February, the Springing The Blues Festival in April, and Beachella in June. These events have a storied history, with Springing The Blues being a local tradition for over thirty years.

In reality, there is a good chance that the SeaWalk Pavilion will be bustling whenever you visit. Food trucks, seasonal concerts, or outdoor movie screenings often take place, so staying informed about the schedule is wise.

11. Castaway Island Preserve

Complementing Cradle Creek Preserve, this area of salt marsh is located on the western shoreline of the Intracoastal Waterway.

Based on my visits, Castaway Island Preserve serves as an excellent opportunity for children to explore the region’s natural environment. A mile-long interactive trail for younger visitors is marked with animal footprints and educational displays.

Boardwalks provide the exclusive means to navigate through this watery ecosystem. The preserve features two extensive walkways that lead to overlooks enabling views of the salt marsh and the Intracoastal Waterway.

For a truly memorable experience, visiting at sunrise when the preserve opens is highly recommended.

12. Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve

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This expansive property, located further up the coast across the St. Johns River from Jacksonville Beach, provides an excellent opportunity to spend a day exploring nearly 50,000 acres of wilderness and historic landmarks.

Visitors can immerse themselves in some of Florida’s last untouched coastal wetlands, encountering vast salt marshes, beautiful hardwood hammocks, and extensive dunes.

Given that water and wetlands comprise a significant portion of the preserve, I would suggest launching a kayak or canoe for exploration. One of the park’s partners, Kayak Amelia, offers kayak and paddleboard rentals for self-directed excursions.

For hiking enthusiasts, the Theodore Roosevelt Area is recommended, featuring 600 acres characterized primarily by hardwood forests and shell middens left behind centuries ago by the Timucua Native Americans.

The preserve is rich with attractions that illustrate the land’s historical significance, including the reconstruction of Fort Caroline, a 16th-century French colony, and Kingsley Plantation, which is Florida’s oldest surviving plantation house, dating back to the late 1790s.

13. Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park

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Merely ten minutes north of Jacksonville Beach lies another segment of coastal paradise where one can easily spend an entire day.

This 450-acre park serves as a wonderful retreat from the resort-like environment of Jacksonville Beach. Much of the inland region features a rare area of mature coastal hammock.

In these woods, visitors can hike beneath the magnificent oak canopy, or navigate single-track mountain biking trails.

Along the coastline, I find the beach to be as close to perfection as possible. When viewing from the surf, the dunes remain free of any signs of development.

For those who wish to fully escape, overnight camping is an option at Hanna Park, offering 300 sites suitable for RV or primitive camping, along with six log cabins.

14. Ponte Vedra Beach

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As previously mentioned, Jacksonville Beach is part of a series of beachfront communities in the Jacksonville area. Southward lies the affluent Ponte Vedra, renowned particularly for the TPC at Sawgrass golf course.

This course is celebrated for its distinctive 17th island green and serves as the site of The Players Championship, often regarded as the ‘fifth major’.

If one wishes to prolong their time by the Atlantic, Mickler’s Landing Beach serves as the primary public access point. This location is nothing short of stunning, with its pinkish-white coquina sands being particularly captivating.

The beach offers some of the richest beachcombing opportunities in the vicinity, featuring numerous intact shells and a wealth of sharks’ teeth.

15. Jacksonville

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The Beaches represent a coastal enclave, distinct from the extensive sprawl of Florida’s largest city by area.

Jacksonville lies just across the Intracoastal Waterway, with the downtown area, located on the St. Johns River, another half-hour drive away.

This is a journey worth taking, especially if one desires to enhance beach time with a touch of culture. In this context, the Cummer Museum, the region’s largest fine arts museum, awaits.

The collections are remarkable, featuring works from Japanese prints to Meissen porcelain. The tranquil gardens along the St. Johns River are beautifully planted with native Floridian species, accompanied by striking live oaks.

For families, the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens stands as the premier attraction in Northeast Florida, home to over 2,000 animals. Its grounds are exceptional, positioned at the convergence of the Trout and St. Johns rivers, creating memorable moments such as feeding the amiable giraffes.