Top 6 Things to Do at Big Talbot Island State Park

Big Talbot Island State Park is one of Northeast Florida’s beautiful sea islands and a natural preserve with unique eco-systems. Hiking and biking trails wind their way through breathtaking maritime forests and marshes to pristine golden beaches. Fish and paddle on the salt marsh, creeks, or in the ocean, and if you visit from November to March, you will spot the spray of Northern Atlantic Right Whales from the coast.

Top 6 Things to Do at Big Talbot Island State Park

1. Hiking

Explore the beautiful island hiking and see white-tailed deer, raccoons, and gopher tortoises along the way. Hike on the Pine trail along the shoreline to the marsh. The Blackrock Trail winds through the maritime hammock and down to the beach, and the Old Kings Highway and Jones Cut through the coastal woodlands.

The Shoreline Trail meanders to Nassau Sound and Boneyard Beach and winds through the skeletons of live oak and cedar trees near the shore. The park also offers ranger-led guided hikes on request.

2. Biking

The park has miles of paved and unpaved trails for biking. Cycle down the 3.9-mile paved multi-purpose Timucuan Trail through the maritime forest and enjoy panoramic views of Spoonbill Pond and Nassau Sound. Find information on the natural wonders on the interpretive panels along the way. The Shoreline Trail, Black Rock Trail, Kings Highway, and Jones Cut provide miles of mountain biking trails through live oak forests and to the park’s beaches.

3. Birdwatching

The park is a haven for birdwatchers with covered birding pavillions along the elevated boardwalk at Spoonbill Pond. Here wading birds and foraging shorebirds are in abundance. You will see barred owls, pileated woodpeckers, painted buntings, and doves in the trees on the hiking trails that snake through the forest.

On a stroll along the beach, birders spot brown pelicans, osprey, terns, piping plovers, and black skimmers. During the winter, bald eagles soar above the shoreline and sit in the pines at Spoonbill Pond.

4. Fishing

The park is a prime destination for angling, with plenty of excellent fishing spots along the ocean shoreline, in the creeks, and the large saltwater marsh that surrounds the island. Here you can fish from the shores, boats, the floating dock, or the George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier. Anglers hook whiting, redfish, speckled sea trout, and flounder all year round.

The island is a popular fly-fishing area during the fall and spring flood tides when tailing reds are abundant. Off Simpson’s Creek bridge, black drum is plentiful, and half-mile down the Blackrock Trail, fishermen reel in pompano and flounder at the point.

5. Boating and Paddling

Boating enthusiasts have numerous options to enjoy the creeks, marshes, and the Atlantic Ocean on powerboats, canoes, or kayaks. From the southern end of the island, at Kayak Amelia, canoeists and kayakers can explore the salt marsh or float down Simpson’s and Myrtle Creeks.

Boaters can reach Nassau Sound and the Atlantic Ocean from the deep-water boat ramp at the north end of the island.  Kayak Amelia offers guided paddle tours and kayak and paddleboard rentals.

This pristine island park’s diverse habitats and abundance of wildlife is the ultimate destination for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts. Contact Tom Bush BMW today. Our qualified technicians are here to ensure that your vehicle is in excellent running condition.

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