Little Talbot Island State Park- Beautiful, Natural, Florida

Little Talbot Island State Park is located on a barrier island in Jacksonville, Florida. In fact, it is one of the few remaining undeveloped barrier islands remaining in Northeast Florida. The park offers 5 miles of exquisite, pristine beaches and untouched natural beauty for visitors to explore. Little Talbot Island offers some of the best beaches in the region.

The park is a popular site for camping, kayaking, fishing, surfing, hiking, and spending the day at the beach. The state park is also home to river otters, marsh rabbits, bobcats, and other fascinating wildlife.

Big Talbot Island State Park is situated directly north of Little Talbot Island. Years of erosion of Big Talbot Island and sand deposition on Little Talbot Island has actually led to Little Talbot becoming the larger of the two islands.

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History

Native Americans were the first to hunt and fish these barrier islands. In 1562, when French Huguenots arrived, they called these indigenous people the Timucua. Over the next 200 years, the region was inhabited by the Native Americans, French, English, and Spanish before Florida officially became a state in 1845.

In 1735, General James Oglethorpe (the founder of Georgia) named the barrier islands the Talbot Islands in honor of Charles Talbot, Lord High Chancellor of England. Talbot was a lawyer and politician who served as the Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain from 1733 to 1737.

The land was acquired by the state in 1951 and opened as a park in 1952. This stunning corner of the city of Jacksonville is well protected and preserved by the local, state, and national park systems. Thanks to them, several miles of coastline, marshland, maritime forests, and woodland have been protected giving visitors an opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty of the Sunshine State.

Park Experiences and Amenities

Bicycling– Bicycling can be enjoyed around the park, but we enjoy the 2.5 mile paved trail. The Park Drive Timucuan Trail is part of the Greenway Trail that goes from Florida to Maine. There’s also a new segment that connects to Huguenot Park.
Camping-This park is super popular for camping. There are 36 camp sites suited for both tent camping and RVs. The maximum length for campers and RVs is 30 feet. If you’re camping at the park, we suggest bringing your bikes along as the sites are 1/2 a mile or more from the beach.

Fishing- Little Talbot Island State Park offers 5 miles of beaches. It is a surf fishing paradise! Try your hand a snagging a flounder, black drum, mullet, sheepshead, bluefish, bass, or redfish.
Paddling- This is one of the most popular water activities in the Sunshine State. Long Island Outfitters provides canoe and kayak rentals as well as guided tours.

East Coast Greenway

The Timucuan Trail runs through Little Talbot Island State Park. This trail is a small portion of a large trail network known as the East Coast Greenway. The greenway connects the park to Huguenot Park and Big Talbot Island.

The Greenway is part of a large network of trails connecting 15 states, 450 cities and towns and running from Maine to Florida. It runs from the Canadian border all the way down to the Florida Keys!