In our travels, full timing RV campers would claim this park as one of the best. I now understand why this park is so hard to get a spot! What I didn’t know was that this is a park that has lots of opportunity for good hiking, all kinds of biking, paddling and fishing for sports enthusiasts and while still giving offering great cuisine and amenities outside the park with Fernandina Beach and Amelia Island. Here is the link to the official park website. This website is very detailed and has a lot of detail about the fort itself and all the experiences and amenities available.
Campsites- Campground MAP. 2 large campsite locations. The one we stayed at was called the Amelia River Campground. The other campground is called the Atlantic Beach Campground. During the summer, I would not choose anything but the River Campground because the sites are large and shady. The Atlantic Campground sites are smaller, sandy and very little shade or buffer between the sites due to it being only steps away from the beach. All sites have electricity and water. Be sure you look at the AMPS- because some sites are 30/50 and others are only 30. I included a lot of pictures of the camp sites on the video so you can see for yourself. There is a large bathhouse that is air conditioned and I am sure heated in the winter. There were 2 washers and 2 dryers at the bathhouse. A big shoutout to all the volunteers and camp ground hosts at this campground because they are awesome and keep this high volume park pristine! Our sprint phones were terrible here but with the booster and using our verizon hotspots we trudged along (we were trying to stream NBC Gold Sports App for the Tour de France!) We were not troubled by bugs of any kind. The river/intercostal was just steps away with scenic views and an observation deck that will eventually be a pier again.
Paddling- we did all of our paddling and fishing on the Amelia River. We travel with two 10 foot preception pescador fishing kayaks. It was an easy roll of the kayaks from our campsite to the beach to launch. The paddling was really good and Keith paddled across the “river” to an no name island. Paddling against the current provided some great cardio. It seemed staying closer to the shore during the peak tide times made for easier paddling. Also, did you know that you can paddle from Fort Clinch to Cumberland Island? It is only one mile away to the Cumberland Island Shore but if you want to explore the island you will need to paddle an additional 5 more miles and here is some info to get you started (this is not a beginner kayaking adventure). You can also paddle Egan’s Creek which is just outside the park and there is an overlook in the park. Here is the Link to some info about paddling Egan’s Creek – (fyi- this is a link for a kayaking company but it was the best description I could find) There is a boat/kayak launch which is able to allow individuals in wheelchairs to utilize too! There are Ranger led kayaking trips too, just check the events page on the park website.
Fishing- Of course, I had to fish while I paddle and caught many croakers but I really wanted something bigger which I never got. Here is the link to the fishing class I took with the Park Ranger Zane highlighting suggestions for how to fish this area’s waters. You have the opportunity to fish the salt water bodies of the intercostal/river and ocean and Egan’s creek. Something good to know for this park is that you can fish on piers/structures here in the park without a fishing license. Check with park ranger on what you need to do if interested.
Swimming– You can swim at the Beach and there is also a community pool just across the street from the Park entrance at Atlantic Park. It is open year round and heated. Cost is $5 and they have extended passes too. Here is the link if you want more info on lap swim or recreational swim.
Hiking/Biking– There is actual hiking and single track here with some elevation in Florida! Over 6 miles of trails. There is also the hiking only Willow pond trail in the park. Just outside the park you can bike and hike the Egan Greenway that has one of many trail head at Atlantic Park (where the community pool is) I was pleased to see that the Park system in this area is very accommodating to individuals with disabilities. There are specialized electric scooters capable of doing the green way for use at Atlantic Park/Egan Greenway.
