Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve: Theodore Roosevelt Area (Blog Hike #840)

Trails: Willie Browne and Timucuan Trails
Hike Location: Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, Theodore Roosevelt Area
Geographic Location: east side of Jacksonville, FL (30.36968, -81.48251)
Length: 2.7 miles
Difficulty: 4/10 (Moderate)
Date Hiked: January 2021
Overview: A lollipop loop rich in natural scenery, wildlife, and history.
Park Information: https://www.nps.gov/timu/index.htm
Hike Route Map: https://www.mappedometer.com/?maproute=854050
Photo Highlight:

Hike Video: 

Directions to the trailhead: On the east side of Jacksonville, take I-295 to SR 116 (Merrill Road, exit 45 southbound or exit 46 northbound).  Exit and go east on SR 116.  Drive SR 116 east 4.4 miles to Mount Pleasant Road and turn left on Mount Pleasant Rd.  The entrance to Timucuan Preserve's Theodore Roosevelt Area is 0.8 miles ahead on the right.  Drive the narrow dirt entrance road 500 feet to the parking area on the left.

The hike: Tucked in a heavily residential area on the east side of Jacksonville, Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve protects one of the last unspoiled wetlands on Florida's east coast.  The preserve is named for the Timucua peoples, a group of tribes that lived in this area for more than 4000 years.  When the Spanish arrived in the 1500's, the Timucua occupied 19,000 square miles of land and numbered about 200,000.  By 1800, no Timucua remained, and all we know of the Timucuan way of life is what archaeologists and Spanish records tell us.

            The preserve is divided into several areas, and it includes Fort Caroline National Memorial, Kingsley Plantation, and American Beach.  This hike features the 600-acre Theodore Roosevelt Area, which contains the preserve's best and oldest hardwood forest.  The Theodore Roosevelt Area is a fantastic under-the-radar hiking destination: I came here just trying to squeeze in one more hike on my January 2021 Florida hiking trip, and I ended up having the best hike of that trip.

Vehicle gate at trailhead

            From the Theodore Roosevelt parking area, walk around a metal vehicle gate and continue north on the dirt road, following the blue rectangles.  This road is called the Willie Browne Trail, and the trail is named for the man who lived and owned this land for more than 80 years.  Mr. Browne died in 1970, but by preserving the land in its natural state he ensured that we get to enjoy this area today.  The appeal of this hike quickly becomes apparent: huge spanish moss-draped oak trees line the trail, and a dense layer of palmetto and holly dominates the understory.  The wide dirt road and relatively flat terrain make the going easy.

Hiking the Willie Browne Trail

            After crossing small Hammock Creek on a wide wooden bridge, at 0.5 miles the trail splits to form its loop.  To get to the marsh faster, I chose to turn right and use the left trail as my return route, thus hiking the loop counterclockwise.  Quickly you pass what remains of Willie Browne's cabin site, and some interpretive signs tell you about Mr. Browne and the land's history.

Willie Browne's cabin site

            Past the cabin site, the trail narrows and descends moderately.  Ignore trails that exit left, and at 0.9 miles come out at the marsh that borders the south side of the St. John's River.  An observation platform gives fantastic views across the marsh, and I did some excellent bird watching here that included ibis, egrets, and herons.  Take some time here to see what you can see.

Egrets in the marsh

View across wetland

            The trail ends at the platform, so next you must retrace your steps back to the edge of the woods.  Upon reaching the edge of the woods, instead of continuing back the way you came, angle right to begin the Timucuan Trail, which is marked with green rectangles.  The Timucuan Trail passes over a shell mound similar to those built by the Timucua people, and this trail is steeper and narrower than any trail you have hiked thus far.

Starting the Timucuan Trail

            The Timucuan Trail heads northwest with the marsh visible through the trees on the right before climbing a sandy bluff.  This climb is surprisingly long and steep for the Jacksonville area.  At 1.5 miles you top the bluff, which is almost 100 vertical feet above the marsh.  After a brief descent, you reach a trail intersection with the Spanish Pond Trail at 1.7 miles, where the Timucuan Trail ends.  Turning right would lead just under 1 mile to Spanish Pond and the Timucuan Preserve Visitor Center, but this hike turns left to begin heading back to the Theodore Roosevelt Area.

Back on the Willie Browne Trail

            Marked with red rectangles, the Spanish Pond Trail undulates gently before reaching its southern end at an intersection with the Willie Browne Trail, which goes right and straight.  Turn right on the Willie Browne Trail.  After passing a fairly recent cemetery that contains the grave of Mr. Browne, you close the loop portion of this hike.  Continue straight and retrace your steps 0.5 miles on the Willie Browne Trail to complete the hike.