Jacksonville is the largest city by landmass in the continuous United States but, like me, you’ll likely be pleasantly surprised when you visit. It’s dubbed the “Flip Side of Florida” for good reason. It has a different vibe than the rest of the state. With 80,000 acres of urban park space including 405 city parks, 7 state parks, 2 National Park Service sites, and an arboretum, Jacksonville has green space equivalent to four times the size of the island of Manhattan. The northeast corner of the Florida is the state’s hub for southern cuisine with collards, grits, and fried okra frequently appearing on menus. It has 1,100 miles of shoreline including 22 miles of white-sandy beaches with one that’s rather unusual. Here’s how to spend 48 hours in Jacksonville on some “wild” adventures.

Visit a Wildlife Sanctuary

While road tripping with my friend Adeina, we made Catty Shack Ranch our first stop in Jacksonville. The wildlife sanctuary rescues exotic animals that were privately owned and can’t be released in the wild. It’s open for day and night tours to see the big cats, bears, and other medium to large animals. The sanctuary solely depends on visitors and donations and are currently expanding enclosures for their wild residents, which are all on their website including 18 tigers and 2 lions. I loved watching the sister tigers Misha and Amara bask in the sunshine and watching Leo the bear chow down on a crab leg as part of the staff placing food around his enclosure for him to forage as part of his enrichment. Leo was acquired in 2020 as part of a federal investigation from a private facility. Each enclosure has a sign with the animal’s picture, name, and where it came from. Two of my favorites were Dolly the mountain lion and Blessing the bobcat. I also liked the tiger liter mates named after cheeses – Brie, Monterey, and Colby – acquired from a private zoo in Wisconsin that closed down. We spent about an hour wandering around and watching the animals in this unique wildlife sanctuary.

Find Serenity at Jacksonville Arboretum and Gardens

Our next stop was Jacksonville Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. Admission is $3 which we paid on-site via Venmo QR code. It covers 120 acres and has 7 nature trails taking you through 13 distinct ecosystems. Feeling a little peckish, we had a mini picnic at one of the picnic tables in the serene spot with huge oaks draped with Spanish moss right after you enter. We decided to do the Lake Loop. The 0.3-mile loop circles the two-acre lake. You have to take it to access the secondary trails. As strolled around the lake I couldn’t believe this was in Jacksonville. There are signs for alligators but I only saw a couple of lizards, some turtles, and dragon flies near the pavilion. That spot offers a lovely view of the lake.

Stay at Elements Jacksonville Beach

Late afternoon we checked into our rooms at Elements Jacksonville Beach. This pet-friendly property is two blocks from the beach. I was in a Studio room with double beds. The spacious room also has a sofa bed, writing desk with ergonomic chair, large bathroom, and a full kitchen. The property offers “First Nighter Kit” and a grocery shopping service if you’re staying for a few days and want to stock up. After quickly settling in, we walked to beach to check it out before returning to the Elements lobby for complimentary wine and beer happy hour.

Dinner at Dockside

For a casual dinner we headed over to Dockside Seafood Restaurant in Neptune Beach. It’s an order at the counter kind of place along the east edge of the Jacksonville Beach boat ramp. It was a little to windy and chilly for us to sit outside to enjoy the marsh and boat views. Instead we sat in the tented outside area. Dockside has a lively atmosphere and very popular with locals and tourists. I went for the deconstructed grilled shrimp tacos with sides of fried okra and the cucumber and tomato salad. I also got a key lime pie to go for a sweet treat as a night cap.

Sunrise at Jacksonville Beach

I’m a sunrise chaser and was up early to enjoy the sunrise at Jacksonville Beach followed by a quick walk for a workout. Instead of going out for breakfast we opted to eat at Elements, espeically since they were serving made to order breakfast tacos and had offerings of yogurt with fresh berries and nuts to grab-and-go items like bananas.

Learn About a French Settlement at Fort Caroline National Memorial

Fort Caroline National Memorial is one of two National Park Service sites in Jacksonville. It memorializes the very short-lived French presence along the St. John’s River in the 16th century. It is a walk-through time and nature along the St. John’s River. The half-mile French Memorial Trail leads to a large scale exhibit of Fort Caroline. It was the first planned French colony established and what is now the United States. France built a fort and village somewhere near here in 1564 as it began to challenge Spain for resources in the New World. All but a few of the 300 settlers were Huguenots or protestants fleeing persecution by Catholics in France. They measured a piece of ground in the shape of a triangle to lay out their fort and settlement in August 1565. On September 20, 1565 about 400 Spanish troops led by Pedro Menéndez stormed the sparsely defended fort. They massacred 130 people. About 70 colonist fled into the woods or ships and it’s believed the survivors returned to France. Fort Caroline National Memorial commemorates the men, women, and children who created the French Huguenot settlement here in 1565. Except for the colonies leader, there is little information about both of the colonist, and what happened to them.

Fort Caroline is within the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, the second National Park Service site in Jacksonville. Very close to Fort Caroline is the Theodore Roosevelt area with hikes ranging from easy along the Spanish Pond to more strenuous along the Timucuan Trail. We walked for a few minutes at Spanish Pond and imagined what it was like in 1565 when Spaniards trudged through the wetlands. Next we did the short drive over to Ribault Column. French explorer Jean Ribault claimed this area for France when he erected a column on the banks of the St. John’s River in 1565.

Lunch at Palms Fish Camp

It was a gorgeous day to have lunch outside so we headed to nearby Palms Fish Camp along the St. Johns River and Clapboard Creek. It’s been a staple here since 1950 and the perfect spot to nosh on local Mayport shrimp. You can get the shrimp fried, grilled, or blackened and it comes with two sides and hush puppies. I went for grilled shrimp with fried okra and cheese grits. I would have gone for collards but they come with bacon (green beans do too) and I don’t eat pork. Mayport is where St. Johns River and Atlantic Ocean meet. It’s an excellent shrimping area and the reason for the local delicacy. If it’s a beautiful day when you go to Palms Fish Camp, sit outside at one of the colorful tables for lunch with a view.

Explore Kingsley Plantation

On the drive into another section of Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve the road turns to a well maintained dirt and gravel road. After driving beneath a beautiful tree canopy for a bit, we stopped along Garden Creek to take pictures before reaching Kingsley Plantation on Fort George Island. In 1814, Zephaniah Kingsley relocated his family to the sea island plantation. I found it interested that his wife, Anna Madgigine Jai, was from Senegal, West Africa, and was purchased by him as a slave. She played a role in plantation management and went on to acquire her own land and slaves after Kingsley freed her in 1811. They had four children. As you enter the plantation, you’ll see the remnants of white stone cabins in a semi-circle. Those are slave cabins. I suggest saving those until after you visit the main house and barn area because the cabins are significant. Slave labor on the Sea Island cotton plantation used the task system distinctive to southeastern coastal plantations where each slave laborer was given a specific amount of work for the day. On a self-guided tour I stopped first stop in the kitchen house. In the back room, the walls and floor are made of tabby, which is an oyster shell concrete. The floor is nearly 200 years old. Tabby holds temperature well and is fire resistant and durable. Next stop was Anna’s Parlor where the walls are filled with information about life on the plantation. The main house is closed but you can walk around it and take in the view. Facing out to Fort George River, the main house was constructed in 1798. It is the oldest still standing plantation house in the state of Florida. After a quick stop in the barn before we drove back to the slave cabins and walked around the remains of 25 cabins made from tabby. They were the homes of 60 to 80 enslaved men, women, and children. The birthplace of African-American archaeology can be traced to Kingsley Plantation. It is the place where archaeologists in 1968 first began to search for artifacts that reflected African identity.

Take a Walk Along Boneyard Beach

It’s a short drive from Kingsley Plantation to the trailhead parking area for Boneyard Beach. When parked and facing the beach with the road at your back, the shoreline access trail is on your left. It’s an easy 0.5-mile hike each way on a sandy trail through the coastal forest. Make sure you’re wearing bug spray on this hike.

As the forest opens ups to sandy shoreline, you’ll see why Boneyard Beach is one-of-a-kind and the most unusual beach in Jacksonville. It’s a locals’ favorite and one spilled the beans about this cool 3-mile stretch of shoreline along the Nassau Sound in Big Talbot Isand State Park within Timucuan Ecological and Historical Preserve. The landscape is extraordinary with 30-foot bluffs and beach peppered with massive bleached oak trees. The driftwood look like bones in an elephant graveyard. Some of the trees are upright and some are topppled. There’s also stumps reminiscent of what you would find in a dry swamp with a sandy base. It’s a spot for an artistic photographer, tree climbers, and those looking for a unique place to discover.

5-Minute Ferry Instead of an Hour Drive

I’m always up for a fun ferry ride. We took the St. Johns River Ferry for a five-minute ride to the Mayport Landing. It would have taken us about an hour if we drove through the city. It’s worth the $6 weekday car fare ($8 on weekends) to save time and miss traffic taking the fast way to go between Jacksonville, Neptune, and Atlantic Beaches to For George Island.

Happy Hour and Dinner in Neptune Beach

From the ferry we drove to explore the lively shopping and dining complex of Beaches Town Center in Neptune Beach. Our first stop was the area’s oldest bar. When I asked the bartender for a cocktail menu (yes, I really did!), he laughed and responded we’re the “divest dive bar you’ve ever been in.” After bursting into laughter, Adeina and I ordered vodka sodas with a splash of cranberry. Pete’s Bar was the first bar in Duval County to “legally” reopen after Prohibition in 1933. Patrons include writers Ernest Hemingway and John Grisham, who wrote about the bar in his book The Brethren and apparantly wrote some of the book while in the bar.

Our next stop Lemon Bar to enjoy the last bits of daylight with an oceanfront view. I ordered the Ocean Cucumber cocktail made with New Amsterdam vodka, fresh cucumbers, lime, and simple syrup topped with a splash of soda, Sprite, and tonic. We decided to do an early dinner here, but both of us went for non-seafood cuisine. We decided to split the grilled cheese and veggie wrap for a low-key dinner.

Get a Cool Treat at Cookies and Creme

Wanting ice cream, we stumbled upon a very cute and fun spot. Cookies and Creme is a made-from-scratch cookies and ice cream sandwich shop. I went for a scoop of Thin Lizzy. The mint ice cream has Girl Scouts Thin Mints in it and was worth every calorie! We happened to be there on a Wednesday, which is milkshake night. A couple of gals sitting at the picnic table next to us ordered a pair of CnC’s (as locals call it) over-the-top shakes. You can get any of their flavors as a cookie sandwich and the cookies are baked daily. The ice creams have fun names ranging from Strawberry Fields to Tom Sawyer and Def Leppard. I snagged a Reese’s peanut butter cup cookie to go, which I devoured the homemade cookie yumminess the next day.

Sunrise Walk on Jacksonville Beach

The next morning I caught my last sunrise walk on Jacksonville Beach. There were more clouds around, but it was still wonderful watching the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean then enjoying a brisk walk before we packed up to drive south.

Go Birding at Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park

The next morning I headed out for my last sunrise on Jacksonville before we packed up to drive south. The weather was changing from breezy and sunny to cloudy, cool, and windy, but we decided to check out Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park. The 450-acre park, called Hanna Park by locals, is in Mayport and is home to 1.5 miles of sandy beaches and a 60-acre freshwater lake.

We stopped at historic Manhattan Beach. It was Florida’s first African-American beach resort. In 1900 Henry Flagler reserved Manhattan Beach for black employees of Florida East Coast Railway and Florida East Coast Hotel companies. Manhattan Beach was their only seaside respite in Northeast Florida. We drove over to the lake, which proved to be an excellent place for bird watching as we saw pelicans and anhingas. The sere spot was fitting for our last stop in Jacksonville as it was yet another surprise in this big city along the Atlantic Ocean.

Author Jennifer Broome has a great time spending a week exploring northeast Florida. For another stop, read 48 hours of Island Life on Amelia Island.