Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park

Nature Man, Brother David and Master Naturalist Class

Nature Man invites you to explore one of Florida's newest state parks. Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park offers miles of multi-use trails for hikers, equestrians, off-road bicyclists, as well as canoe and kayak access to Pumpkin Hill Creek. Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park is on the Northside of Jacksonville. The park can be accessed by driving north on the I-295 East Beltway crossing the Dames Point Bridge, exit on Alta Road north, continue on Alta until it turns into Yellow Bluff Road, then turn right on New Berlin Road, followed by a left on Cedar Point Road, then a right on Pumpkin Hill Road and the Parking Lot for Pumpkin Hill Preserve State Park is on the left.  There are three access points to pristine tidal creeks adjacent to the park property.  One provides a hand launch area for canoes and kayaks to access Pumpkin Hill Creek. This canoe/kayak launch is further down Pumpkin Hill Road until it dead ends at the creek. Whether fishing from the shore or boat these creeks have enormous potential for catching species such as redfish, flounder and sea trout.

Turkey Oak

Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park protects one of the largest contiguous areas of coastal uplands remaining in Duval County. The park preserves approximately 4,000 acres of upland habitat bordering tidal marshlands along the Saint Johns River. These upland ecosystems are crucial in maintaining water quality and providing healthy habitat for plants and animals. The abundant wildlife includes the protected gopher tortoise, the endangered wood stork, deer, bald eagle, osprey, raccoons and numerous shore wading and song birds.

Communities
The park contains ten distinct natural communities including scrubby flat woods, cypress dome, sandhills, maritime hammock, wet flat-woods and estuarine tidal marsh. The park is adjacent to the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve managed by the National Park Service, which protects more than 46,000 acres of undeveloped estuarine habitat.


Trails

Cypress Dome

There are five multi-use trails that traverse more than ten miles of the park, all accessible from the main parking area. There is also a short interpretive trail leading from the main parking lot to the Visitor Center, which displays several interpretive themes important to the natural and cultural history of the park. I highly recommend that you take some time out to relax and enjoy all there is to do at Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park.

On your visit I recommend that you bring plenty of water to drink, bug repellent, sun screen, close-toed shoes appropriate for hiking sandy soil, binoculars, camera and an Audubon Florida Field guide for flora and wildlife identification purposes.

Proper trail etiquette is recommended:

• Dogs must be on a six foot leash and must be well behaved.
• Animal and plant life are protected. Do not kill, trap or molest any mammal, bird, reptile or amphibian. Do not pick, cut, carve, break off limbs from or mutilate any plant life.
• Pack it in, pack it out.
• Take only pictures and memories.

In your visit you might get the opportunity to see the bald eagle nest site and witness mom and dad bald eagles feeding their young as I have on previous visits. You might also see a deer slipping thru the turkey oaks, a Pygmy Rattlesnake moving along just off the side of the trail or a Great Blue Heron feeding on the shoreline of Pumpkin Hill Creek. Nature Man Photography brings you the following:




Pitcher Plant

Pygmy Rattlesnake




Sweet Bay (Magnolia)