Fort Caroline National Memorial, a site within the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, near present-day Jacksonville, memorializes the short-lived French presence in sixteenth century Florida. In May of 1562, Jean Ribault, in command of two small ships, sailed several miles up the St. Johns River and claimed the surrounding area for France. Two years later, in June of 1564, some two hundred French settlers, many of them Huguenots, established a colony under the leadership of René de Laudonniêre. The colony, comprising a village and a small earthen and timber fortification was named la Caroline -- literally the colony of Charles, king of France. Spain had also claimed sovereignty over Florida, and, in September of 1565, Spanish forces marched overland from their newly established settlement at San Agustín (St. Augustine), some 40 miles distant, and overran the French colony, killing many of the French defenders, and ending France's effort to build a permanent settlement in Florida. Nothing remains of the original Fort de la Caroline; a near full-scale interpretive rendering of the fort, together with exhibits in the nearby visitor center, provide information on the history of the French colony, its interaction with the native Timucuans, and the colonists' brief struggle for survival.

The Visitor Center at Fort Caroline National Memorial also serves as the principal interpretive center of the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve. The Visitor Center provides information about the maritime estuarine environment of northeast Florida, and about the other visitor use sites within the Preserve, including the Theodore Roosevelt Area, Cedar Point, and Kingsley Plantation. Refer to the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve Home Page for more specific information about these areas.

VISITATION:
Visitation is highest in February and March; lowest in June and July.

LOCATION:
Jacksonville, Florida

ADDRESS:
Fort Caroline National Memorial/Timucuan Preserve
12713 Ft. Caroline Road
Jacksonville, Florida 32225

TELEPHONE:
Information: (904) 641-7155
Administrative Offices: (904) 221-7567

OPERATING HOURS, SEASONS:
Daily, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; closed December 25

CLIMATE, RECOMMENDED CLOTHING:
Summers are hot and humid with frequent afternoon thunderstorms. In Winter, freezing temperatures are infrequent, but cool, damp, and windy conditions are common. Light, loose fitting clothing is recommended in Spring, Summer and Fall; layered clothing is recommended for Winter. Good walking shoes are recommended. Biting insects are common all year and are especially heavy from late May through early July.

DIRECTIONS:
Fort Caroline is located in Jacksonville (Duval County), Florida about 14 miles northeast of downtown.

Traveling from the north via Interstate 95, use Exit 124A, at Heckscher Drive, Florida Route 105, heading east. Travel approximately six miles on Heckscher Drive and turn right on Florida Route 9A. Route 9A crosses the St. Johns River via the Napoleon Bonaparte Broward bridge at Dames Point. Immediately after crossing the bridge, exit to the right onto the Southside Connector. Then, at the first stoplight, turn left on Merrill Road. Merrill Road merges with Fort Caroline Road; continue on Fort Caroline Road for about four and one-half miles. Follow the brown National Park Service signs, the entrance to Fort Caroline National Memorial will be on your left.

Traveling up the east coast of Florida from the south via Interstate 95, leave I-95 at Exit 99, Southside Boulevard. Continue north on Southside Boulevard approximately 11 miles to Merrill Road. Turn right on Merrill Road. Merrill Road merges with Fort Caroline Road; continue on Fort Caroline Road for about four and one-half miles. Follow the brown National Park Service signs, the entrance to Fort Caroline National Memorial will be on your left.

From Florida Route A1A and the Jacksonville area beaches, travel west on Atlantic Boulevard and, after crossing the Intracoastal Waterway, turn right on Girvin Road. Continue straight ahead; notice that Girvin Road continues on as Mount Pleasant Road after crossing the bridge over the salt marsh. Six miles after leaving Atlantic Boulevard, turn right on Fort Caroline Road. The entrance to Fort Caroline National Memorial is one-half mile ahead, on your left.

From Downtown Jacksonville, take the Matthews Bridge to the Arlington Expressway to Atlantic Boulevard, eastbound. Turn left on Monument Road, and travel approximately five miles to Fort Caroline Road. Turn right, and follow Fort Caroline Road as it curves to the left at the bottom of the hill. The entrance to the Fort Caroline National Memorial will be ahead, on your left.

TRANSPORTATION:
Jacksonville International Airport is northwest of the park. Jacksonville is served by Amtrak and by Greyhound Bus lines. Personal or rental vehicles are required to reach the park.

FEES, COSTS, RATES:

Park Fees
All normal park activities are free. Golden Age ($10.00) and Golden Access (Free) passports are available. Some special park uses may require a fee.

Special Note on the Federal Recreational Fee Demonstration Program
Admission to the Fort Caroline National Memorial and the other sites of the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve is free. The Timucuan Preserve, however, does benefit from fees collected at other National Park Service locations under the Federal Recreational Fee Demonstration Program. This program, authorized by Congress in 1997, allows the Department of the Interior to charge fees, on a test basis, at selected National Park Service locations. Although the Timucuan Preserve does not charge an admission fee, the Preserve benefits from the Fee demonstration Program by sharing a portion of the fees collected at sites which do charge admission.

One of the projects at the Timucuan Preserve funded through the Federal Recreational Fee Demonstration Program provides for the mapping of vegetation, animal life, and soil characteristics in the species-rich transitional marsh between fresh and saline waters. Data collected will include a plant survey, an animal inventory including invertebrates, birds, fish, mammals, and reptiles, as well as measurements of soil density, soil salinity, and tidal amplitude. Study results will assist park managers in the evaluation of proposed dredge and fill operations, and in decisions on water management and habitat preservation issues.

Another project funded through the Fee Demonstration Program is the construction of a new observation platform at the Theodore Roosevelt Area. The new observation platform will provide visitors, including hikers, birders, and photographers, with a spectacular view of the salt marsh and tidal creeks surrounding Round Marsh.

FACILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES:

Visitor Center/Exhibits
The Visitor Center houses a series of exhibits, new in 1997, collectively named Where the Waters Meet. The exhibits tell the story of the St. Johns River estuary, where salt and freshwater meet to create a rich environment well suited to sustain many life forms, including human life. The saga of human interaction with the estuary begins with Living in Nature, an exhibit which describes, through the use of interpretive exhibits and historic artifacts, the life of the Timucuans as they lived for centuries before the arrival of Europeans. The French attempt at colonization of the area is described, largely through the use of the sketches and writings of LeMoyne and Laudonniêre, two survivors of the ill-fated French colony. An illustrated timeline briefly touches upon the most recent four centuries as the region witnessed succeeding eras of exploration, colonization, agriculture, and commercial exploitation of the St. Johns River estuary. The final exhibit in the Visitor Center, The Living Laboratory, features a satellite image of Northeast Florida, highlighting the Timucuan Preserve, and showing close-up photographic images of various natural and human elements which make up the area today.

Trails and Roads
A quarter mile walk from the Visitor Center along the Old French Trail brings visitors to a life-size exhibit of Fort de la Caroline. While the fort exhibit is not an original historic structure, the exhibit provides visitors with a glimpse of how the French tried to protect their colonists from a harsh new environment among unknown cultures and from the very real threat from a well known European enemy - Spain. In addition to the fort trail, there is a one mile self-guided loop trail (Hammock Trail) with interpretive placards along the way that focus on the natural and cultural history of the site.

A short walk or drive from the Fort Caroline Visitor Center complex leads to the Spanish Pond area where visitors may view a freshwater wetland and its associated vegetation and wildlife. Spanish Pond derives its name from the possibility that it may have been the site at which Spanish soldiers camped the night before they attacked Fort de la Caroline in 1565.

A network of trails connects the Spanish Pond site to the Theodore Roosevelt Area, a 600 acre coastal maritime hammock preserve of hardwood forest, scrub vegetation, and saltmarsh. The Theodore Roosevelt Area provides habitat for a wide variety of plants and animals native to northeast Florida.

A short drive from Spanish Pond brings the visitor to Ribault Monument, a replica of the stone column placed by Jean Ribault at the mouth of the St. Johns River in 1562. Ribault Monument is located on one of the highest portions of a bluff overlooking the St. Johns River. A wheelchair accessible terrace offers visitors a scenic view of the river and wetlands to the northeast.

Map of Fort Caroline National Memorial and Adjacent Sites

Programs and Activities
Fort Caroline National Memorial is open daily 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The site is self-guiding; staff are available throughout the day to provide additional information. A schedule of Ranger talks is posted on-site. Call ahead for the current schedule.

Lodging and camping facilities
A wide range of hotel and motel accommodations are available nearby. Camping is available within the Timucuan Preserve at Little Talbot Island State Park, and at Huguenot Memorial Park, operated by the City of Jacksonville.

Food and supplies
Restaurants, fast food, convenience stores, and grocery stores are located near the park.

Concessions
A bookstore, operated by Eastern National Park and Monument Association, is located in the Ft. Caroline Visitor Center. More than 150 theme related books are available including titles on Florida Colonial History, History and Archaeology of the Timucuan People, Jacksonville History, Natural History Field Guides, and Children's Titles. Selected sales items may be ordered by mail. National Park Service publications and guides, maps, and interpretive objects are also available. A covered picnic area adjacent to the Visitor Center is available on a first-come-first-serve basis. There are no facilities for grills, stoves or cooking of any kind.

Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteer opportunities exist, both at Fort Caroline and at Kingsley Plantation. Volunteers assist in the operation of the visitor centers, perform trail maintenance, and participate in administrative activities.

Volunteers living in the local area often work several hours each week. Volunteers able to commit to a minimum of one month may have the opportunity to make use of the full hookup concrete RV pad at Fort Caroline, or the limited dormitory housing at the Timucuan Preserve's Kingsley Plantation.

All prospective volunteers must apply to the National Park Service Volunteer in Parks (VIP) program. Successful applicants to the VIP program are scheduled, in advance, in accordance with park needs and space availability. For specific information on the VIP program at Fort Caroline and the Timucuan Preserve, contact the VIP coordinator at (904) 641-7155. For additional information on the National Park Service Volunteer in Parks program, or to obtain an electronic copy of the VIP application, you may visit the NPS Volunteer in Parks area on the World Wide Web.

Accessibility
The Ft. Caroline National Memorial Visitor Center and restroom facilities are wheelchair-accessible. The trail to the fort exhibit is wheelchair accessible with difficulty. The park operates an electric cart for visitors in need of assistance who wish to visit the fort exhibit. The Ribault Column and the Spanish Pond overlook are wheelchair accessible.

RECOMMENDED ACTIVITIES:
History and nature enjoyment are the most common uses of the Ft. Caroline National Memorial site. Limited picnicking in the designated area is available. A network of hiking trails provides access to the interior of the nearby Theodore Roosevelt area.

RESERVATIONS and PERMITS:
Reservations for educational groups are taken in advance and are scheduled on a first call basis. Reservations should be made as early as possible. Written requests for special park uses at Fort Caroline, Spanish Pond, Ribault Column, or the Theodore Roosevelt Area should be made at least one month in advance. Filming permits are arranged on an individual basis. For information about these areas and for fee schedules, please call park offices.

BASIC VISIT RECOMMENDATIONS:
Plan for one to two hours for the Visitor Center and the fort exhibit. Those who plan to walk the hiking trails should allow additional time.

SPECIAL EVENTS, PROGRAMS:
Special events are held at Ft. Caroline, usually in the Spring and Fall. Call ahead for specific information.

VISITOR IMPACTS:
The National Park Service is charged with the memorialization of the historic sixteenth century settlement at la Caroline. For this reason, visitors are asked to enjoy and interact with the fort exhibit area in a manner which preserves the historic memory as well as the natural beauty and the ecology of the site. Picnicking or game playing are not permitted at the fort exhibit area. As in all National Park Service areas, please respect all wildlife and plants and leave any artifacts in place.

NEARBY VISITOR ATTRACTIONS:

The Region
Fort Caroline and the Timucuan Preserve are located within the Golden Crescent, an area running along the Atlantic Coast from Savannah to Cape Canaveral, and stretching inland toward Tallahassee. The area is rich in history and prehistory, by having been inhabited by Native Americans for thousands of years, and then by witnessing many of the earliest encounters among Europeans, Africans, and the native inhabitants. Additional Information can be found on the Golden Crescent homepage.

Fort Caroline National Memorial is one of the sites featured in Along the Georgia Florida Coast a travel itinerary from the National Register of Historic Places that explores America's past through visits to historic places.

National Park Service Sites
Nearby visitor sites of the National Park Service within the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve include the Theodore Roosevelt Area, a 600 acre nature preserve, and Kingsley Plantation, a nineteenth century cotton plantation, and Cedar Point, a wilderness area at the southern tip of Black Hammock Island with hiking trails and a boat ramp.

Some 40 miles to the south, Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, a seventeenth century Spanish fortress, is located at Saint Augustine, the oldest permanent European settlement in the continental United States.

State Parks
The State of Florida operates State Parks on Big Talbot Island and Little Talbot Island, two sea islands unique to northeast Florida. Fort Clinch, a nineteenth century fort at nearby Fernandina is also a State Park. The Fort George State Cultural Site is nearby.

Jacksonville Parks, Museums, and the Jacksonville Zoo
The City of Jacksonville operates a network of parks throughout the area. Two oceanfront parks, Hugenot Memorial Park, and Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park, offer camping. Jacksonville offers a series of nature programs, suitable for different age groups, under the city's Nature Scope program. Other Jacksonville area attractions include Jacksonville Zoological Gardens, theMuseum of Science and History, the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens , and the Jacksonville Museum of Contemporary Art. The Clara White Mission, located in the century-old former Globe Theater Building in downtown Jacksonville, houses a museum which offers a glimpse into victorian era Jacksonville and a wealth of information on the career of Jacksonville native Eartha White, the nationally renowned humanitarian. The museum is open daily, by appointment; telephone (904) 354-4162.

Area Beaches
Information on area beaches can be found by linking to the web sites of the Florida State Parks and City of Jacksonville Parks mentioned above. Additional information on area beaches can be found at the Jacksonville Ocean Beaches web site.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Write: Fort Caroline National Memorial, 12713 Ft. Caroline Road, Jacksonville, Florida 32225; or call (904) 641-7155 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, daily.