Fort George Island Cultural State Park

Native Americans feasted here, colonists built a fort and the Smart Set of the 1920s came for vacations.

A site of human occupation for over 5,000 years, Fort George Island was named for a 1736 fort built to defend the Ribault Clubsouthern flank of Georgia when it was a colony.

Experiences

Bicycling
Fort George Island Cultural State Park offers a loop bicycle ride through history. Pick up a copy of the Saturiwa Trail guide at the Little Talbot Island Ranger Station or in the brochure rack in front of the Ribault Club on Fort George Island. The loop is 4.4 miles and consists of paved road and hard packed gravel.

For off-road bicyclists there is a three-mile biking/hiking trail that traverses the interior of the former Fort George Island golf course. The trail is suitable for large tired bikes.
Helmets are highly recommended for all cyclists and Florida law requires helmets for cyclists age 16 and under.
Birding
Shorebirds fill the tidal shoals behind the Ribault Club to rest at low tide. Bring binoculars to catch a close up of least terns, royal terns and black skimmers. Wading birds like wood storks, great blue herons and snowy egrets fish along the salt marsh of the Fort George River. A roost for night herons adjacent to a freshwater pond can be viewed along the Fairway Loop trail. Pileated woodpeckers, great horned owls and bald eagles can be spotted among the live oaks.

Boating
Today's visitors come for many recreational activities, including boating and fishing. Behind the club small boats, canoes and kayaks can be launched on the tidal waters.

Paddling
The Ribault Clubhouse Water access, (unimproved boat ramp) behind the Ribault Clubhouse, is available for launching canoes, kayaks, and small flat bottom boats.

Fishing
Fishing the Fort George River from the shoreline is a popular activity.

All fishing within the park must conform to regulations concerning size, number, method of capture and season.  A fishing license may be required.  More information is available at the Florida Wildlife Commission’s Fishing in Florida.

Geo-Seeking
Explore the park in a new and challenging way. Experienced Geocachers have requested permission to hide caches containing trinkets, treasures, or information in various places around the park.  Please check the Geocaching website for the most current and up-to-date information and clues to locate these caches.

Operation Recreation GeoTour

Hiking
There is a three-mile hiking/biking trail loop on Fort George Island called the Fairway Loop Trail. The trail runs through the interior of the former Fort George golf course. A successional process is returning the golf course land back to its natural state and restoring the maritime forest habitat. Park at the Ribault Club visitor center and hike north to discover one of the tallest dunes on the eastern seabord, Mt. Cornelia, a true Florida hill. Approximately 3/4 mile north of the clubhouse, the trail comes to a T-junction. Head right to take in sweeping marsh views across the Ft. George River at Pt. Isabel, a historic fortified inlet where goods were ferried to and from the plantations. Or head left to link up to National Park Service trails that lead to the historic Kingsley Plantation, built in the 1700s and still standing at the water's edge. If you head south from the Ribault Club, you will encounter a large fresh water pond that also serves as a Night Heron rookery in the spring and summer. This trail is suitable for large tired bikes.

Amenities

Accessible Amenities
Fort George Island Cultural State Park is committed to providing a variety of accessible amenities to all of its visitors. Those amenities include:

Buildings and event facilities at the Ribault Club Visitor Center
Permanent Interpretive display at the Ribault Club Visitor Center
Manual wheelchair inside Ribault Club Visitor Center
Segway tour operators, Kayak Amelia, are able to include motorized wheelchairs or other personal mobility devices that can travel speed of group
Self-guided CD Audio-tour of the island along Fort George Road
UTAP Trail information for the 3 mile Fairway Loop Trail
Weekly interpretive ranger programs
Large-print formats of park information and brochures

Historic Site
Built in 1928, the Ribault Clubhouse was restored in 2003 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Sites. Come tour the grand building and relive the opulence of the past when it served as a retreat for wealthy tourists during the winter months.

Pets
Well-behaved dogs are welcome at Fort George Island Cultural State Park on our hiking trails, pavilions, paved park roads, parking lots, and our multi-use trails. They are not allowed inside buildings or on our shorelines. They must be kept on a 6-foot leash at all times and cannot be left unattended for more than a half hour.

Picnic Pavilion
Enjoy breathtaking views of the Fort George River as you dine outside at our picnic pavilion next to the marsh behind the Ribault Club. Afterwards, borrow a lawn game set from the rangers and try your hand at Bocce Ball or Croquet on the plush green grass around the club.

Restroom Facilities
Restroom facilities are located inside the Ribault Club Visitor Center.

Visitor Center
The Ribault Club and Fort George Island Visitor Center serves as the gateway to the Timucuan Trail State and National Parks. The historic Ribault Club is open to the public every Wednesday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Visitor Center, located within the Ribault Club, has interpretive exhibits depicting the rich natural and cultural history of the area and the island.

The grand rooms of the Club can be rented through The Ribault Club, a park visitor service provider, who provides professional event management for private and business functions. Proceeds from the events managed by The Ribault Club help support on-going maintenance and protection of this architectural treasure. For more information on club rental please call 904-251-1050.

Wheelchair Accessible
The Ribault Club and surrounding grounds are ADA accessible. A wheelchair is available for use inside the building.

Boat Ramp
The Ribault Clubhouse Water access, (unimproved boat ramp) behind the Ribault Clubhouse, is available for launching canoes, kayaks, and small flat bottom boats.