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a monument, trees, and cannon at yellow bluff fort historic state park

Yellow Bluff Fort Historic State Park

A preserved Civil War encampment lets visitors step back in time

Hours

8 a.m. until sunset, 365 days

Fees

No fee required

Location

New Berlin Road
Jacksonville, FL 32226

Get directions

Contact Info

904-251-2320

Park Menu

  • Experiences & Amenities
  • History
Download Park Map

Welcome to Yellow Bluff Fort Historic State Park

This site was an important military position during the Civil War.

Located near the mouth of the St. Johns River, this site was an important military position during the Civil War, allowing access to the inland areas of Florida's east coast.

There was never an actual fort on Yellow Bluff but an encampment was fortified and equipped with large guns for protection. When construction began in 1862, the site was occupied by both Confederate and Union troops during the Civil War and at its peak housed more than 250 soldiers. The site has a T-shaped earthworks and covers about 1.3 acres.

The park is located on Yellow Bluff peninsula on the north side of the St. Johns River (on New Berlin Road).

Plan Your Visit

Michelle Waterman Park Manager
Learn

Manager's Message

Tucked beneath the oaks and a short five-minute drive from I-295 and Heckscher Drive, Yellow Bluff Fort preserves an important piece of Jacksonville’s Civil War history. It’s the perfect place to enjoy your lunch break in the shade.
Annual Pass displayed over water and sky.
Learn

Florida State Parks Annual Pass

Annual entrance passes can be purchased at all park ranger stations and museums. If you require immediate use of your pass, this is the best option. Passes can be purchased during regular business hours 365 days a year.
a single cannon faces the camera in a large clearing surrounded by oak trees
Learn

Walk Back in Time at Yellow Bluff

Located within the metropolitan Jacksonville area is a small, quiet and contemplative park, a memorial to the Civil War soldiers and earthworks that once stood on this spot. Several cannons, a stone monument, a few picnic tables and a trail stand on the site today.

Experiences

Picnicking
Picnicking
Walking and Running
Walking and Running

Amenities

Historic Site
Historic Site
Nature Trail
Nature Trail
Parking
Parking
Pets
Pets

Yellow Bluff Fort Historic State Park Photo Gallery

Yellow Bluff Fort Entrance Sign
an open area with trees, picnic tables, and signs
Yellow Bluff Fort
Yellow Bluff Fort Hiking Trail
view of the mouth of a cannon with a saw palmetto and trees in the background
a picnic table sits in a clearing under trees
a cannon mounted on a concrete plinth is seen from the side, with oak trees behind it
a saw palmetto plant next to an oak tree
three reenactors dressed as union soldiers load a cannon
Learn

History of Yellow Bluff

The history of Yellow Bluff Fort Historic State Park is brief but complex, taking place during a time when the nation was at war with itself. The modest lot that stands today filled with oak trees and picnic tables was once the site of a hasty Civil War era fortification, a desperate attempt to defend the city of Jacksonville against Union forces.
Big Lagoon State Park Trail
Learn

Trails at Florida State Parks

Whether by bicycle, horse, wheelchair, kayak or on your own two feet, trails both within and outside our state parks can lead to a wide variety of adventure and opportunity throughout Florida.

People Make the Parks

Shunne Elerby, Park Ranger

Staff Spotlight

For the past six years, Shunne Elerby has dedicated his time and service to the Talbot Islands state parks.
a man and woman in field clothes smile at the camera while holding some sort of small artifact

Volunteer Spotlight

Paul started out volunteering with Team Terrapin, only to get hooked on helping survey archaeological sites.
Friends of Talbot Islands State Parks

Friends of Talbot Islands State Parks

Our mission is to enhance the activities and preserve the cultural and natural resources of our local Florida state parks in order to educate and provide future generations the enjoyment of the natural beauty of the real Florida.

This Park is Recognized by:

National Register of Historic Places

Park Map

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Florida State Parks

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