By:
Submission
This conservation area’s importance is magnified by its closeness to the St. Johns River and the Jacksonville metropolitan area. Its riverine bottomland hardwoods, pine flatwoods and sandhill communities protect approximately seven miles of the St. Johns River, which borders the east side of the property. In addition, the property provides storage of flood waters and preserves water and natural resources in the Lower St. Johns River Basin.
One of the special highlights of this property is its two campsites within area 1 in the northern section of the property. Both are special spots. The Hammock campground is tucked back into the flatwoods with an ephemeral stream directly to the east of the camp site. The Riverside campsite is located directly along the St. Johns River with fantastic views of the cypress trees that flank the banks of the river. The Riverside campsite and the trail leading to it can be wet due to seasonal flooding.
Entrances and parking are near Green Cove Springs. For details and to get driving directions from your location, see the Google Maps link on this page.
Beautiful trails and views of the St. Johns River. Lots of wildlife (unfortunately including yellow flies on some of the smaller trails) so be prepared. Primitive campsites by the water would be great to overnight at in winter.
Trails are still very wet, especially the Red Trail as of 11/15/20. That being said, you can generally get around pretty well by taking the unnamed roads which are shown on the property maps. I was able to backpack to the river side campground this way, which was muddy on the approach but the site itself was not.
A note of caution for first time visitors: the map on the signboard after you go through the yellow gates past the new trailer parking area shows "you are here" in an incorrect location. Apparently the sign was moved from what was previously the west entrance and they didn't change it.
My wife, the dog and I had a nice walk through the woods and wetlands area. Most of the trails are wide and easy to walk. The wetlands area has a narrow wooden walkway that has damage from fallen trees. It's manageable if you are careful. Definitely recommend. Also, be sure to check yourself and your animals for ticks! The dog and I had 3 each.
Great place. It's actually several places as there's a lot of points to access the various parts of Bayard. The group campground is a little close to the road and train tracks but it's not a busy road or tracks. I seen very few people. Overall I loved my few days here!
