When visiting Amelia Island, Florida a must-see attraction is Fort Clinch State Park with its Civil War-era fortress overlooking the Cumberland Sound. It’s a vast state park with extensive shoreline along both the Amelia River and Atlantic Ocean, a half-mile-long fishing pier, campgrounds, and about 1,153 acres of maritime hammock, moss-draped live oaks, and coastal grasses.
The scenery is fantastic with panoramic waterfront views, massive sand dunes, lovely tree canopy, and the antiquated, historic fort itself, recognized as one of the most well-preserved 19th-Century forts in America.
Fort Clinch was built in 1847 at the mouth of the St. Mary’s River for protection of Fernandina Harbor’s deepwater port. The fort was a military post during the Civil War, Spanish-American War, and World War II. Fort Clinch is a third system fortification, and can be toured daily. From the park’s entrance at 2601 Atlantic Avenue in Fernandina Beach, it’s about a 3-mile drive through shady, wild tree canopy to reach the brick fortress that’s perched on the Cumberland Sound offering a spectacular waterfront view from the fort’s outer walls.
Visitors can tour Fort Clinch daily and spend time outdoors hiking and biking on trails, fishing, and enjoying the beautiful beachfront. Camping can be booked through Reserve America online. If planning a trip, note that special re-enactments at Fort Clinch occur monthly on the first weekend.
Union Garrisons — Living History Weekends, Reenactments
Life during the Civil War era is recreated at Fort Clinch State Park the first weekend each month. Walk over the draw bridge and through the brick tunnel into life as it was at the fort in 1864 during the War between the States. Fort staff usually offer a first-person interpretation of fort life during this time period in history by portraying soldiers and workers stationed at Fort Clinch. Living historians take up duty in the infirmary, blacksmith shop, jail, laundry, and kitchen. Activities may include black powder artillery demonstrations, marching drills, and blacksmith demonstrations. Visitors can see these special living history garrisons from 9 am to 5 pm on Saturday of the first weekend of the month and 9 am until noon on the first weekend Sunday at the fort (daytime tours are $2 per person). Special evening candlelight tour of Fort Clinch is also held the first weekend Saturday night each month and costs $3 per person.
Special annual events include:
September Spanish-American War remembrance with exhibits of period military equipment (happening Sept. 18-19th in 2010) and a “History of the American Soldier” in November each year, around Veteran’s Day (program salutes the Armed Forces with an interactive living timeline of each major military conflict in U.S. history — this is an excellent event, happening this year on Saturday, November 13, 2010).
Fort Clinch State Park offers public restrooms, wooden dune walkovers to the beach, and picnic areas with tables and barbecues. At just $6 a vehicle at the front gate (2 to 8 people or $4 for a single driver) to enter the park (and $2 per person if you wish to tour the fort itself), this is one of the best bargains in Florida for a day-vacation. BE SURE TO WATCH THE FORT CLINCH STATE PARK TOUR VIDEO and see Amelia Island Living’s complete Fort Clinch overview with more photos. Call Fort Clinch State Park at 904-277-7274 for more information.
Pictured, Fort Clinch, in Fernandina Beach, on Amelia Island, Florida. Amelia Island Living’s “Seaside Snapshots” are a new photo journal feature. More landmark buildings will be featured here…
