My Uncle Barry and Aunt Tracey lived in the Jacksonville area and there were a cluster of parks I wanted to visit there so I got a two in one because I could spend some time with them and see a lot of parks in one day. Uncle Barry thought it would be fun to go State Parking that day so off we went to see what the state had to offer.
I was excited about Big Talbot Island because Aunt Tracey already told me it was filled with driftwood. Now when I hear driftwood, I think of pieces of wood washed up on the shore, not exactly what I came across at the park. We were luck enough to get a spot in the small parking lot right by the hiking trail to the beach. There was a little platform that gave us a preview on what we were about to encounter. The driftwood was actually massive trees and they were everywhere.
We continued our hike to the beach, eager to get out there and see more. There was a challenging short cut but we made it down and out into the open. Live oaks and cedar trees, or at least what was left of them, were spread across as far as the eye could see and beyond. We spent a lot of our time at this park, soaking up the sights and analyzing what was. Uncle Barry is fascinated with driftwood too so this park was perfect for us to explore together. He plotted over ways he could take a piece home but we both knew he would never get one of those in his pocket so they had to stay were nature deposited them.
We walked the shoreline for a while and I could see there was still more land to explore but we needed to be on our way. I sat on a driftwood to put my shoes back on and a wave came up aggressively, trying to take me out. I saved one shoe but the other was soaked and when I got up the driftwood ripped my skirt! Maybe it was mothers nature way of telling me not to go. Either way, I sadly made my way back to the car knowing it was not going to be the last time I frolicked on Boneyard Beach.
Before you visit, make sure you check out the parks website for all of the up-to-date park information: https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/big-talbot-island-state-park
