Big Talbot Island and Boneyard Beach: 1,680 Acres and Skeleton Oaks, 20 Miles From Downtown Jacksonville

Jacksonville, Fla. - Big Talbot Island State Park covers about 1,680 acres just 20 miles east of downtown Jacksonville, and its Boneyard Beach is lined with the bare skeletons of oak trees. The trees were left on the sand as coastal erosion claimed them, creating one of the most photographed shorelines in Northeast Florida.

The park sits in Duval County along A1A North, immediately north of Little Talbot Island State Park. It has been a state park since 1982 and is managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

One thing to know up front: Boneyard Beach is not recommended for swimming. People come for the views, the photos and the walk.

Big Talbot by the numbers

Boneyard Beach: oaks on the sand

Boneyard Beach is at the end of the Blackrock Trail.

What makes it famous is what's left behind. Oak trees that once stood near the shore were claimed by coastal erosion, and their trunks and branches now sit along the shoreline like driftwood sculptures.

It's a favorite spot for photographers. It's also a living lesson in how fast a coastline can change: the trees that once grew inland are now on the beach.

Again, swimming is not recommended here. Treat it as a place to walk, look and take pictures.

Blackrock Beach: dark rock on a sandy coast

The shoreline has something else most Florida beaches don't: rock-like sedimentary hardpan soil deposits.

At Blackrock Beach, those formations are darker, an appearance that's unusual for Florida's coast. Paired with the oak skeletons, they give Big Talbot a look that's very different from a typical white-sand beach day.

10 things to do

The park lists 10 activities, split here by land and water:

Amenities

• Picnic pavilions
• Nature trails
• A fishing pier
• A boat ramp
• Bike trails

The pier and boat ramp cover the water side. The nature and bike trails cover the land side.

Trees and plants

The island's plant life is classic coastal Northeast Florida: southern live oaks, magnolias, hollies, hickories, cabbage palmettos, saw palmettos and sea oats.

Those live oaks help explain Boneyard Beach. The skeletons on the sand are what's left of oaks that once grew back from the shore.

Big Talbot is a coastal barrier island, and the park also adjoins the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, so the natural land keeps going past the park line.

Wildlife to watch for

The park's wildlife includes:

• Alligators
• Sea turtles
• Manatees
• White-tailed deer
• Gopher tortoises
• River otters
• Bobcats
• Bald eagles
• Florida scrub jays

Bird-watchers will want to keep an eye out for bald eagles and Florida scrub jays. As with any wild place, sightings aren't guaranteed, so give animals plenty of room when you do spot them.

A history older than Florida

The Timucua were the first people to live on the island.

European interest came later. French, English and Spanish claims began in 1562. In 1735, Gen. James Oglethorpe named the Talbot Islands in honor of Charles Talbot, 1st Baron Talbot. That naming came 173 years after the first European claims (my math).

The island became a state park in 1982.

Pick your kind of visit

Most visitors can mix two or three of these in one trip, since they're all inside the same 1,680 acres.

What to know before you go

Where is it? In Duval County on A1A North, about 20 miles east of downtown Jacksonville, just north of Little Talbot Island State Park.

How do I get to Boneyard Beach? It's at the end of the Blackrock Trail.

Can I swim at Boneyard Beach? It's not recommended.

What are the hours? The park is listed as open 8 a.m. to sundown, year-round. Confirm current hours, fees and parking with Florida State Parks before you go.

What should I bring? A camera. Boneyard Beach is popular with photographers for a reason.

Why it's worth the drive

Big Talbot packs a lot into 1,680 acres: skeleton oaks, dark rock formations that are rare on Florida's coast, eagles and scrub jays, and trails and water access for hikers, cyclists and paddlers. And it's only 20 miles from downtown.

How we did this

This guide is based on Wikipedia's "Big Talbot Island State Park" entry, reviewed Oct. 23, 2026. Acreage is rounded from 1,679.82. Trail lengths, fees and parking were not verified and are not included.