The Amelia Island Parkway Trail Turned Two Island Trails Into One

Before this summer, Amelia Island had two good off-road trails that didn't connect. The Amelia Island Trail ran south from Peters Point toward the Nassau Sound bridge. The Amelia River-to-Sea Trail ran from Crane Island Park to the ocean at Simmons Road. Getting from one to the other meant riding on the road. Nassau County and its partners celebrated the completion of the Amelia Island Parkway Trail on Aug. 26, 2026. That added the missing link and created what the County describes as a continuous trail system of about 12 miles, from the south end of the island to South 8th Street.

A ride from a Bailey Road neighborhood to Burney Park at American Beach used to be a ride on the road. Now it stays on the trail the whole way.

What the new piece actually is

The County built the Parkway Trail as a four-phase project:

Published lengths vary a little. The County's ribbon-cutting announcement says the four segments add about 3.4 miles. Friends of the Amelia Island Trail called it a 3.2-mile trail in its Aug. 22 update and said about 3.5 miles in a February 2026 update. Any of those numbers works for planning a ride.

Segments 2 through 4 are paved 10 feet wide, and that construction runs along the west and northwest side of Amelia Island Parkway. According to Friends, the County picked that harder route on purpose, keeping the trail on one side of the road so users avoid two crossings of the Parkway. Friends supported that design as the safest option for trail users. The work wasn't simple. Next to the airport, crews had to build drainage beside the trail because that stretch tends to hold standing water after heavy rain.

Segment 1 was the quick part. Friends report it began on Aug. 16, 2023, and was finished at the end of April 2024. The other three segments took longer. Friends put the contract cost for Segments 2 through 4 at $6,114,494, with CGC, Inc. as the contractor. The County says Segment 1 received $998,607 from the Florida Department of Transportation's Local Agency Program plus an $88,971 County contribution. Segments 2 through 4 were paid for with just over $6 million in federal transportation money through the same program.

District 2 Commissioner A. M. "Hupp" Huppmann put the idea of connection at the center of his remarks at the ceremony, according to the County's announcement:

"Today we're opening more than a trail. We're opening a new connection between neighborhoods, parks, businesses, schools, and the natural beauty that makes Amelia Island such a special place."

The two places where the trails meet

There are two junctions where the trails join. Knowing them makes it easier to plan a route.

At the north end, near the Bailey Road roundabout. This is where the Parkway Trail meets the Amelia River-to-Sea Trail. From there you can go east toward the Simmons Road Beach Access or west toward Crane Island Park. Segment 4 keeps going north from Bailey Road to South 8th Street.

At the south end, on South Fletcher Avenue. The Parkway Trail starts here and meets the older Amelia Island Trail near the South Fletcher roundabout by Harris Teeter. Friends say the Parkway Trail crosses at the new Amelia Island Parkway and Buccaneer Trail roundabout on marked trail crosswalks. That roundabout was the last link finished between Segments 1 and 2.

The roundabout at Amelia Island Parkway and Buccaneer Trail matters because it was the last gap. In May, Friends reported that all pedestrian, bicycle and vehicle traffic through that intersection was still closed, and trail users had to detour along South Fletcher Avenue.

A full ride, north to south

Here is the route from the river to the sound, pieced together from the Friends route descriptions:

1. Start at Crane Island Park on the Amelia River and head east on the River-to-Sea Trail. Friends say this trail runs about 3 miles and passes the athletic park and several neighborhoods.
2. Pass the Fernandina Beach Athletic Complex at the sound end of Bailey Road. It's one of the two parking spots Friends list for this trail.
3. At the Bailey Road roundabout, either keep going east to Beach Access 30 at Simmons Road or turn south onto the Parkway Trail.
4. Follow the Parkway south on its west side, past the airport stretch, the South 14th Street roundabout and Via Del Rey, then through the new Buccaneer Trail roundabout to South Fletcher.
5. Pick up the Amelia Island Trail. It runs beside South Fletcher and A1A, crossing A1A at the South Fletcher and Buccaneer roundabout and again south of Quattlefield Road, then heading toward Burney Road.
6. South of Burney Road, the trail runs along the east side of A1A, past beach accesses and Burney Park, then into Amelia Island State Park and up to the Nassau Sound bridge approaches.

Friends describe the Amelia Island Trail as more than 7 miles long. Much of it sits under the tree canopy along A1A, so a lot of it is shaded and sheltered from wind. There's also a short spur on Julia Street that runs from A1A toward the American Beach Museum and Community Center.

Where to park, rest and stop

Friends list Peters Point Beachfront Park as the north trailhead of the Amelia Island Trail. It's a free County park. The south trailhead is Amelia Island State Park, which charges an entrance fee. Friends also mention parking at South End Beach Access and Big Talbot State Park.

For facilities, Amelia Island's tourism bureau lists parking, bathrooms, indoor and outdoor showers, and picnic tables at Peters Point. It lists a free parking lot, restrooms, outdoor showers, picnic tables and seasonal lifeguard towers at Burney Park at American Beach, which makes it a good halfway stop on the southern half. We couldn't find a current source confirming drinking fountains along the trail, so bring water.

For snacks and bike help, the tourism bureau's biking guide lists The Beach Store & More on South Fletcher for drinks, snacks and beach supplies. It also lists bike rentals and shops, including SuperCorsa Cycles and Pedego, near the south-end part of the trail.

Benches on the new stretch are still to come. Friends say they plan to add benches as rest stops along the Parkway Trail, as they did on the two older trails.

Egans Creek Greenway is a separate trail. The tourism bureau lists its access points at the Atlantic Recreation Center, Jasmine Street, Citrona Drive, and Sadler Road behind the Residence Inn. None of the sources we found describe a direct connection to the Parkway Trail.

The rules, now that more people share the path

A longer connected trail means more riders, walkers and e-bikes sharing the same paved path. Friends post rules that Nassau County approved for the Amelia Island and River-to-Sea trails:

• Class 1, 2 and 3 e-bikes are allowed under a 2021 ordinance, and the speed limit for all bicycles is 10 mph.
• No golf carts or other motor vehicles. The exceptions are electric ADA mobility devices and vehicles on official trail business.
• Keep right, give an audible warning before passing, and step off the trail when stopped.
• Bicyclists and skaters yield to pedestrians, and racing and pace lines aren't allowed.
• Dogs must be on a leash shorter than 6 feet, and owners clean up after them.
• Organized events with more than 20 people need prior approval from Nassau County.

What's left this October

The trail is open, but the roads around its south end still have some overnight work this month.

Oct. 14 and 15, overnight. Buccaneer Trail gets resurfaced from the South Fletcher roundabout at Harris Teeter to Marian Drive, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. on both nights. The County scheduled the work at night to keep daytime traffic moving and says drivers should expect temporary delays.

Oct. 24 and 25. Final paving of the Amelia Island Parkway and Buccaneer Trail roundabout, weather permitting. It was first set for Oct. 10 and 11 and was pushed back because of the forecast. Temporary lighting stays up until the new fixtures are installed and turned on. The County said in its Oct. 2 update that the roundabout and trail were open. Its Sept. 25 weekly update said the intersection would stay open during paving, but drivers should expect single-lane closures while crews work.

Oct. 22 through 25. Bike Florida's Amelia Island Hub Tour starts and ends in Fernandina Beach, with 100 to 200 miles of riding to choose from over the tour. Its page doesn't say which roads or trail sections the rides will use.

There's more to come. Friends say that once the Timucuan Trail on the Talbot Islands is finished, these trails will join it to form almost 24 miles of continuous multi-use trail. All of them are also part of the East Coast Greenway, which is planned to run from Calais, Maine, to Key West.

If you're thinking about a move on the island and want to know how close a home is to the nearest trail access or beach park, Chad Sells Coastal can help you figure that out. Let's Connect.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.