Five Parks, Beach and Nature Outings for Kids
A beach day at Mickler's Landing, playgrounds and fields at Davis Park and Nocatee Community Park, estuary exhibits at the GTM Research Reserve, and a boardwalk park with interactive art sculptures.
Picked and checked by hand; updated when hours, venues, menus, or source pages change.
At Mickler's Landing Beachfront Park, a wooden dune walkover takes you to a pink coquina-sand beach. There's parking, a pavilion, picnic tables, restrooms and showers. It's a beach trip rather than a playground stop.
- Open dawn to dusk.
- Address: 1109 Ponte Vedra Boulevard, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082
Davis Park is a county complex with a playground and lighted youth fields for baseball, softball, football and soccer, plus an artificial-turf field. Two dog parks round it out.
- Open dawn to dusk; fields can be reserved or scheduled for programs, so they aren't always free for pickup play.
- Address: 210 Davis Park Road, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32081
Nocatee Community Park is a public county park with a playground, two tennis courts, two grass multipurpose fields and a dog park. It isn't the resident-only Nocatee Splash Water Park or Spray Water Park, so don't count on water slides, pools or splash play here.
- Open dawn to dusk; the pavilion is first come, first served.
- Address: 707 Nocatee Center Way, Ponte Vedra, FL 32082
The GTM Research Reserve Visitor Center is an indoor, educational stop rather than a playground. Its Exhibit Hall has interactive displays, aquaria and terraria featuring wildlife from the local estuary, ocean and forest. The reserve's trails and beach access are separate from the visitor center.
- Open Tuesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed Sunday, Monday and state holidays; parking is paid.
- Address: 505 Guana River Road, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082
Bird Island Park is a county passive park with a boardwalk, picnic tables, two gazebos and a playground. Dune and wetland landscapes, educational signs and interactive art sculptures illustrate northeast Florida's ecosystems.
- Open dawn to dusk; parking is available.
- Address: 101 Library Blvd, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082