South Beach Parkway Plaza To Jacksonville Beach Pier

Last week, my husband dropped me off for a 7:00 a.m. appointment at my doctor's office adjacent to South Beach Parkway Plaza before heading to his job close to the airport. We are trying to postpone becoming a two-vehicle family for the time being, but navigating Jacksonville without a car definitely presents a challenge.

Usually, I would plan on catching the Beaches Trolley following my appointment to my next bus connection at Atlantic Village Shopping Center, but I decided to add a little more adventure to my day by incorporating a walk into my travels.

Distance: 
    7.6 miles (out & back)
    3.8 miles (one-way + public transit)                     

Terrain:

•  Sidewalks & Beach

Amenities:

•  Scenic route with parks, restaurants & restrooms.

Pets:

•  There are restrictions for beach access.

Wheelchairs:

•  Suitable for surface streets.*

Modifications:

•  Vary this route to suit your interests and ability.  

THE WALK



Residences at Rip Tide Blvd. & South Beach Parkway



• Walk west from South Beach Parkway Plaza along Marsh Landing Pkwy. to South Beach Pkwy. Bank of America will be on the corner.    
• Go right (north) onto South Beach Pkwy. and under Butler Blvd. You can enjoy viewing the beautiful residences as you cross Rip Tide Blvd. along the way.
• Look for South Beach Park on your left (west side of South Beach Pkwy.). This public park includes the Sunshine Playground, a sheltered picnic area & grills, a fitness trail, a gazebo, restrooms and tennis, basketball & volleyball courts.



Sunshine Playground at South Beach Park



• From South Beach Park go right (east) onto Osceola Av. When you get to 3rd St. S. (aka N. Ocean Blvd. & 1A) there will be a Starbucks on your left.
• Cross 3rd St. S., Osceola Av. will become 25th Av. S.
• Drop down to the beach from 25th Av. S., or head left (north) on Ocean Front St. (aka 1st St. S.) to continue on surface streets.
• Go left (north) when you get to the beach, if you choose this route. This is a good time to get your toes wet or do a bit of beachcombing.
• Exit the beach at 16th Av. S. There are no street signs along the water's edge, so look for a very large "S" shaped condo/apt. complex with a wide pathway on the north side of the building. There is no need to hesitate to leave the beach at any obvious exit point along the way because it is so easy to pick up the route again. 



Jacksonville Beach looking North

• Go right (north) when you are back to Ocean Front St. (1st St. S.). Approaching 6th Av. S. you will see Oceanfront Park on your right. There are covered picnic tables and interesting informational kiosks for viewing. Public parking is available on the south side of the park. A portable toilet is located on the southeast side of the parking lot. Other amenities include a sand volleyball court, small playground, 2 dune walkovers to the beach and a handicapped-accessible ramp.

"Sea Express" by Kristen Visbal in Oceanfront Park

• Continue north on Ocean Front St. across Beach Blvd. Joe's Crab Shack and the Jacksonville Beach Lifeguard Station will be on the right. A block farther you will approach the Sea Walk Pavilion which is home to many beach festivals. There is an ampitheater for musical performances. 
• Walk due west and you will see Jacksonville Beach City Hall in front of an open park area that houses a popular sculpture of two surfers.



Jacksonville Beach City Hall



Surfer Sculpture at Jacksonville Beach

• Head back to 1st St. N. and go a bit north to Bukkets, one the favorite watering holes on JAX Beach. Walk along the sidewalk bordering the restaurant to access the Boardwalk that parallels the beach.
• Walk north along the Boardwalk a short distance and you will see a freestanding building with public restrooms. There is an outdoor shower available to clean off beach sand.
• Past Jacksonville Fishing Pier on 5th Av. N. there are public restrooms and an outdoor shower. If you want to walk to the end of the pier as part of your outing, there is a $1 fee per person. 
• Walk to 2nd St. N. and go left (south) to 4th Av. N then right (west) to 3rd St. N.
• This is the time to decide if you want to walk back to your starting point or hop the Beaches Trolley to cut the walk in half.  Either way, you will want to be traveling to your left (south).
• Look for a Beaches Trolley sign on the opposite (west) side of 3rd St. N. if you decide to roll back to the starting point.



Beaches Trolley Sign



• The Beaches Trolley operates 7 days a week, and the bus stops are plentiful along 3rd St. N. (my stop going north was at the intersection of 3rd St. N. & 5th Av. N.) Be at the bus stop by 15 minutes after the hour or 15 minutes before the hour to ride back to South Beach Parkway Plaza. The trip takes about 20 minutes. Make sure you have the correct change for the $1 fare. The bus is free for individuals 60 and older with a government approved I.D. It is best to check with jtafla.com for the latest bus information because schedules are subject to change.
• Walking back to South Beach Parkway Plaza gives you options. It is easy to add interest to your walk by traveling different streets on the return trip. Just remember the north/south streets run parallel to the beach and the east/west avenues are perpendicular to the beach with 3rd St. being the main travel corridor. There are plenty of places to ask for directions if you think you are off track.
• Take a map or a copy of this posting.

* Beach wheelchairs are available at the Jacksonville Beach Lifeguard Station, 2 Ocean Front St. N., (904) 249-9141.  

Happy Walking!