Additional Information for Big Talbot Island State Park
Plant Life
Coastal strand occurs on Big Talbot Island where the recession of the eastern shoreline is exposing the maritime hammock and scrubby flatwoods communities to increasing levels of salt spray and wind. The wind and the salt spray act to sculpt the vegetation typical of a coastal strand. Just off the shoreline, the maritime hammock and scrubby flatwoods continue westward where areas are forested with fern covered live oaks, laurel oaks, pines, southern magnolia, redbay, yaupon holly, scrub lyonias, and palmettos.
Area Geography
Big Talbot Island and Little Talbot Island are barrier islands within an estuarine tidal system, bounded to the North by Nassau Sound, to the East by the Atlantic Ocean and to the South by Fort George Inlet. Long Island lies between Big and Little Talbot Island. These islands are at the southern end of a larger barrier island complex stretching from South Carolina south to the Northeast portion of Florida.
Big and Little Talbot Island, and Amelia Island, have been further described as sea islands. Sea islands are short, curved barrier islands separated from each other by inlets and waterways, and divided from the mainland by well developed marshes or estuaries. Sea islands consist of both a recent Holocene geologic component on the outer edges and an older, or Pleistocene, core at the center.
Barrier islands are dynamic systems formed by the interaction of wave, wind, and tidal energies that erode, transport, and deposit sediments (Leatherman, 1982). They are special places, constantly undergoing change both due to erosion and accretion (build up) of sediment. The shorelines of both Big and Little Talbot have changed dramatically, so much so that at present, Big Talbot Island is actually smaller than Little Talbot Island (2003).
Elevation ranges from sea level to 20 feet on Big Talbot and to nearly 40 feet on Little Talbot. Approximately 15 different soil types are found on these islands, with spodosols accounting for about 90% of all Big Talbot Island soils. Spodosols are the most common type of soil found in Florida and are identified by a hardpan or spodic layer. Hardpan soil is made up of organic matter, iron and sometimes aluminum. The eroded bluffs on Big Talbot Island provide the amateur geographer a perfect opportunity to view these spodic layers in long horizontal layers, and at the same time see how the erosional forces of nature continue to mold our environment.
Both Big and Little Talbot Islands consist of parallel dunes and swales, shaped by the forces of littoral currents, violent storms, and constant winds. Change by winds is slowed only by the protective covering of grasses and other vegetation growing on the dunes. This covering is essential to the survival of the dunes and therefore, disturbance and removal of vegetation is prohibited. The islands shrink, grow and change, but in doing so they help to reduce the destructive force of violent storms and create quiet inland habitats that are vital to a wide array of plants and animals. The bluffs on Big Talbot Island and the eroding dunes on Little Talbot Island are unique, protected, and easily viewed examples of the geologic processes of erosion and accretion involved in the formation of sea islands.
Resources
The Big Talbot Island shoreline is unlike any island in northeast Florida. Wind and wave action have eroded the shoreline and sculpted the eastern appearance of the island. The power of this dynamic action has created a bluff of up to twenty feet. The view of Nassau Sound from the bluff is spectacular. The area is also known for its driftwood. Live oak and cedar trees have fallen and become barren bleached monument-like formations on the shoreline. These trees and their driftwood are protected features of Big Talbot Island State Park. Organic soil formations called "Black Rock" are also exposed on the shoreline. Hiking the trails and shoreline is the best way to fully explore these beautiful areas. Photography enthusiasts and artists marvel at this scenic shoreline.
Pets
Well-behaved dogs are welcome at Big Talbot Island State Park. They must be kept on a 6-foot leash at all times and can not be left unattended for more than half an hour. Dogs are not permitted on beaches, shorelines, boardwalks, or the George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier. Please cleanup all waste.
Please see our General Parks Pet Policy for more information.
Links
Florida Division of Recreation and Parks neither endorses links nor approves of links to external sources. External links are made available to assist the Internet user in his or her search. The Florida Division of Recreation and Parks takes no responsibility a link's operation or content. The links that are shown are not an exclusive listing of organizations available within the State.
- Amelia Island State Park
- Fort George Island Cultural State Park
- Little Talbot Island State Park
- Kayak Amelia
- Friends of Talbot Island State Park
- Amelia Occasions
- Ecomotion Tours
- Kingsley Plantation
- Yellow Bluff Fort Historic State Park
- George Crady Bridge Fishing Pier State Park
- Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park
- Kelly Seahorse Ranch
- National Park Service Timucuan Ecological & Historic Preserve
- City of Jacksonville
