Jacksonville Arboretum & Botanical Gardens

Walk into a forest made from damaged ground. Since opening in 2008, the Jacksonville Arboretum has turned 120 acres into a community-tended landscape where seven trails pass through thirteen distinct ecosystems.The two-acre lake gives the place its center, but the pleasure is in the transitions: upland sand, creek edge, wetland, pine, and hardwood communities appear within a compact walk. More than a hundred labeled plants make the paved Lake Loop an outdoor reading room before the rustic trails branch into rougher terrain.The entrance and Lake Loop are the most accessible portion; other trails vary in surface, roots, grade, and weather exposure. Bring water, stay on marked trails, supervise visitors under eighteen, and do not feed or approach wildlife; alligators are possible. Fishing, bicycles, and drones are prohibited. The current seasonal schedule runs through 2026-11-05, with winter hours changing afterward. More

Walk into a forest made from damaged ground. Since opening in 2008, the Jacksonville Arboretum has turned 120 acres into a community-tended landscape where seven trails pass through thirteen distinct ecosystems.The two-acre lake gives the place its center, but the pleasure is in the transitions: upland sand, creek edge, wetland, pine, and hardwood communities appear within a compact walk. More than a hundred labeled plants make the paved Lake Loop an outdoor reading room before the rustic trails branch into rougher terrain.The entrance and Lake Loop are the most accessible portion; other trails vary in surface, roots, grade, and weather exposure. Bring water, stay on marked trails, supervise visitors under eighteen, and do not feed or approach wildlife; alligators are possible. Fishing, bicycles, and drones are prohibited. The current seasonal schedule runs through 2026-11-05, with winter hours changing afterward. More