Where the Tolomato and Guana rivers meet and pour out into the ocean is an estuary of significant interest. Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve [505 Guana River Rd, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082] or… GTM for short is located between Jacksonville and St. Augustine.
It has over ten miles of hiking trails available so if you are looking for a longer hike, this is a great place to spend your day.
Walk through the shaded dense woods and pass by the occasional peculiar gnarled tree.
Florida flora can be Dr. Seuss like, and always impressive.
Woods give way to marsh.
And at the end of a the long red trail a confluence of rivers.
Early in the morning this was a great spot for birding, we saw osprey,
pileated woodpeckers,
and plenty of little song birds Informational plaques are a great way to learn about the Native American population. What their lives were like, the materials they would use to build their homes and what they ate, like oysters on account of the shell midden in the area.
Good to know:
There is a $3 parking fee, put cash in the envelope. There are three beach parking lots along A1A which you can swim at after your hike.