Okay, sit down I have a story to tell you… Me and my fellow associates were waiting to go to play go-carts as a local club when we felt the desire to go for a jolly walk. When it comes to availability, Castaway did not disappoint! We showed up and got out of the car. The weather was 90 but it felt like 100 according to the weather app on my apple iPhone 11. When we first got here, I noticed many beautiful sights. One of the sights was blocked by a trash can. Granted, it was conveniently placed, so I have no reason to complain. I will provide pictures to show what I saw. We (my associates and I) endeavored on the bridge of wood. Once reaching the end, we turned around with great haste. And to my surprise and sudden awe, we see a lovely gentlemen in a Chevy Silverado with dreads taking out the trash! What service!!! However, my only concern is that there was trash left in the bottom of the trash can. Personally, I enjoy talking whopping sniffie sniffs of the trash can, but here at Castaway Island Preserve, I can’t do that. I love the effort to make this place clean though. We also saw crabs. I would recommend this place to my friends but I would tell them to sniff their trash cans before they get here…

Very accessible nice reserve, never busy. Easy loops to enjoy nature with your pet (on a leash), with kids, and even for people with disabilities. Nice picnic tables under shade and grill area. Beautiful view specially at either sunrise or sunset. We found a confident adult heron posing for the camera during sunset at Castaway Island Preserve. The Tricolored Heron is a sleek and slender heron adorned in blue-gray, lavender, and white. The white stripe down the middle of its sinuous neck and its white belly set it apart from other dark herons.
Restrooms
Restrooms are open most of the time.
Dog-friendliness
Very pet friendly, fur babies needs to be on leash at all times. Please bring plenty of water, it can get hot. More enjoyable at either sunrise or sunset, unless is a cooler weather day.
Picnic area
Nice picnic tables under shade and grill area. Can be pleasant and quiet.

I visit this park and walk the trails periodically, but I'd never been following a hurricane. It flooded after Hurricane Ian. The concrete trail leading to the boardwalks disappeared completely under water the day after the hurricane. The boardwalk by the parking lot, and the parking lot itself seemed to be disappearing underwater as well, so if you visit during a rising or high tide be prepared to move out quickly if there's been recent heavy rains. I was there at low tide recently but the water was still rising anyway. It's a beautiful interpretive park any other time with very good signage and fishing opportunities. Just be aware of your surroundings and any swamp creatures.

I was torn on this rating. It has been, and could be again, a nice park. The trails are all paved and the boardwalks are all kept up (when a board is rotten, it seems to be replaced quickly). There is a water fountain, although I don't know how clean it really is, but it's there. The issue I have is the way people treat this park which makes it "Not so nice". People walk thier dogs and do not clean up after them. I have no problem with dogs, I take mine up there but I clean up after her. This past weekend I noticed that vandals have visited the park and spray painted all the signs. Overall, even with those negatives, I still go there for walks.

Such a great place to explore with kids. It’s educational, it gets the kids moving and it’s interesting for them. We love coming here for a nice walk and to read about the animals that live in a salt marsh. The best time to come is at sunset because the view of the water is unbeatable. The trails are nicely paved, making it accessible with a stroller. The views are beautiful. It’s nice and clean. I’m not sure if they are still open but they did have bathrooms in the big building, which is always a plus when you go anywhere with kids. We also saw crabs in the dirt. The kids really loved that.

Decent little preserve and not very busy. Saw some wildlife here as well. Birds, lizards, and crabs. Parking is available for free. There is no entry fee. The facilities have been vandalized by graffiti but overall it was a nice place to take a nature walk. It is decently kept with recent maintenance to the wooden boardwalks. Very little trash. It can get a little humid and would possibly want to wear bug spray if your easily annoyed by flies and such.
Picnic area
It does have several picnic tables to use as well for a nice nature side picnic. Trash bins nearby as well.

Date: April 2022 Note: There apears to be some freeloathers camping on site. Owners not picking up after their dogs. No trashcan on the trail. The trails are short, but they are paved when not on the board walk. The trails have informational guides about different animals with painted designs. It's a short walk along the trail with a portion of it going over to a board walk that overlooks the preserve. It's a pretty and scenic place. There are no trashcan on the entire trail and people not picking up after their dogs so you may find dog fences.

I went to check the trails out in the late afternoon on a Sunday. The trails were very nice and views were very picturesque. It was super busy when I went with my dog. So we didn’t see any wild life other than the other visitors. There seemed to be a lot of people hanging around the parking area and many people trying to get close to the big community recycling bins. It was a bit of a busy and a little impatient traffic mess. I think I will go back on a week Day morning the next time I’m looking for a nature walk with my dog.

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Fun nature trail with educational animal footprints and plaques along the way. An abundance of semi- private picnic tables. Multiple drinking fountains, one even had a dog bowl. Grounds are clean, but tons of graffiti! 8/1: Mosquitoes weren't bad but yellow flies were abundant.
Playground
None
Restrooms
Porta-potty
Dog-friendliness
Allowed with leash
Picnic area
Plenty of picnic tables that are uncovered, and semi- private.

Nice place for a walk. Not too big. Some nice vistas. There’s an educational path with information about local species, could be fun with kids. Not much to see though. We saw some cardinals and woodpeckers, that’s it. Disappointing to see so much trash that was thrown off the boardwalk and is just sitting in the marsh. Come on, people!! So gross to ruin a public amenity. In the meantime, someone with the county, please take better care of this place.

Another nice surprise where you'd least expect it! A great place to take kids, you can even launch a kayak or canoe (not during low tide), fish off a pier, or just take a lunch, study, or read a book! There are nice picnic areas with grills and a fun nature trail along with a pier and several boardwalks. Low tide really shows how the water levels change in the intercoastal water areas.

There was a person who was either on drugs or drunk who was yelling and acting unpredictably. They’re also was another man who kept getting in and out of his car, acting abnormally. Needless to say, we left quickly and were disappointed not to be able to explore this park. As we left we warned a young lady not to continue her walk to the lookout/boardwalk as it was too dangerous.

Wow this place is so amazing and relaxing. Free to get in and you can go for a nice walk, ride your bike or take your canoe out for a ride. This place is awesome for all ages. You can grab some ice cream and relax or have a romantic picnic. The trail is fun where you see the feet of animals then learn about them. This was our first time here and will not be our last.

Very nice place for a short nature walk on paved trails and board walks in the city. Gives good views of the intracoastal. It also has a pier with a kayak launch and multiple picnic areas. The only issue I have had is sometimes the bathrooms are closed to the public, but they do provide ports-potties when they are closed.

We love this place we come here all the time bike riding and fishing and walking just wish people would take care of it more and they need to shut the gate at night, it definitely does not feel safe unfortunately there are a lot of people trying to live up in there,it's not like it used to be …

I stumbled upon the Preserve on my way to visit my Dad. I am sorry I’ve never been here before. What a clean, well kept and beautiful place to hike or to come out for a picnic to. I am going to put together a little group of friends to come out and hike together. I can’t wait to return. Highly recommended!

Such a nice little escape from the city within the city. Its tucked away a bit and offers different trails and scenery. Great place for pictures and to discover birds and animals. It's quiet and I've even come just to park my car and enjoy some lunch. Its kept up pretty well and can be busy at times.

Very nice place to take a walk, enjoy a quiet meal with family, or sit down and read a book. Very peaceful. The main trail only takes about 15 minutes to walk so don't expect a long treck. We did wish there was a little more to it, but it still is a gem tucked away in the middle of the city.

Cool little park in the heart of suburbia. Kayak launch at the end of the road. Areas to grill out and a large shelter/informative building. One long trail that goes into the marsh with a lifted trail overlooking the Intracoastal River. Few other trails along the woods leading to San Pablo.

Came here for a run, but unfortunately there were so many bugs that I couldn't. It's a nice place to walk around but not great to have a picnic or spend too much time because of the bugs eating you alive:/ it is a preserve though so it makes sense, and I saw a bunny which was cool!

It's great to take a quick walk and enjoy the breeze.See the intercoastal river and enjoy the birds and rabbits. Sunrises are also beautiful from there. I love the birds flying low over the water. It is open from sunrise to sunset so no worries if open or closed. Bathrooms.

Wonderful preserve for walks on sidewalk and boardwalk (for strollers or wheelchairs). There are port-a-potties when the building is closed. They have an education center there and lots of information on the sideline and ecosystem. Planning to go back for sunrise!

Nice wetland park with a boardwalk trail. There are kid-friendly signs with animal tracks painted on some parts of the island trail. Some of the railings are rough so watch out for splinters and nails, but it's otherwise well-kept and even has a kayak ramp

Great nature preserve for kids to learn and explore. The trails are fairly short but for little kids this was excellent. The trails were paved it raised boardwalks. Our kids enjoyed learning about saltwater marsh animals and really enjoyed the crabs.

The park is really nice and pet friendly a great place to visit and relax by the water and maybe spot some wildlife. Wonderful and educational trail to go along. Multiple benches to relax on. Great views. Totaly recommended for tourists and kids.

It's like being on Gilligan's Island . The trails are clean, the air whispers softly, there are plenty of parking spots, picnic tables, garbage cans, restrooms, a dock, an overlook. Peaceful and located between Beach blvd and Atlantic Blvd. …

Very nice place to visit. Took the scout pack there for a nature walk and they loved it. There are foot prints from some of the local wildlife painted on the paved trail, and the kids really enjoyed guessing and learning about what prints

Its beautiful and peaceful!! Just make sure in the summer that you bring bug spray. There's a long trail, a gazebo that is right on the intercoastal and there's also a floating dock. Actually u can fish there and or put your kayak in the

I rated 4 stars because I wish the trail was longer but it's a great spot to walk learn a few nature facts, and even picnic. It's a good walk for all ages too. Paved & boardwalk paths add a layer of safety that I appreciated.

Pros: -pretty views -few people there -easy to follow maps -good parking Cons: -mostly paved trails (I prefer natural) -only one trail and it was pretty short Would be great for if you're looking for a short and easy walk.

Great escape just minutes from Beach Blvd and off San Pablo. Short trails but lots of variety and beautiful views all around! Paths are paved so it is great for strollers or wheelchairs and you don't have to walk too far.

Awesome trail. Great for children and pets. Stroller-friendly pathway. The trail includes infographic podiums along the way with facts about the wildlife on the preserve. Clean resting benches along the trail as well.

Beautiful area with a lot of open spaces. The fresh air feels great when you're looking over the marsh and walking through trails. It's a good place to take the family since it's not too big, and the trails are paved.

It was my first time going. I live in Jacksonville and never heard of this park. Me and the kids enjoyed the trail with the animal footprint. We guessed what animal it could be. I'm glad we went …

This was a great quiet park with really nice paved paths and activities for young kids. My three year old loved the animals tracks game but there seem to be a few signs missing.

This is one of my favorite places for a quick getaway. The trails are fairly short so it's not like you can take a long hike there, but it's on the water and very beautiful.

It's a very nice and safe place to take a walk or ride your bike and get away from your everyday life. The restrooms can use a little help, but I see a port-a-potty.

Honestly, I was pleasantly surprised by this place. At the beginning it was underwhelming, but I started walking on the trails and it was a pleasant experience.

It's peaceful and beautiful this time of year. Nature trail is a nice place to walk and read data about species found there. Took my 8 yr old grands there.

Beautiful place, thoughtfully designed pathways. Disappointed to see the trash thrown all over the marsh. This place is worth visitng and respecting!

Eh. One main road. I don't see online where it talks about trails because there is none. Good if you want to kayak. Also large amonts bugs present

This is my go to park for a slice of peace and serenity not too mention a nice date spot low key hidden treasure‍♂️ …

A fun trail for kids! There are animal footprints that they can follow and pictures with descriptions of the animals and their habitats.

Nice boardwalk, educational, great for kids too. You can launch a kayak. Took me like a half an hour walk. No biking here tho.

Nice place to watch the sunrise, and wildlife. You can bring the chair and sit in the gazebo. Plenty of parking, dog friendly.

Awesome area and great for walking and seeing some good wildlife! If you have a dog, they do allow them to walk on leash

Beautiful preserve with an educational walking trail. There's a dock that allows canoeing, kayaking and SUP boarding.

Very clean and pretty! Lots of Pokestops and gyms if you enjoy Pokemon Go. :) Bring the bug spray though!

Great little historical place, dog friendly, and very informative. Plus, there is a kayak launch dock!

Great place close to my home. Good walking paths. Low traffic. Good for dogs and kids too.

Quiet and peaceful just before supper time on a late January afternoon. We needed that.

Quiet and secluded sanctuary for kayaks, hiking and fishing. Well done. Free parking.

Great park with plenty of parking. Excellent views of the intercoastal waterway.

Definitely bring bug spray. Beautiful trails and just wild nature to explore

Well kept, lovely boardwalk. Perfect for nature pictures and bird watching.

A beautiful park for a nice walk and view of some of Florida's marshland

Nice short trail and nice kayak launch spot.

Nice trails to hike and bird watch.

So peaceful and serene.