Camp Milton Historic Preserve

[Metro Jacksonville]

Camp Milton Historic Preserve



The Westside's 270-acre Camp Milton Historic Preserve may be Florida's best kept Civil War secret.

Full Article
http://www.metrojacksonville.com/content/view/1050

[BridgeTroll]

This deserves a visit... another unknown gem in the area!  Thanks Ennis!

[GideonGlib]

Camp Milton is GREAT. I ride the rail trail about once a week, and on the days I don't want to do the full 30 miles round trip I will go and park at Camp Milton and go to Baldwin, as that is the more tree canopied and prettier part of the trail. The Park itself is also really large and nice. It's a bit difficult to find at first, but once you find it, it's a gem.

[Ocklawaha]

ANYONE who sees this article is encouraged to get out and visit this park. As the resident history guy at MJ I've known of and visited this site many times long before it was anything but a farm.

Having visited dozens of National and State Military Parks throughout the nation, I'm here to tell you that Jacksonville has hit a home run with this little known beauty.

I plan to contact the local Sons of Confederate Veterans (Kirby Smith Camp) and The Grand Army of The Republic, to see if we can get enough interest to place a battery of big guns out there.

A museum, cannon and two flag poles are about the only missing pieces of the park. Everything else about this park is first rate. Fantastic. AS GOOD AS GETTYSBURG and far better then OLUSTEE. In fact the amount of money, time and effort Jacksonville has put into this is every bit the equal to the National Park Service.

Would that we could make enough noise for JTA-Parks and Recreation, to create a Battlefield trail for the 150Th sesquicentennial celebration. Reconstruction of the battery's at St. Johns Bluff, and restoration of the massive Yellow Bluff Fort would put us on the map, par with sister cities across the South.

OCKLAWAHA

[stjr]

I have done the Baldwin Rails to Trails and it is one of Jax's gems also.  I wish the City would do more of these trails, even if they make them without the benefit of old rails.  California is great at creating bike trails like this all over the place and they get lots of traffic.  I am not aware of any other trail like this in Duval County's 800 plus square miles.

The area for the Baldwin trail is more accessible than most realize due to the nearby exit at Commonwealth and 295 (see the letter "A" on the map below).  From Mandarin, on 295, its about 15 to 20 minutes to this exit.  From the Beach, using JTB to 9A/295 or thorough town on 95/10/295, it could be reached in less than 45 minutes.  From Downtown, take 10 west to 295 north or Beaver Street to Lane Ave. north to Commonwealth.  Likewise, Camp Milton can be reached by 295 to 10 west to Chafee per below directions.

From the City's Web Site (at: http://www.coj.net/Departments/Recreation+and+Community+Services/Waterfront+Management+and+Programming/Preservation+Project/Preservation+-+Jacksonville-Balwin+Rails+Trails.htm ):

Directions:

Starting Point: Interstate 10 to 295N Commonwealth (W) to Imeson Road. Go North. (Map It: http://maps.yahoo.com/map?q1=Commonwealth%20Ave.%20and%20Imeson%20Road%20Jacksonville%20FL&mag=5&ard=1#mvt=m&lat=30.336061&lon=-81.814706&mag=5&zoom=14&q1=Commonwealth%2520Ave.%2520and%2520Imeson%2520Road%2520Jacksonville%2520FL )


Camp Milton (Mid-way point)
West on Interstate 10 to Chaffee Road (N); Go to Beaver Street/90 (W); Go to Halsema Road (N); Park Entrance on right just past Old Plank

Baldwin Trailhead and Park
West on Interstate 10 to Chaffee Road (N); Go to Beaver Street/90 (W); Turn right on Center Street (N) continue to parking area

Brandy Branch Trailhead
West on Interstate 10 to Chaffee Road (N); Go to Beaver Street/90 (W) through the Town of Baldwin continue on 90 (W) to Brandy Branch Road/SR 121 turn right continue to parking area

Amenities offered at this park:
   Acreage: 162
# Parking
# Equestrian vehicle parking

    * Park Benches/various locations

# Picnic Table/Trailheads
   Type of park: Special
# Restroom: Camp Milton and Baldwin
# Port-o-lets: Imeson/SR121
   
# Paved Trails - 14.5 miles
   Council Person: Ray Holt
# Equestrain Trail - 14.5 miles

Contact:
Nathan Rezeau
(904) 630-3507
funexperts@coj.net

[stjr]

Below is an enlargement of the 1864 map from the National Archives portrayed on the sign in the story.  For a link, see my post at: http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,4663.0.html

The map is described as being "of Jacksonville and its vicinity and defenses that was created by the U.S. War Department from a U.S. Coast Survey in April 1864."

[BridgeTroll]

Went for a walk there this past weekend.  Very nice place and will walk/ride it again...   Thanks again Metrojax for another park I had no idea existed... and will now enjoy!