Tucked cozily between residential neighborhoods, Fort Family Regional Park is clean and quiet, even with its proximity to the highway. This Jacksonville park is located just across 295 from IKEA, south of St. Johns Town Center — perfect if you’re anything like me and always forget to pack a lunch! Fort Family Regional Park can be found at 8000 Baymeadows Road East.
Play Equipment at Fort Family Regional Park
The corralled playground offers both a tot lot and activities for older children. There isn’t a fence separating the two lots but your littles will still enjoy swinging in the swings and sliding down the slide just their size while the big kids zipline, scale the climbing wall, do the monkey bars, and swing just a few paces away. While the structure itself doesn’t provide a lot of shade, there are plenty of large trees and a covered picnic area that gets the job done. Speaking of picnic areas, aside from the largest area inside the corral, there are four other covered picnic areas to enjoy around the park.
A note about the corral: As many of us assume that a corral around a playground is meant to keep the children in, I’m assuming that this corral may also be meant to keep the alligators out. There is a large, beautiful pond at Fort Family Regional Park not too far from the playground area. As my daughter and I explored around the pond, we noticed obvious gator slides on the bank.
Clean Bathrooms
I don’t know about you, but one thing I’m always on the lookout for when visiting a new park is bathrooms — and not the Port-o-Potty kind. Thankfully, Fort Family Regional Park has two bathroom buildings (one at the tennis courts and another attached to the concession stands near the other sports courts and fields). Each bathroom building includes private rooms that are clean, well stocked, and accessible with changing tables and hooks to hang your bags.
I do want to add that the bathrooms at the concessions stand are the closest bathroom to the playground but it is still a good distance away. In order to get to it, you’ll need to either go through or around the football field.
Fort Family Regional Park is Stroller Friendly
Like I mentioned before, this park is expansive, but, it is also very stroller friendly. There are sidewalks from the entrance of the park to each sports court and field, the playground, and even along the pond.
Enjoy Sports Galore
Do you or your kiddos enjoy visiting the park more for the sports courts and fields than the playground? Well, you’re in luck. Fort Family Regional Park offers tennis courts (just inside the entrance), basketball courts, a football field, a soccer field, and soon a baseball diamond (currently under construction). And did I mention the concession stands? They weren’t open when we visited but I’m willing to bet that they’re open anytime a team sporting event is happening.
There’s Plenty of Parking
As this is a large park with lots to do, I’m happy to say that there is plenty of parking — 3 lots, in fact! There is a small lot located by the tennis courts, a small lot located by the concession stand, and the largest lot located by the playground.
Whether you’re looking to spend a few hours at the park or just want to pop over real quick to let the kids get their energy out before a shopping spree, Fort Family Regional Park is one the whole family will enjoy.
Looking for other favorite parks in and around Jacksonville?
Carissa, originally from California, just moved back to Jax about a year ago. She is a homeschool mom always on the hunt for new outdoor adventures with her family. If you can’t find her at the beach, she’s likely at one of Jax’s many parks or coffee shops sipping a matcha latte and chatting with friends. In the rare instances when she’s hanging out at home she’s either reading, meal prepping, or planning her next big outing. If you’d like to follow along with her family’s adventures, feel free to check out her Instagram profile here.
