Yesterday was my second time visiting the nature center. It's tucked away in the Arlington community and I rarely see it mentioned on social media but it's a great place to take the kids. I went on my own and ventured on some of the trails. They're well marked and a decent distance. The Boardwalk trail is my favorite and features a beautiful boardwalk that ventures over a variety of plants and ecosystems. The tree coverage and diversity makes it a great place to bird watch. I got there early when they were feeding the animals and that was fun to watch. Highly recommend for a several hour day trip activity. read more

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Great experience, walking trails and wonderful animal exhibits. We've been going there for over 15 years. read more

Tree Hill Jacksonville's Nature Center - We have a yearly pass. My kids have enjoyed going there for years. - Parks Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

What a delightful place to spend the day! Loved feeding the goats and seeing the or the other animals. The kids loved petting the turtles and looking at the reptiles. The nature walks are gorgeous. Even on a hot summer day, there is so much shade, the temperature was quite comfortable. Great for kids! read more

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I had heard about this place from other parents, so I decided to take my son on a Monday morning. It was easy to find and there was plenty of parking when I arrived around 9:40 am. There were a few cars in the parking lot, but no school buses. There was clear signage to the front office, where we checked in to pay the $5 admission fee for myself, as my son was free at 1 years old. The woman at the front desk was friendly, informative, and provided us with a map of the area. We checked out the animals inside first, which included a turtle, skunk, fish, and frogs. There was a laboratory and discovery room, but we didn't go into either, as I didn't know if we were allowed. We made our way back outside and walked the paved trails. We went to the amphitheatre and community garden, and we walked along the boardwalk. There were a lot of mosquitoes, so bring your bug spray. We saw goats, chickens, pigs, and alligators. there are more trails, but they weren't paved and the stroller wouldn't have been able to get over the roots easily. We had a nice time and are going to come back with friends and family. read more

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Amazing educational facility with lots of animals to see. The price is great, and there are quite a few nature trails to hike. They have various snakes, turtles, alligators, goats, pigs, chickens, fish and sea creatures, a skunk, and even an owl! They also have fossils and skeletons. It's truly a beautiful place to visit, and it's fun for the kids. You can buy little cups of animal crackers to feed the goats too. read more

Love the walking trails at Tree Hill. You can do a short one or a long one, depending on your desires. Their little museum is quite interesting and filled with bones, stuffed animals, and live creatures for you to see as well. It has plenty of picnic benches to bring a lunch along too. read more

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Since I was up in the Arlington Area I decided to check out Jacksonville's Nature Center. The fee was $5 to enjoy a day or an hour worth of Nature. I have to say I really enjoyed the trails, however some of the trails had fallen trees across them and brush across somewhat narrow paths. They had both paved and dirt paths which were conveniently marked. This is a great place to bring children as it has a variety of animals that you can feed and pet. read more

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It was time to hit the park trails and put my super duper gimbal to work! Had a great time taking photos and cinematic videos as I went along the trails with two legends of Yelp! One thing I learned quickly! This park has a ton of foliage! There are some good trails but don't, it appears, expect any kind of overlook. Being rather new to Florida, that caught me a little off-guard because I'm used to hiking trails that lead to some place that you can look over a hillside, etc. But that's ok as we live and learn to make the best of the situation. I did enjoy some of the wildlife and creatures in the living and museum displays at the park. Be prepared early in your visit to get a serious stare-down from one of the owls! The owl will beat you! There are also turtles and goats along the way. I did like some of the wooden bridges. These always make for picturesque scenery! I nabbed a few good pics of them. I was stopping so much that I was waiting from Goldie and Dee to give me the "get moving!" yell! It never happened and I truly appreciated their patience. Well, I do know a couple of things I'll consider on my next visit to Tree Hill. One is that I will never go in hot weather! It was 80 degrees on my visit and that is warm enough for me! It's been years since I've had to get used to that temperature in January. Another is that I'll need to walk other trails to see if I can find that elusive overlook to get more great shots and videos with my gimbal! Nevertheless, it was a refreshing activity to spend time with friends in a great setting! Remember, heat and humidity will drain you, so make sure you have a bottle of water or two in your backpack when you visit. Also, the cost to take the trails and visit the museum is $5. Military with ID is $4. Do visit the museum! It's not big, but has some good things in it! Recommend: HIGH read more

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We visited Tree Hill Nature Center for a fun little local trip. The weather was perfect to enjoy the trails, goats, & garden. We loved getting to pet the turtles & feed the goats! $1 gets you a good serving amount of animal crackers that you get to feed them. Such a fun experience! If you're a reptile lover, they had gators and snakes to see, too. Admission is $5 adults, $3 children 3 -17, & free 2 & under. They're open Monday - Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This was a perfect little outing to enjoy the cooler FL weather & have a picnic. We can't wait to come back to this little hidden gem! read more

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Place was fun for the kids. $5 for Adults and $3 for kids.they have goats, chickens and turtles and gators. Some nice safe trails. It's small but I can see the potential. Seems like they are doing some renovating but I don't know how long they have been in the process. Nice place to take the kids or people visiting. We need more places like this to help save the wild life and nature. read more

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If you're looking for a cool spot to see and learn about our local ecological system, check this place out. It's a nature center as well as a few easy walking trails and goats!! Yesssss! Goats!. There's a small goat petting area as well as free roaming chickens and if you're lucky, purchase a dozen eggs for $3 donation. Make sure you ask to meet Speedy the opossum. The butterflies are all over the garden and if you look closely, you might see the stages of transition from a cocoon to a beautiful butterfly. read more

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Don't come looking for a bunch of animals because there aren't very many but what they lack in animals they make up for in peacefulness and cost. The trails are well kept and it's adorable to see chickens walking around and doing chicken type things. read more

When using google maps search there is no information about pricing just a phone number and directions. Admission is cheap and well worth the exploring and surroundings. Lots of walking, be ready to watch your step on the trails. Good for kiddos in elementary school due to lots of walking and some uneven pavement. Inside the office pavilion is an interactive area that explains all about different animals we see in the wild such as snakes, owls, turtles, frogs, and some of the local wildlife too. read more

Tree Hill Jacksonville's Nature Center - Billy goat - Parks Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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Tree Hill is a local gem- there is a fee to enter ($5 for adults & $3 for kids), ask about annual passes or military discount if it applies! The parking is set off from the building/nature center- as you walk the path through twisted live oaks and Florida scrub- you are being transported to a quieter Jacksonville. Then you spot the chicken coups- the owl barn, turtles, goats and more! Inside the nature center you can learn about our local eco-system and history. Outside- wander the trails. There is an amphitheater on site and several outdoor classroom settings you will come across. The park is adjacent to a school and I do believe the kids utilize and work the park. I keep wanting to attend the butterfly event in the spring- maybe this year will be the year! If you have little ones- this park is for you. If you are a big kid yourself- go get lost in the magic of this little park. They are closed on Sundays- and they close daily at 4:30pm- so go early! read more

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My son and I visited it was a great day. Sunny weather wasn't too hot. I just was expecting more when I went when i saw the nature center I Was expecting more. The descriptions that they had animals and trails. The trails they did have and they did have several different trails that had varying degrees of difficulty to get through. The animals consisted of a couple goats and some chickens out chickens outside at the beginning. There were some snakes and turtles and fish inside the building. I thought there would have been more things to read about or learn about inside the nature center or to even do outside by the weather.The only thing I found useful about this place was it was a good place to go walking and get out of the house read more

I absolutely love this place! I have been coming here for more than twenty years. I always brought my two boys here for a day on the Nature trails, wiggling our toes in the the creeks, off the docks, picnicking, taking tours of the Two story Museum, petting the goats and watching the turtles. I even had some birthday parties out here for my son, Bert. It is only a couple of dollars per person, or you can join(highly recommended) the yearly membership plan. They have the Butterfly Festival every April, all must see. It used to be free back in the day. A few dollars for a lot of fun is great! Let me know if you go and how you liked it. Pack a lunch and some bottled water. Bring your walking sticks because there are a lot of roots throughout the trails. You would not want to fall, young or old. Enjoy a little piece of the country, right in the middle of the big city. read more

We discovered this place via a AAA tour book, list of things to do in JAX. When we first got here, we thought we were at an abandoned place - there were no other cars in the lot and the greenery seemed overgrown (it is also in the Arlington area, and a rather sketchy looking section to boot). Well we ventured out way to the main building to find signs of life. Along the way we noticed many a HUGE spider just chillin in their webs above the walkway, you know no big deal... (I hate spiders so I was very startled to say the least, when I saw them). There is a small entrance fee, I'm not 100% what it is because my in laws footed the bill for us. We started our journey going upstairs in the main house. Along the ramp up there are displays of life and biology things with info pamphlets and sometimes a TV playing a short clip. At the top they have larger displays of animals, a large snake in particular (I think a Boa) which the use to show off to kids on tour I suppose. There is another room full of aquariums with a large open one in the center filled with turtles. You can reach in and grab a turtle to hold, which is enjoyable for kids or if you're my wife :). After we exited, we checked out the teeny butterfly house right outside. Lots of neat looking wings, but a very tiny space. We then continued on the main path past goats and tortoises. The path split and we took the short route. Over the river and through the wood we went (okay it was a stream), but thankfully no wind to sting our toes... Some of you will get that. The boardwalk is nice and maintained. The paths are well mapped and laid out. We followed the short one in a loop around a green space and headed back to the car. There was nothing going on that day and the park was very empty. We made our way back through the paths with the many spiders to our car and headed home. This is obviously a place meant more for kids on field trips. However, we still enjoyed ourselves and the chance to see some wildlife in JAX. If you have kids, check out their site to see if there are any programs they might be interested in! read more

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Awesome! Perfect for any nature lover. Very affordable. Not far from Jacksonvlle Beach area.

My family had a blast walking the trails and seeing the wildlife at Tree Hill. No, it's not a zoo - but it is a nice place to just get out and enjoy nature. You could definitely spend a few hours walking the trails here. read more

Tree Hill Jacksonville's Nature Center - My kids walking one of the trails. - Parks Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

Very cute! Would like to come back again in the summertime. The walking trails are short and easy to walk thru

What a nice zoo/nature park right in the middle of Arlington! This park offers hiking trails, butterfly house, and picnic areas. My son's Boy Scout troop recently had a Saturday morning 'adventure' searching for animal prints and trail markings. The park fees are very reasonable $4.00 for adults, $3.00 for students, $2.00 for kids. They are only open Mon - Sat (8:00 - 4:00). Goats, butterflies, alligators -- boys loved it all! read more

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To me this place was a hidden gem. I found out about this place while searching on google for things to do with my 2 boys. We went during a school week, Spring of 2013. So it wasn't really crowded. It was a beautiful day as you see in the pictures. I strapped on a backpack, the boys & I started trekking around the Nature Center. When you pay, they give you a map of different trails to follow. Some are longer than others. My youngest son was little at the time so I took the offroad stroller which worked just fine. The boys and myself had a great time. I packed juice and snakes for a little lunch. I felt very safe, seeing as we were the only ones walking around. But throughout the day we passed by groups that were on their field trip. They have a good group of animals. My oldest loves turtles. Definitely a place I would visit 1 or 2 times a year during different seasons to see how differently the place looks. read more

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Nice park to visit with family . Park offers hiking trails as well as educational displays . You can enjoy a day outside and have lunch at the picnic tables . We enjoyed petting the goats and seeing various animals on property. read more

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Had a great time walking the trails. I loved the garden and my son loved the turtle touch tank and goats. They have really cool historical artifacts.There's a small fee to get in. I could spend a whole day there. I definitely will be visiting again! read more

Tree Hill Jacksonville's Nature Center - Parks Near Me - Jacksonville, Florida

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I enjoyed a small trail that we had. Never knew it was around. Not many people seem to visit but it's cozy. A few trails that are paved and a few that arent. A plus is the free view of some aquatic life. read more

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Peaceful, nice walking areas, a cute little museum with live and stuffed animals and some animals outside. Was not too busy when I went during the week and I really liked that. Spent between 1-2 hours with my toddler. read more

It was a very refreshing experience. I wish it had better attractions. Like a food court, etc. But overall very nice place

I had a lovely time walking these hikes. Everything was so green and lush. To our surprise, we ran into several, sweet, attention/love-seeking goats and roaming hens, which was really fun. I was enchanted by the butterfly field, and all that this nature center has to offer. The scenery is unbelievably beautiful. read more

What a great way to spend a few hours in nature. It's education and family fun done Old School. Imagination and wonderment opportunities for kids. The trails were lush with greenery and bird sounds. Trails were well kept and easy for my almost 3 yr old to navigate. Only downfall is that it's not far enough from civilization. We heard music and a man on a bullhorn a good amount of the time. We opted not to get a family membership, but can see visiting again. read more

I have visited this place twice and I love it! The animals are always a hit and the trails are great for even the littlest explorers. Bring sunscreen and bug spray and you'll have an awesome time! read more

Wife and I took a walk through here recently. Adult admission is $5, child/student is $3. I consider to be a donation to maintain the place. The main building has a small museum with fossils, taxidermy animals, other science displays, all of which Are generally geared towards children. Outside of the main building, they have chicken coops and goats and a few other alive exhibits. There is a small trail system where you can hike and see native species. They have a community garden that you can become a member of and theoretically plant your own vegetables and herbs which sounds nice for condo dwellers like us. They have an amp a theater where I believe they give science related talks, again most likely geared for children. A couple of the trails are still closed due to damage from the hurricanes last year. All in all, we enjoyed ourselves and think that this would be an even better place to bring our grandkids when I get a little older. read more

A great little slice of nature in the middle of Arlington!

My toddlers loved it here! The inside of the building was filled with hands on activities that they just were thrilled with. The goats and chickens were a great surprise. The trails were fun too! read more

I remember visiting this place in elementary school! They've been around forever! Very fun place for kids but wish they had more animals.

I love examples of the "OLD" Florida! This is one of those spots! Except for evidence of hurricane damage (Matthew and Irma), it s exactly what I remember growing up in Jacksonville in the 60s. Great nature walks, small museum with a/c and goats, chickens, alligator, tortoises outside. Bring your kids or just yourself to remember what natural Florida looked like. read more

I love Tree Hill. The animal exhibits have come a long way in the last few years and it's nice to see this little slice of heaven in Arlington grow. The goats have always been a favorite of mine and they now have a newly constructed area. The chickens have upgraded as well. The trails are beautiful and the walking bridge that leads to the amphitheater was a nice addition a few years ago. Inside, there are touch tanks, animal exhibits, and plenty of information about old Florida. This is definitely one of the best places in Jacksonville to take children (but of course NOT on a hot summer day.) 2 complaints: the Alligator enclosure desperately needs to be upgraded. I've been going to tree hill for over 10 years and the enclosure is the same, a murky concrete puddle with plexiglass walls. And I don't mind paying admission to go inside, feed the goats,and see the chickens, but NOT if I only want to walk the trails. There are plenty of places to enjoy without paying admission to walk trails. read more

Nice little park with an OK animal exhibit inside. Nice hiking trails, an amphitheater and an active community garden. You'll also see free range chickens and also some newly arrived chicks. They also have some goats and an owl as part of their outdoors exhibit. Only gave it a 3-star as this is park is more geared for children and some of their interior exhibits are being redone so they were closed on this visit. They offer a $1 off military discount which brought our admission down to $4. Also closed was a boardwalk that must have recently sustained damage. read more

Very affordable and beautiful side trip for the family. Boys loved the trails, butterfly house, indoor discovery center with touch pool, chickens and goats, and seeing an armadillo rooting under the boardwalk. Beautiful and shady. Excellent resource if you are interested in gardening. read more

Didn't know this place existed. My family had a good time. The lady who was our presenter/teacher in the amphitheater was very good. We enjoyed the small trails, and the animals. read more