- Hanna Park
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Hanna Park 
Hanna Park boardwalk across dunesType Municipal (Parks & Recreation Department) Location Jacksonville Coordinates 30°22′31″N 81°24′39″W / 30.37528°N 81.41083°W Area 447 acres (1.81 km²) (.698 mi²) Created 1947 Operated by City of Jacksonville Visitors 400,000 Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park is a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) public beachfront and city park in Jacksonville, Florida. It is located at Mayport in the Jacksonville Beaches area. Ic consists of 447 acres (1.81 km2) of mature coastal hammock, which is increasingly rare to find along Florida's heavily developed Atlantic coast.[1]
Contents
History
Part of what is now Hanna Park was formerly Manhattan Beach, Florida's first beach community for African-Americans during the period of segregation.[2] Manhattan Beach was established around 1900 by blacks working on the Florida East Coast Railway. At its height the beach included amenities such as picnic pavilions, cottages, and an amusement park. It flourished until around 1940, when it was superseded as a day-trip destination by the larger American Beach in nearby Amelia Island.[3]
In the 1940s, 5 acres (20,000 m2) land for the park was donated by Winthrop Bancroft, who required that the land be named for Kathryn Abbey Hanna (November 8, 1895–1967, a Chicago, Illinois-born educator and author who had settled in Florida and served on the board of Parks and Historical Places.[4]
Shelters on the Boardwalk
The remaining property that eventually became the expanded Hanna Park was purchased after consolidation and during the administration of Mayor Hans Tanzler in the mid-1970s.[5] The first general purpose trail was constructed by Michael Long in 1987 as his Eagle Scout service project.[1] Most of the land has been left in its natural, wooded state. Boardwalks were constructed over the dunes to protect vegetation.
Features
In addition to the white sand beaches on the Atlantic Ocean, the park offers:
BMX Trails
trail bridgeBMX trails
The park has nearly 15 miles (24 km) of Bicycle Motocross trails that range from easy to difficult. For experienced riders, trails named Grunt, Misery, and Tornado Alley offer a challenging workout. Sanctioned races are held on a on a seasonal schedule and many local bikers ride the trails on a daily basis. This trail wins the award for "Most Difficult Close to the Sea" and was rated four out of five stars on the Trails website.[6]
Campground
Almost 300 campsites are nestled in the woods along winding, paved roads for tent camping or RV use, plus there are six small log "cozy cabins".
Dolphin Plaza
The park has a beachfront facility that can be rented by groups, with a view of sand dunes and surf.
Freshwater lake
A former borrow pit for road construction in the park turned into a 40-acre (160,000 m2) freshwater lake which opened in 1978.[1] Activities available include , fishing, kayaking, paddle boating, and canoeing; lakeside picnic tables and grills are available and scenic trails surround the lake. A water playground is provided for small children.[7]
Other amenities
There is a visitor/interpretive center, shuffleboard & volleyball courts; throughout the park there are benches, grills, picnic shelters & tables, playground equipment, restrooms and trash barrels
References
- ^ a b c Florida Times-Union: February 20, 2008-Hanna Park manager works on consistency in enforcing rules by Bill Longenecker
- ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=bjYsI76ezuAC&pg=PA64&dq=black+beach+in+Jacksonville&hl=en&ei=ZsEATr_YL4-2tgex5In9Dg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CD4Q6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=black%20beach%20in%20Jacksonville&f=false
- ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=DjlLgWzpy7IC&pg=PA19&dq=%22Manhattan+Beach%22%2BFlorida&hl=en&ei=scUATruxHYG4tgfyzs2bDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CC4Q6AEwATgK#v=onepage&q=%22Manhattan%20Beach%22%2BFlorida&f=false
- ^ Florida Adventure: Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park by John McNamara
- ^ Florida Times-Union: April 13, 2005-PARKS: Quality is the goal
- ^ Trails.com, Your guide to the outdoors: Hanna Park
- ^ Top ways to cool down in Jax
External links
Categories:- Recreation in Jacksonville, Florida
- Culture of Jacksonville, Florida
- Geography of Jacksonville, Florida
- Parks in Jacksonville, Florida
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