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The Clay County Division of Parks and Recreation's mission is to provide residents and visitors with an enjoyable recreational experience. Our primary goal is to provide safe, easily accessible, and well-maintained facilities that meet the community’s needs.
We invite you to explore the many ways that Parks and Recreation are making our communities happier and healthier. Parks are a place where people come together, and communities grow stronger.
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Florida’s parks encourage healthy, active lifestyles as well as social development. Sound bodies and sound minds require physical activity and the chance to experience personal growth. Parks provide this opportunity naturally. |
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Clay County Parks and Recreation would like to thank you all for a wonderful and safe year of growth, play, recreation, and leisure in our parks and on our waterways!
We hope you and your loved ones have a joyous holiday and Happy New Year, and we cannot wait to show you our plans, programs, and events for 2024!
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National Play Outside Day is the first Saturday of every month- this month it's January 6th!
Embrace the crisp air, the joy of the season, and the beauty of nature in our parks. Make the most of Clay County's winter wonderland. It's also a great opportunity to get some exercise and start on those New Year's Resolutions for 2024! |
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Clay County Parks and Recreation was featured in the 2023 Winter Edition of the FRPA Journal. The Florida Recreation & Park Association highlighted the department in their Agency Profile, showcasing Ronnie Van Zant Park and Camp Chowenwaw, amongst others.
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Help us shine the spotlight on… Tyler, our Athletic Coordinator!
Tyler has been an important member of our Parks and Recreation team since the summer of 2022. We would like to thank him for his dedication, effort, and willingness to help others
Tyler goes above and beyond to ensure that kids have access to youth sports across the county. He handles all of our athletic complexes, meets and supports our local athletic associations, and works tirelessly to support programs and events in our parks. We are so glad to have Tyler on our team. Thank you for all you do!
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The Clay County Outdoor Adventure Park will now be open on Fridays from 8-4. This is in addition to Saturdays from 8-4. The gun range opened in late September with a soft rollout on the hours of operation.
The 200-yard, 30-target-lane gun range is the first aspect to become a reality in the sprawling 158-acre complex near Camp Blanding, at 3829 Sergeant Bradley Crose Road, Middleburg, on County Road 215, just south of Oak Grove Baptist Church.
Local law enforcement holds training at the range for a portion of the week, and it's open to the public for the remainder. In the upcoming months, the range will be fully open on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.
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Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate the grand opening of the Centuries Exhibit at Camp Chowenwaw! This is such an amazing addition to our wonderfully unique park - with so much history! Now, that that history is on display for everyone to enjoy.
We have new hours for the Chowenwaw Centuries Exhibit, Saturdays 10am-3pm. Volunteers are needed to staff the museum. Apply to volunteer for Clay County Parks and Recreation at https://volunteer.claycountygov.com/.
Our Pawpaw Nature Center is open everyday from 10am-3pm.
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 Take your family out to enjoy nature with Birding Backpacks available for checkout at your local Clay County Public Library!
Clay County Parks and Recreation has provided each library with a backpack containing mini-binoculars, drawing materials, a magnifying glass, and information about plants, birds, and wildlife to use while exploring the parks.
Reserve one today at: https://insignia.claycountygov.com/Library/Home.
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TWO OPPORTUNITIES ON JANUARY 1ST
There will be a New Year's Day Hike at Ronnie Van Zant Park at 10am. The hike will be guided by a park naturalist and will last about 1 1/2 hours. The hike will focus mainly on sandhill habitat. We will meet in the back parking area near the pond.
There will also be a New Year's Day Walk at Moccasin Slough Park 10am. This is guided walk with a park naturalist will last about an hour. Topics will include the history of the park, habitats, and animals that use the park. It will be along a paved path and is accessible. We will meet at the pavilion located next to the parking area.
Explore Camp Chowenwaw Parks' Hickory Trail on a guided hike from one of our naturalists on January 20th at 9:30am.
We will meet at the picnic area to the left of Big Cabin. Bring bug spray, bottled water, and closed-toe shoes.
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The Parks and Recreation Department is proud to present several new playgrounds across the county, and more improvements are coming soon! Follow us on social media and visit www.letsplayclay.com for the most up-to-date information!
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Above: A new playground is open at W.E. Varnes Park in Orange Park.
Above Right: Island Forest Park in Fleming Island also received a new playground.
Right: Island Forest Park's basketball court was resurfaced as well!
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The University of Florida IFAS Extension can help you protect your plants from the winter elements.
Move plants in containers into protected areas where heat can be supplied or trapped. If you have to leave containers outdoors, push them together and protect with mulch to reduce heat loss from the container walls. (Note: Leaves of large canopy plants may be damaged if crowded together for extended periods.)
Heat radiates from soil surfaces during the night and is mainly lost to the atmosphere unless it is trapped. Reduce radiant heat loss and protect plant roots by placing mulch around the plants. For perennials, the root system is all that needs to be protected.
Coverings protect more from frost than from extreme cold. Covers that extend to the ground and do not touch plant foliage can lessen cold injury trapping heat. However, be careful when putting using plastic as a cover because foliage that touches plastic coverings is often injured since the cover actually takes heat away from the plant.
Examples of coverings include cloth sheets, quilts, plastic, or commercial frost cloths. Remove plastic covers during a sunny day or provide ventilation to keep the air under the cover from heating up too much. Putting a light bulb under a cover is a simple method of providing heat to ornamental plants in the landscape.
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