Hanna Park
Encyclopedia
Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park is a 1.5 miles (2.4 km) public beach
front and city park in Atlantic Beach, Florida
. It is located at Mayport in the Jacksonville Beaches
area. Ic consists of 447 acres (1.8 km²) of mature coast
al hammock
, which is increasingly rare to find along Florida's heavily developed Atlantic coast.
. 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 It flourished until around 1940, when it was superseded as a day-trip destination by the larger American Beach in nearby Amelia Island
.
In the 1940s, 5 acres (20,234.3 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.
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.
The first general purpose trail was constructed by Michael Long in 1987 as his Eagle Scout
service project. Most of the land has been left in its natural, wooded state. Boardwalks were constructed over the dunes to protect vegetation.
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.
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.
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
front and city park in Atlantic Beach, Florida
Atlantic Beach, Florida
Atlantic Beach, a city in Duval County, Florida, is the northernmost of the Jacksonville Beaches communities. When the majority of communities in Duval County consolidated with Jacksonville, Florida in 1968, Atlantic Beach, along with Jacksonville Beach, Neptune Beach, and Baldwin, Florida,...
. It is located at Mayport in the Jacksonville Beaches
Jacksonville Beaches
The Jacksonville Beaches, known locally as the "Beaches" or simply the "Beach", is the collective name for the towns and communities on the northern half of an unnamed barrier island on Florida's First Coast, all of which are suburbs or parts of the city of Jacksonville. These communities are...
area. Ic consists of 447 acres (1.8 km²) of mature coast
Coast
A coastline or seashore is the area where land meets the sea or ocean. A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the dynamic nature of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs...
al hammock
Hammock (ecology)
Hammocks are dense stands of hardwood trees that grow on natural rises of only a few inches higher than surrounding marshland that is otherwise too wet to support them. Hammocks are distinctive in that they are formed gradually over thousands of years rising in a wet area through the deposits of...
, which is increasingly rare to find along Florida's heavily developed Atlantic coast.
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. Manhattan Beach was established around 1900 by blacks working on the Florida East Coast RailwayFlorida East Coast Railway
The Florida East Coast Railway is a Class II railroad operating in the U.S. state of Florida; in the past, it has been a Class I railroad.Built primarily in the last quarter of the 19th century and the first decade of the 20th century, the FEC was a project of Standard Oil principal Henry Morrison...
. 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
Amelia Island
Amelia Island is one of the southernmost of the Sea Islands, a chain of barrier islands that stretches along the east coast of the United States from South Carolina to Florida. It is long and approximately 4 miles wide at its widest point. Amelia Island is situated off the coast in Nassau County,...
.
In the 1940s, 5 acres (20,234.3 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.
Hans Tanzler
Hans Gearhart Tanzler, Jr. is a former American politician and judge. He served as Mayor of Jacksonville, Florida from 1967 to 1979. During his administration, the City of Jacksonville consolidated with Duval County, making him the last mayor of the old city government and the first mayor of a...
in the mid-1970s.
The first general purpose trail was constructed by Michael Long in 1987 as his Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
service project. 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
The park has nearly 15 miles (24.1 km) of BicycleBicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
Motocross
Motocross
Motocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...
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.
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 acres (161,874.4 m²) freshwater lake which opened in 1978.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.