What we’re about
The Sierra Club is a national organization dedicated to Explore, Enjoy, and Protect the planet. Locally, our NE Group participates in outdoor adventures and environmental education, and we lobby our local and state government for pro-environmental legislation.
We invite you to Join the Sierra Club and help us Save the Planet!
You can join for as little as $15 a year!
As a special thank you, we'll send you a free gift as well as these exciting Members-only benefits:
- One-year subscription to Sierra magazine
- Worldwide Members-only outdoor trips
- Automatic membership in your local Chapter
- Discounts on Sierra Club calendars, books, and other merchandise
We will begin conducting outings again after July 4, 2021.
For much more info about us, see:
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Hike the Trails at Ft. ClinchFort Clinch State Park Main Entrance, Fernandina Beach, FL
Open for RSVPs on April 10 at 8 a.m.
We'll hike about three miles through the beautiful maritime hammock to include the Willow Pond Nature Trail. After our hike, we can visit the historic Ft. Clinch.
Bring bug spray and water. No pets except service dogs. Children capable of three miles are welcome.
You must register and sign the liability waiver online. Please register and sign the waiver at:
https://tinyurl.com/zzm6tpmuSee a virtual hike of Ft. Clinch here:
https://youtu.be/94Rd9bkpYsoFees: $6 per vehicle (two to eight people), $4 single-occupant vehicle. $2.50 per person for fort admission.
DIRECTIONS: The address is 2601 Atlantic Avenue, Fernandina Beach, FL 32034. From Jacksonville take I-95 north to exit 373 (Fernandina Beach/Callahan) and stay to the right towards Fernandina Beach.
You will then be traveling east on A1A, which becomes 8th Street within the town limits of Fernandina Beach. Stay on A1A/8th Street for 16 miles until you come to the intersection of 8th Street and Atlantic Avenue. Turn right on Atlantic Avenue and go about two miles until you arrive at Fort Clinch State Park on the left. We will meet in the fort parking lot, which is three miles past the ranger station; simply follow the park road until it ends.Special Communicable Disease advisory
- This outing may include vaccinated and non-vaccinated participants
- Masks are not required at this outdoor event. Please bring a mask in case a situation arises where donning a mask may be warranted.
- If you have any of the following symptoms, do not attend this outing:
* Fever or chills * Congestion or runny nose * Headache
* Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing * Nausea or vomiting
* Muscle or body aches * New loss of taste or smell *Sore throatCancellation Policy: Event may be cancelled in case of rain or if weather threatens safety. Check Meetup for current status before traveling to the event. Events may need to be cancelled at short notice.
Help the environment by following these tips:
- Bring your water in a reusable container instead of a single-use plastic bottle
- Use sunscreen free of oxybenzone and octinoxate. These chemicals are extremely harmful to coral reefs, as well as being hormone disruptors in humans.Sierra Club maintains a safe space agreement between participants, leaders, volunteers, and staff. We want to support everyone in exploring, enjoying, and protecting our natural environment, and hateful and dangerous behavior will not be tolerated. We don’t want to deny participation in these outdoor programs and we will always say no to racism, sexism, ageism, homophobia, impairment, and disruption. We request that all participants cooperate with the outing leader's direction to ensure a safe and enjoyable outing for everyone.
- Kayak Guana Lake at GTM Research Reserve / City Nature Challenge 2024505 Guana River Rd, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
This outing is part of the 2024 City Nature Challenge. You are welcome to join us for the paddle without participating in the wildlife documentation.
The city nature challenge is an annual international event gathering people and communities from all over the world in a friendly competition through use of the iNaturalist app. During the annual challenge, people from all over the world will explore nature in their neighborhood and cities to find and document wildlife. If you wish to participate, please download the iNaturalist app on your phone prior to the event. We will provide instructions for using the app for the Challenge prior to, and at the outing.
The Goals of City Nature Challenge are to
● Connect people in urban/metro areas to their local nature,
● Connect people to each other in an effort to build community in person & online around local nature,
● Collect urban biodiversity data available to use for science, management, and conservation,
● Grow volunteer biodiversity documentation globally
● Have fun through some friendly competition
NOTE: You are required to sign our Participation Agreement to participate in our outings. To save time the day of the hike, we encourage you to sign the agreement online ahead of time at:
https://act.sierraclub.org/events/details?formcampaignid=7013q000002IRO4AAO
A paper copy will also be available at the outing.Beginners Welcome! We will meet in the parking lot at the GTM Dam area. There is a $3 entrance fee per vehicle for up to 8 people. $1 per pedestrian, bicyclist, and extra passengers in vehicle beyond 8 (cash only, bring exact change).
Kayak rentals are available on-site at Guana Outpost. It is recommended that you call in advance to reserve at: Guana Outpost South 904-373-0306. Or book online at northguanaoutpost.com/bookings The cost for a (3 hour) single kayak rental is $40 ($50 for a double kayak). All rentals include a life vest & whistle.
The GTM Research Reserve is one of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Estuarine Research Reserves. The Reserve is managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection. It’s been established as a protected area for long-term monitoring, research, education and stewardship. It includes 74,000 acres of conservation lands and waters from Ponte Vedra to Palm Coast. It serves to protect and provide for a great diversity of plants, animals and cultural resources by using research to guide science-based stewardship and education.
Bring PFD (life vest), whistle, water, bug spray, sunscreen, hat*. You must wear your PFD and whistle. These items are also available to rent at the Outpost. Please arrive early to unload and get ready.
If you will be renting a kayak, an attendant at the Outpost will provide you with basic kayaking instructions and safety guidelines. Launch time is at 10:00 a.m.
Guana Lake is calm and shallow (approximately 5 ft. in depth) It’s easy to paddle, making it a good location for beginner kayakers. There can be waves when windy. The parking lot, and boat ramp are wheelchair accessible. Adults only. No pets allowed.
*Optional* After kayaking, participants can tour the visitor center.
Address: 505 Guana River Road, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082
Phone: (904) 380-8600### Directions
From St. Augustine:
● From US Hwy 1 (Ponce De Leon Blvd)
● Turn onto W San Carlos Ave. (at the Public Library)
● Left at San Marco
● Merge into the Right lane onto N May Ave/A1A N
● Continue over the Vilano Bridge
● Turn left onto A1A North, continue for 7.5 miles
● Turn left onto Guana River Road (just north of Exxon Gas Station)
From Jacksonville:
● Take FL 202/Butler Blvd. East
● Take the A1A S Exit toward Ponte Vedra/St. Augustine
● Continue on A1A South for 16.8 Miles (note- you will pass the 3 beach access points along this stretch of A1A)
● Turn right onto Guana River Road (if you reach the Exxon gas station, you have gone too far)Cancellation Policy: Event will be held rain or shine, but may be canceled if weather threatens safety such as in the case of lightning or high winds in the forecast. Also, if the heat index is forecast to be over 103, then the outing will be canceled. Participants are advised to check Meetup for current status before traveling to the event. Events may need to be canceled at short notice.
* Help the environment by following these tips:
● Bring your water in a reusable container instead of a single-use plastic bottle
● Use sunscreen free of oxybenzone and octinoxate. These chemicals are extremely harmful to coral reefs, as well as being hormone disruptors in humans. - Active/Former Military Members ONLY - St. Johns River Taxi Downtown CruiseMOSH (Museum Of Science & History), Jacksonville, FL
This is a Sierra Club Military Outdoors event - a joint Sierra Club Northeast Florida and YMCA outing - FOR ACTIVE AND FORMER MILITARY AND THEIR FAMILIES ONLY.
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Reminder on Registration/Waiver Requirements:
We understand that the Registration/Waiver process for our Military Outdoors events is a bit complicated. We are working hard with the decision-makers to simplify the process. In the meantime, please cooperate with us in following these procedures:
1. All participants must sign the YMCA registration/waiver. After completing your initial time, you only have to check with the YMCA Rep at each future event to get your name checked off.
2. All participants must sign the online Sierra Club registration/waiver. This should be done ahead of time online before the event by using the Campfire link found below on the Meetup site. This must be done for each event.
3. Wounded Warrior Project attendees and others from partner organizations must also complete their internal registration/waiver in addition to the YMCA and Sierra Club registration/waiver for each event.
Thanks for your understanding and patience!
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Enjoy an educational and informative cruise on the St. Johns! This narrated tour includes a brief history about Jacksonville, information about the St. Johns River and a chance to get a close look at wildlife that abounds in the downtown area.Register and sign the liability waiver online. Here's the link:
https://tinyurl.com/55u7n8tjIMPORTANT:
We'll meet in the parking area at MOSH (see photos), then walk down to the boat (1/4 mile. See Map.) all together. It is important that you be at the parking lot at 2 pm so we can complete registrations then gather together as one group to walk to the boat so I can pay for everyone at once.DIRECTIONS:
We will park at the Museum of Science and History (MOSH) located at 1025 Museum Cir, Jax. See map and photo of parking lot.
We will then take a short 1/4 mile walk along the river to the dock by the DoubleTree Inn to board our boat. (See map of walk in Photos.) - Northbank Riverwalk Walk for City Nature Challenge715 Riverside Ave, Jacksonville, FL
This outing is part of the 2024 City Nature Challenge. You are welcome to join us for the walk without participating in the wildlife documentation.
The city nature challenge is an annual international event gathering people and communities from all over the world in a friendly competition through use of the iNaturalist app. During the annual challenge, people from all over the world will explore nature in their neighborhood and cities to find and document wildlife. If you wish to participate, please download the iNaturalist app on your phone prior to the event. We will provide instructions for using the app for the Challenge prior to, and at the outing.
The Goals of City Nature Challenge are to
● Connect people in urban/metro areas to their local nature,
● Connect people to each other in an effort to build community in person & online around local nature,
● Collect urban biodiversity data available to use for science, management, and conservation,
● Grow volunteer biodiversity documentation globally
● Have fun through some friendly competitionThe Northbank of the Riverwalk is open. Let’s check out the new apartment construction and see what’s up on the lawn! We will look for wildlife along the river and document with the iNaturalist app. We’ll walk the mostly paved path (although some parts are grass lawns) for about 2-mile path starting under the Fuller Warren bridge at the Riverside Arts Market (RAM) before retracing our route for a total of around 4 miles, ending back at RAM. We'll also pause at a few Points of Interest along our route. While we will not be crossing St Johns to the Southbank during this particular adventure, we will be crossing the Corkscrew pedestrian bridge twice. After the walk officially ends, feel free to check out the many vendors (artisan, farm/produce, etc) at RAM and perhaps grab a bite from one of the many food trucks.
Please be prepared for the walk. You’ll need to bring bottled water, good walking shoes, and sunblock*.
Please complete your release form online at https://act.sierraclub.org/events/details?formcampaignid=7013q000002IROiAAO
Cancellation Policy: Event will be held rain or shine, but may be cancelled if weather threatens safety such as in the case of lightning or high winds in the forecast. Participants are advised to check Meetup for current status before traveling to the event. Events may need to be cancelled at short notice.
Sierra Club maintains a safe space agreement between participants, leaders, volunteers, and staff. We want to support everyone in exploring, enjoying, and protecting our natural environment, and hateful and dangerous behavior will not be tolerated. We don’t want to deny participation in these outdoor programs and we will always say no to racism, sexism, ageism, homophobia, impairment, and disruption. We request that all participants cooperate with the outing leader's direction to ensure a safe and enjoyable outing for everyone.
* Help the environment by following these tips:
- Bring your water in a reusable container instead of a single-use plastic bottle
- Use sunscreen free of oxybenzone and octinoxate. These chemicals are extremely harmful to coral reefs, as well as being hormone disruptors in humans.
