The operator behind the Jacksonville Beach Fishing Pier is expanding north, bringing bike, kayak and pedal-boat rentals plus food trucks to Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park as early as this fall.

Curt DeWitt, owner of Beach Life Rentals, told the Beach Gazette on Thursday, Aug. 20, that the city of Jacksonville is letting his company run recreation operations and the campground store at the 450-acre oceanfront park on Wonderwood Drive.

"We're not going to be manning the gates. There are still going to be park rangers, and the city is letting us run the recreation and the campground store," DeWitt said. "We're not taking anything away. We're just going to add more amenities."

The planned offerings include bikes, surfboards, kayaks and pedal boats, along with beach-chair and umbrella delivery, ice, snacks and drinks ordered directly on the sand.

DeWitt also plans to station at least one food truck at the park, with a goal of rotating three: a coffee truck near the poles serving breakfast, and lunch and dinner options at Parking Lot B. Shaved ice will be available near the lakeside area.

Park rangers will continue staffing the gates. Day-use entry fees remain $5 per vehicle and $3 for pedestrians and bicycles, according to the city's parks website.

Existing concession

Hanna Park's campground store and watercraft concession is operated by Adventure Kayak Florida, LLC, which offers kayak, canoe and bike rentals along with beach and camping supplies. It is unclear whether Beach Life Rentals will replace or supplement that operator.

DeWitt's track record

DeWitt took over management of the Jacksonville Beach Fishing Pier at 503 N. First St. in July 2022, after the city awarded him the contract when the pier reopened following $10 million in repairs. He introduced shaded patio furniture and hammocks and built out a beach-chair rental operation that deploys up to 200 chairs on busy days from the pier area south toward St. Augustine.

DeWitt has also spent roughly 16 years working as a docent aide at One Ocean (now Dune House) in Atlantic Beach, arranging dinner reservations, bicycles and surfboards for hotel guests. He has said the company still works with Dune House.

Hanna Park draws campers and day visitors to its 300 campsites, 1.5 miles of beach, 60 acres of freshwater lakes and more than 20 miles of trails. No specific start date for Beach Life Rentals' operations at the park has been announced, but DeWitt told the Beach Gazette the expansion will happen this fall.