If you want the south-end beach park where riders, beach drivers and cyclists all start out, it's Peters Point, at 4600 Peters Point Road. Nassau County runs it, not the City of Fernandina Beach, so county beach rules apply from the moment you pull in. The county's facility listing includes indoor and outdoor showers, picnic tables and fishing.
Peters Point has four lifeguard stands, the same number as Main Beach. Fernandina Beach Ocean Rescue guards them on weekends starting the first weekend in May, then every day from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Guards are on the stands 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends and holidays, and the park has a lightning prediction and warning system.
Horses are the other draw. Peters Point is the only county beach park where horse trailers are allowed to park, in a grass area that fits three at a time, first come, first served. That's why Happy Trails Walking Horses and Amelia Island Horseback Riding both start their guided rides here. If you're riding your own horse, the county requires a manure catch bag, a trailer decal from Animal Services and a negative Coggins test, and riders reach the sand by the marked vehicle lanes.
The beach from here north to the Fernandina Beach city limits is open to driving, but only for Nassau County residents and property owners, with a few exceptions. The Scott Road beach access entry spells out the vehicle rules and hours. Everyone else parks in the lot and walks over. Cyclists can also start here: the paved Timucuan Trail runs six miles south to Amelia Island State Park and the Nassau Sound bridge.