Kayaking at Anastasia State Park

Let the kayak adventure begin

"Look over there", my kayak partner said while pointing toward a large black and white barber-striped tower in the distance. The monolith was St. Augustine's 165-foot tall lighthouse across the open waters of Anastasia's Salt Run. Of course, there was a little matter of 3 miles of water and a possibility of rain before reaching the lighthouse. Did it stop us from going? No way!

Our December trip starts from the Windsurfing beach and picnic area at Anastasia State Park. Yes, you can kayak and canoe year-round in St. Augustine. It's one of the many outdoor activities we enjoy. It was near high tide and not much left of the narrow beach surrounded by grass. We pumped up the Innova Helios 380 inflatable kayak, tossed in a small cooler and waterproof bag of dry clothes. The water was a 64 degrees (not bad for December!) and air temperature was just a bit over 60.

Our first thought was to paddle across the lagoon and hike over to the Atlantic to snap a few photos. From our put-in vantage point it looked like only a narrow sliver of land separated the two, but we quickly found out it was much more than a few feet. The backside of the barrier island is surrounded by salt marsh cordgrass, followed by 100 yards or more of low-growth vegetation including numerous prickly pear cacti. Lesson of the day was don't wear sandals in a cactus patch. After a failed attempt at crossing to the Atlantic we gave up and headed toward the lighthouse. See the GPS positions if you want to know exactly where we made landfall.

On the way to the lighthouse we spotted numerous birds including pelicans, gulls, egret, ducks and even an osprey. Bring a camera on your trip and you're bound to capture some awesome bird photos.

St. Augustine's Lighthouse

Landing at the St. Augustine lighthouse was easy. The J. Edward Cox Recreational Facility has a nice concrete boat ramp and plenty of grass on which to park your kayak. I'm sure much to the amusement of "normal" folks, we brought along our survival gear, including PFDs when we visited the lighthouse. The park rangers and tour guides were nice and didn't point too much.

Construction started on the 165-foot tall, 219-stair lighthouse in 1871 and completed in 1874. It's open daily from 9AM to 6PM, but closed on December 24/25 for Christmas. Cost to climb the lighthouse is $7.50 per person and includes admission to a small museum next door. An unbelievable view from the top lets you look east across Anastasia State Park to the Atlantic and north to Castillo de San Marcos fort and the Old Spanish Quarter.

After touring the museum and lighthouse and getting a few photos of each other wearing PFDs at the top, we returned to ground level and found our trusty Helios kayak just were we left it. Boat traffic was light, making launching from the recreation center a breeze. We crossed back over to the barrier island side of the lagoon and followed it in a southeasterly direction to the state park. Once again, Mother Nature did not disappoint and we were treated to numerous fine feathered friends along the way.

GPS Positions: 1. Anastasia State Park Windsurfing / Picnic Area N29 52.307 W81 16.520 2. Conch Island "Narrows" N29 52.647 W81 16.425 3. J. Edward Cox Boat Ramp N29 53.149 W81.17.152 4. St. Augustine Lighthouse N29 53.126 W81 17.312

Address and Directions Anastasia State Park 1340A A1A South St. Augustine FL 32080 904.461.2033 From I-95 take Exit 318 east for 5 miles. Turn right onto U.S. 1 and proceed south for 2 miles. Turn left onto King Street and continue over the Bridge of Lions, which now becomes Anastasia Blvd (A1A). Go 2 miles and turn left into park entrance.

Paddle your way to a wonderful new home

My name is Janet Carey and I want to thank you for visiting my web site. I am a real estate agent and fourth generation Floridian. I specialize in the St. Augustine Florida area including Elkton, Hastings and the surrounding beaches of Vilano Beach, St. Augustine Beach, Butler Beach, Treasure Beach and Crescent Beach. If you would like to learn more about living in America's First City, please give me a call at 813.528.3331 or email Janet Carey.

Find out more about Anastasia State Park

Florida State Park - Anastasia

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