Anastasia State Park

Coquina is a strange and wonderful rock, made of countless tiny shells cemented together over thousands of years. It is soft and easy to saw when first cut from the ground, then hardens as it dries in the air, and it has an unusual gift: cannonballs sink into it rather than shattering it. In the 1600s Spanish colonists discovered rich beds of coquina on Anastasia Island and began quarrying it here to raise the great fort guarding St. Augustine, the Castillo de San Marcos.

The quarry pits still sit inside the park today, reached by a short, shaded trail off the main road, and interpretive signs explain how enslaved and free laborers cut the blocks by hand and floated them across the inlet. Standing at the edge of the old workings, you can look at the raw gray stone and then, a few minutes' drive away, see the very same rock standing three centuries later as the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States.

The park's four-mile stretch of Atlantic shore is the kind of beach that rewards a long, slow walk. The sand is white quartz, firm underfoot near the tide line and soft up by the dunes, and because the parking is set back behind the dune ridge, the beach itself never feels developed. Surfers work the break near the inlet, families spread out along the wide middle stretch, and by the time you reach the far south end you may have it almost to yourself.

Behind the beach, Salt Run offers a completely different water. This shallow, protected tidal lagoon is warm and calm, the ideal place to try a kayak or stand-up paddleboard for the first time, and rentals are available inside the park. Herons stalk the grass flats, mullet flash in the shallows, and on a still morning the whole run mirrors the sky.

Anastasia sits on the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail, and the mix of habitats packed into one park makes for remarkable birdwatching. Roseate spoonbills and wood storks feed along the marsh edges, ospreys and bald eagles patrol overhead, and in the maritime hammock small songbirds like painted buntings and warblers flit through the oaks, especially during spring and fall migration.

The dunes here are among the tallest on this stretch of coast, and boardwalks carry visitors over them without trampling the fragile sea oats that hold the sand in place. In the quieter months the park feels almost empty, and a walk from the woods to the water passes through forest, marsh, and open beach in the space of a mile, a compact tour of nearly every wild habitat the northeast Florida coast has to offer.

The park entrance is on Anastasia Park Road, just off A1A on Anastasia Island, a short drive across the Bridge of Lions from downtown St. Augustine. There is a per-vehicle day-use fee at the gate, and the park is open every day of the year, so it makes an easy morning or full-day escape from the historic district. On busy summer weekends the beach lots can fill by midday, so an early start is wise.

Give yourself time to do more than the beach. Walk the coquina quarry trail, rent a kayak on Salt Run, and bring binoculars for the birds. There is a small concession and beach rentals near the main lot, but pack water and sun protection for a long day, since the open beach offers little shade. For anyone who wants to sleep inside the park, the campground under the maritime forest is one of the most sought-after on the coast and books up months ahead.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.