St George Island Information

St. George Island State Park is located in the state of Florida, between the Gulf of Mexico and Apalachicola Bay. The park is encompassed within 1,962 acres of land at the bottom of a narrow barrier island. The park’s landscape includes dunes, sandy coves, salt marshes, shady pines, oak forests and undeveloped beaches.

The island has been in existence for 5,000 years. During most of this time, no one had seized it to use for habitable living. The military used the area for training exercises that were conducted in the dunes portion of the island. The state of Florida acquired the land for the park in 1963 and the causeway was completed was completed in 1965. After the causeway was built, more people flocked to the beaches. Park construction was completed in 1980 and opened to the public.

In addition to the long beaches and dunes, the park also features live oak hammock and rows of slash pines. There is an ocean nearby that caters to marine life. Even though the climate in the area is dry, there are some small freshwater ponds and sloughs that cater to a limited aquatic lifestyle. At the opening of the Apalachicola River, the oyster industry is prevalent there. Commercial and sport fisheries abound there, also.

Because of the dryness in the area mixed in with the island park itself, there is limited animal life dwelling here. You may see osprey fishing in the water and their habitat nests a located on tops of pine trees in the park. They nestle on pine trees that are thriving or unresponsive. You may also spot raccoons, ghost crabs, diamondback terrapin and marsh snakes. These creatures make their dwelling in the marsh and bay water area. In the shores of sand and grass flat areas, you can find different species of birds, such as the black skimmer, least tern and the snowy plover. Birds move from one place to another during the fall and spring seasons. They usually end up along the Gulf Coast’s barrier islands for what are called rest stops. After the cold fronts have come and gone, you have a better chance of seeing them.

If you’re looking for recreational things to do at the park, you have your choice of hiking trails, boardwalks and observation platforms. Gap Point is a campsite that also has a nature trail that spans 2.5 miles. The campground area is in the vicinity of the pine forests. You can either camp out on the bay side or in the primitive campsite areas.

Swimming and sunbathing is allowed along the white sandy beaches and the Gulf waters. You are taking a chance because there are no lifeguards available in this area. So you are basically swimming at your own risk. If you want to fish, you can do surf and bay fishing. During your excursion, you may catch a variety of Spanish mackerel, whiting, pompano, redfish, sea trout, or flounder. You are only allowed to fish here if you have a valid saltwater fishing license.

If you do drive on the park roads, the speed limit is 25 miles per hour. Driving is prohibited in the dune areas. You are not allowed to hunt, use the grass or land to feed animals, or removing trees and related items from the park. For the animal’s safety as well as yours, you are prohibited from feeding them. If you bring a pet, they are restricted from most of the park area. They are not allowed on the campgrounds, beaches (including bathing beaches), concession areas and other areas that are designated off limits. The only exception to this is service dogs (seeing-eye dogs for the visually impaired).

The park is open from 8 A.M. until sundown and operates every day of the year, including holidays.

This entry was posted on Friday, January 4th, 2008 at 4:00 am and is filed under SGI. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.