Anastasia State Park is one of the best places in St. Augustine to trade historic streets and sightseeing for a few hours of wild Florida coastline. The park protects more than 1,600 acres of pristine beach, tidal salt marsh, maritime hammock and ancient sand dunes on Anastasia Island, yet it’s only a short drive from downtown St. Augustine.
The park’s biggest attraction is its four miles of protected Atlantic beach. With dunes rather than hotels and condos lining much of the shoreline, the beach feels noticeably more natural than many developed Florida beaches. Visitors come for swimming, surfing, shelling, fishing, long beach walks and simply finding a quiet patch of sand. A designated swimming area is seasonally monitored by lifeguards from Memorial Day through Labor Day, although visitors should always pay attention to posted ocean and rip-current conditions.
There’s considerably more to Anastasia than the beach. The Ancient Dunes Nature Trail winds through shaded maritime hammock and an ancient dune system, while Salt Run provides a completely different side of the park. Kayaks, canoes and paddleboards can be rented inside the park for exploring the tidal estuary, where wildlife can include dolphins, manatees, sea turtles and an impressive variety of coastal birds. Anastasia is also part of the Great Florida Birding and Wildlife Trail.
History is tucked into the landscape as well. The park contains the Spanish Coquina Quarries, where coquina stone was mined centuries ago and used in the construction of St. Augustine landmarks including the Castillo de San Marcos. It’s an easy feature to overlook if you arrive solely for the beach, but it adds another layer to the park’s connection with the city’s history.
Anastasia is also one of the area’s standout places to camp. Its 139 campsites accommodate tents and RVs beneath the maritime hammock, with water and electricity at each site and the beach only a short walk or bike ride away. For visitors who don’t want to haul camping equipment, the park also offers a small collection of glamping bungalows.
For a day visit, you’ll find restrooms, outdoor rinse showers, picnic areas, playgrounds, beach-access boardwalks, concessions and equipment rentals inside the park. The park is generally open 8 a.m. until sundown, 365 days a year, and standard admission is currently $8 per vehicle for up to eight people.
If you’re visiting St. Augustine for several days, Anastasia State Park is worth setting aside time for rather than treating it as simply another beach access. It’s one of the easiest places near downtown to experience what this stretch of Florida’s coast looks like when the dunes, marshes and shoreline are allowed to remain wonderfully wild.
