Anastasia State Park
This park is home to St. Augustine, known as one of the oldest continuously inhabited European settlements in our country. It’s a small piece of treasure in St. Johns County that draws locals and visitors to its white-sand beaches, hammock forests, dunes, and tidal marshes.
The park stretches across 1,600 acres, and although many come here looking for a relaxing beach day, there’s much more to do here. You can hike the Ancient Dunes Nature Trail, kayak along the coast, or stay overnight at one of the park’s 139 campsites.
This is the ideal place to see 195 species of birds, from osprey and egrets to Wilson’s plovers and black skimmers. Guided birding walks are also offered monthly.
There’s a restaurant on-site and a shop where you can rent chairs and umbrellas, stand-up paddle boards, surfboards, boogie boards, and bikes. If you’ve got a history buff in your group, check out the coquina (limestone made of broken shells) Quarries at the park entrance.
Dating from the 1700s, this spot is on the National Register of Historic Places. When the nearby Castillo de San Marcos was built, its coquina likely came from this spot.
So now that we’ve given you all these amazing locations to choose from, there’s just one more tough decision to make!… Which color bathing suit should you pack!?!
We’ll leave that up to you. But while you’re here, we’ve got some more fantastic destinations we think you’ll love. Check out: 5 Incredible US Places That Don’t Feel Like the US
