Anastasia State Park and its campground are open.
Anastasia State Park is among the best Florida has to offer.
The park’s dune-lined beach stretches four miles along the Atlantic coast, affording plenty of opportunity to spread out for a quiet day in the sun.
Broad and beautiful, you can ride your bicycle on packed sand below the tide line or park yourself in soft sand below its wind-swept dunes garnished with sea oats.
The nearby campground is a peaceful, back-to-nature experience with a high level of privacy afforded by dense vegetation between campsites.
The historic touch
You cannot visit St. Augustine without tasting history in every corner, and Anastasia State Park is no exception.
At the entrance to the park, before you arrive at the park gate, a short trail goes back to a coquina quarry early Spanish settlers mined to build homes and the historic fort that guards the harbor.
With hand tools, Indian and African slaves and prisoners from other European nations were put to work carving the soft shellstone out of the quarry for transport to the settlement across the river.
The Spaniards learned to waterproof the coquina blocks with water and plaster, strengthening their defenses against enemies and weather.
From the 16th to 19th Century, coquina mined on Anastasia Island was a prized building material, and strong enough to weather the centuries. You’ll find many of of those conquina structures in St. Augustine still standing, including Castillo de San Marcos, the historic fort that is now a national monument.
The fort, as well as Historic St. Augustine, are a short bike ride away, across the nearby Bridge of Lions.
Related story: Castillo de San Marcos makes history fascinating
Anastasia State Park camping
The campground’s 139 campsites break out into seven loops in a wooded coastal forest, just steps away from the shimmering sand of the sprawling beach.
All of the campsites accommodate RVs or tents and have connections for water and electricity, a picnic table, in-ground grill and fire ring. There are no sewer hookups, but there is a dump station as you leave the campground.
The campground has four full-service bathhouses, each serving two loops, with hot showers and laundry facilities.
The first thing I noticed was how tight most of the sites are for RVs – and how private they are. I checked several sites for privacy, and the low-growing vegetation was thick with scrub, creating a dense screen.
Even the deepest RV sites are narrow, leaving scant room to fully roll out an awning or slide-out. On the other hand, the forest is so thick and shady, you don’t need an awning for shade.
There are a few sites wider than the norm, so look at the photos for each individual site on the reservations website before you book it. The maximum RV length is 38 feet, but only five sites can take a rig that large.
The Coquina Loop is closest to the beach and appeared to be the most appealing for RVers.
Pets are allowed in all areas of the park, including the campground, but not on the beach.
For day visitors and campers
The park’s Island Beach Shop and Grill is fairly typical for a campground store with basic camping supplies, a few food stuffs, bait for fishing and souvenirs. A nice touch is the availability of Wi-Fi in a covered outdoor patio.
Beyond the basics, you’ll have to go outside the park. There is an Ace Hardware store with camping supplies and a Publix Supermarket south of the park entrance on State Road A1A. The beachside community of St. Augustine Beach offers dining options and shopping.
Kayak or paddle board the lagoon
The park’s concession, Anastasia Water Sports, offers rentals of kayaks, canoes, stand-up paddle boards and sailboats for use on the park’s sheltered lagoon off the Intracoastal Waterway.
The lagoon is wide and long, offering plenty of room to play behind the beach dunes.
The lagoon is excellent for less-experienced boaters and would be fine for an afternoon on the water, but serious kayakers will want to venture out of the lagoon into the Intracoastal Waterway.
When I arrived at the park, a park ranger also recommended the kayak launch at Matanzas Inlet, south of Anastasia State Park on State Road A1A, or further south at the Marineland Marina.
Anastasia State Park, 300 Anastasia Park Road, St. Augustine, FL 32080. (904) 461-2033. Day-use fee: $8/vehicle (2-8 people). Camping: $28/night plus a $7 daily utility fee. Campsite reservations up to 11 months in advance for Florida residents, 10 months for non-residents, at reserve.floridastateparks.org or call (800) 326-3521.
Anastasia State Park FAQs
Are there full hookups for RVs? Only water and electric. There are no sewer hookups, but there is a dump station as you leave the campground.
Can you swim at Anastasia State Park? There are four miles of beautiful beach. A swimming area is monitored by a lifeguard from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Editors note: A beach renourishment project was underway during the summer of 2024. The beach remains open in most areas.
Can you drive on the beach at Anastasia State Park? No, but you can ride a bike on the beach below the tide line, and you can rent bicycles. Beach driving was banned after an accident two decades ago.
Is surfing good at Anastasia State Park? Anastasia State Park is one of the best breaks on the east coast of Florida. For the latest surf conditions, visit Surfline.
Things to do near Anastasia State Park
- Five cool things we discovered in St. Augustine
- Fort Matanzas: St. Augustine’s charming free fort
- St. Augustine Pirate Museum
- 12 things to do in St. Augustine for nature & history lovers
