Staying in one of the most popular and coveted state parks of Florida’s Atlantic coast was quite a gratifying experience. And if you are a beach lover, or simply looking for warmer weather or a change of scenery from mountain camping, then Anastasia State Park is certainly a destination you should consider.
There is a lot to like about this park, and in this article, I will summarize the 5 main reasons you should visit Anastasia State Park. In addition, I will provide a brief camping guide to help you plan your next family camping trip!
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5 Reasons you should visit Anastasia State Park
1. Pristine beaches and sand dunes
Living on Florida’s gulf coast and having easy access to its gorgeous beaches means I have quite high standards when it comes to finding beautiful stretches of sand. Well, the beach in Anastasia State Park is simply a gem to behold.
The beach is demarcated by gorgeous natural dunes that provide Florida’s flat landscape with a nice change in elevation and topography. Because of their delicate ecology, the dunes are well protected, with several signs prohibiting people from climbing them.
The great expanses of hard-packed sand offer a great place to do lots of fun family activities, such as picnicking, flying kites, and playing volleyball.
The parking lot by the beach is quite large, and there is an area to park RVs. This is great for campers checking out early but still want to enjoy a last day in the surf.
From the parking lot, there are two access points to the beach. Both access points consist of fairly long boardwalks that carry over the marsh and the dunes. Where the parking lot meets the boardwalks you will find outside showers to rinse off the sand after your beach adventure. There is also a small, but well-maintained bathroom in the parking lot.
Do know that pets are not allowed on the beach!
2. Watersports
Are you a kayaking or standup paddleboard aficionado? Or have you ever wanted to give sailboating a shot? Then Anastasia State Park is a must-stop for you!
The calm waters of Salt Run are perfect to explore the mangroves, enjoy a day in the sun, and observe pelicans and other shorebirds diving for the day’s catch. Of course, you can also head out into the ocean side for a bit more wind and wave action!
Feel free to bring your own gear, or you can also conveniently rent kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, or sailboats right from Anastasia Watersport. Do know that to rent a sailboat, you will need previous sailing experience.
3. Biking and Jogging Paradise
One thing that is interesting about Anastasia State Park is the long roads. The main park road is 1.2 miles and has nice sidewalks that are perfect for those who enjoy a morning or evening run. Or, if you are like us, perhaps you would prefer going on leisure bike rides to explore the park.
In addition to the main park road, you will also enjoy going in and out of the campground loops, which add several other miles of shady adventure and fun exploration of the park’s campsites.
Of course, there is also the beach! With perfectly packed sand, you have over 4 miles of beach stretch available for jogging or biking.
If you do not own a bike, or simply cannot travel with one, then you can easily rent them from the Island Beach Shop and Grill. The shop is located at the end of Anastasia State Park Rd.
Related: Payne’s Prairie Preserver State Park Campground Review
4. Proximity to St. Augustine
You are all the way in St. Augustine, so it is practically a must to go and visit the historic district!
St. Augustine’s historic downtown is a mere 10 minutes away by car. Make sure you take a morning or an evening to learn about the Old Jail, the oldest wooden schoolhouse, Castillo de San Marcos, Ponce de Leon’s Fountain of Youth, or simply stroll along the Colonial Quarter.
Of course, the shopping and dining experience is part of the package here. I highly recommend Michael’s St. Augustine for some authentic Spanish tapas, followed by a visit to Kilwin’s or Castillo Ice Cream for a nice, cool treat!
Are you visiting during the holidays? Then all the more reason to visit St. Augustine, The historic district holiday decorations are some of the best I have seen, so make sure you head over for an evening stroll or dinner!
5. Close to the St. Augustine Lighthouse
The St. Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum is merely 5 minutes away by bike from the ranger station. Being so close, you cannot miss this opportunity to climb on the lighthouse for an amazing view of St. Augustine!
Not only will you learn about the history of this famous landmark, but you can also enjoy learning about Florida’s maritime history for the past 500 years. And if you have kids, they will love the shipwreck playground, the butterfly garden, and the knot-tying and pulling competition!
Take a walk through the Maritime Hammock nature trails, see wooden boatbuilding by volunteers.
This museum is non-profit, and all proceeds are used to preserve and present the history of this important landmark. At the time of our visit, tickets cost $12.95 for adults and $10.95 for seniors and children under 12 years old.
Children less than 44in tall have free admission, however, they are not allowed to climb or be carried up the lighthouse for safety reasons. An accompanying adult gets half price of the ticket admission.
Related: Silver Springs State Park – A Unique Experience
Anastasia State Park Camping Guide
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Arrival and General Information
Arriving to Anastasia State Park is straightforward! If you are using Google Maps, set your GPS to Anastasia State Park Ranger Station, or simply enter the park’s address:
300 Anastasia Park Rd., St. Augustine FL 32080
If arriving after hours, make sure you call the park at 904-461-2033 to get a gate code.
The park ranger will provide you with a brochure, and fee schedule and rules, and a “trail map” if you ask for one. However, the trail map is not a map, but simple information on the conditions of the trails.
Once you finish your check-in process, there is a long road ahead and two right turns before you reach the camping loops. If you have to remove a towed vehicle, or remove sway bars, there is a nice space to do so after the first right turn.
The Campground Loops
To put it simply, this campground is large, certainly one of the largest I have seen in a state park! With a total of 121 sites spread across 7 loops, it is difficult to believe how well there is still a decent amount of privacy and space between them!
Of the 121 sites, 41 are tent-only. Most of these are concentrated in the first two loops: Sea Bean and Queen Conch. Some sites in these loops can also accommodate small camper, such as popups, tear drops, or camper vans. Do keep in mind that the road in these loops is narrow.
The remaining loops are for RVs or tents.
Related: Disney’s Fort Wilderness Campground Review
The Campsites
This is one of the few parks where we noticed that most sites are quite nice! Most are shady, with lots of natural vegetation around that provide a sense of privacy. The RV/tent sites are well laid out, for the most part, meaning you should have little trouble getting your rig in and out!
The ground on the sites is mostly composed of hard-packed sand. This is not surprising since the park is so close to the beach. This is not a big deal, just expect to do quite a bit of sweeping of your camper or tent!
Leveling the camper in our site was fairly easy, and we noticed most of the RV/tent sites are fairly level.
In addition to having hookups for water and electricity, some sites have a place to hang a hammock! The water pressure in the sites is fairly strong, so make sure you have a water pressure regulator to protect the pipes in your rig!
Best and Worst Sites
With the campground being so large, it is difficult to decide which are the best and the worst sites. For the most part, you can expect your site to be fairly shady, private, and simply enjoyable!
There are a handful that I noticed were less than ideal. For example, sites 44, 45, and 46, which are tent-only, do not have a whole lot of shade or privacy. Even though they can be used for pop-up campers and camper vans, they are rather small and exposed to the road.
Site 31 is beautiful and shady, but a bit tricky to get into. It is designated tent-only, accommodating pop-up and vans. Sites 74 and 76 despite being designated for RVs, are rather narrow, some difficult to back into. I would only recommend this site for a camper van or tent. The good news is that Reserve America provide warnings about sites that are narrow, so you can always try your best to avoid those!
Our site was 93. It was spacious, shady, fairly easy to back into, and private. The maximum vehicle length for our site is 20ft, so certainly better suited for smaller campers. After parking our 21ft camper, there was just enough space to park our truck!
The Bathhouses
There are a total of 4 bathhouses. Three are located between loops, resulting in two loops sharing a bathhouse. The Coquina loop, being a much larger loop, had its own bathhouse. The bathhouses were in good condition, with decent pressure in the showers and hot water. All bathhouses were equipped with a clothes washer and dryer, but no sinks for dishwashing.
The Dumpstation
Such a large campground with no sewer hookups must be able to accommodate the needs of hundreds of campers! And Anastasia State Park certainly has it all covered with a triple lane dump station! It is all on a paved pad, making it easy to keep the area clean and easy to access.
The trash collection site has a nice garbage compactor. There is also a large comingled recycling bin right next to it. The only disadvantage is that it can be quite far from the last loop, meaning you would need to drive or bike to the garbage site each time you need to empty your trash cans.
Related: Colt Creek State Park Campground Review
Other Considerations
Below are some other bits of information that you may find useful before booking a site at Anastasia State Park.
- The cell service was good for AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile/Sprint. If you are a remote worker and need to catch up on conference calls or other responsibilities, you should be able to use a mobile hotspot without much issue.
- The Island Beach House and Grill offers WiFi, although we did not test it.
- The best time to visit is during the “winter” months. This is when you are less likely to experience Florida’s afternoon storms, and the dreaded mosquitos! However, it is also the most popular time to visit, so make you plan well ahead of time and make your reservations!
- The park is quite large. Unless you are an avid walker, or you are in very good shape, you may have difficulty getting around. Even getting to the beach parking lot is a bit of a walk! For that reason, if you have a motorhome, I highly recommend you tow a vehicle or bring some other way to get around such as a golf cart, or bike!
- There is a nice Playground between the second (Queen Conch) and third loop (Shark Eye). Depending on your location in the campground, you may need to bike to it.
- Do not expect to do much hiking in this park. The Ancient Dunes trail is short and pretty, with a few areas where you have to climb up and down some log steps to get over the old dunes. Other than that, if you want to go for a nature walk you would simply need to go for a walk on the beach!
FAQs
How much does it cost to get into Anastasia State Park?
A passenger vehicle with up tp 8 people will pay $8 admission for the day. That cost goes down to $4 for motorcycles with a single occupant, and $2 per pedestrian and bicyclists.
Are there alligators in Anastasia State Park?
Anastasia State Park is surrounded by salt water. For the reason, it is highly unlikely that you will encounter an alligator here.
Does Anastasia State Park have cabins?
There are no cabins in Anastasia State Park. For a list of other Florida State Park cabins and what to expect, read our review here.
How Far is Anastasia Island from St. Augustine?
Getting to St. Augustine’s historic district simply requires getting back on A1A. You will cross the Matanzas River by going over the Bridge of Lions, and you will be there! The Historic Downtown Parking Facility is just 15 minutes away from the Ranger Station by car.
What beach in Florida can you camp on?
There are a few Florida State Parks with camping and access to beaches, although few of them will have campsites right on the beach. The reason for this is to protect the delicate beach ecosystem!
- On the Atlantic side, you have Fort Clinch State Park, Little Talbot Island State Park, Anastasia State Park, Tomoka State Park, and Sebastian Inlet State Park. There is also Curry Hammock State Park in the Florida Keys.
- On the Gulf side of Florida, your State Parks are more limited, with Cayo Costa State Park (primitive camping and primitive cabins). There are other county parks such as Fort De Soto Park, and of course private campgrounds and RV resorts.
- On the Panhandle, you have a couple more options, such as St. Andrews State Park, Grayton Beach State Park, and Henderson Beach State Park.
If you would like to experience Florida’s springs, then read our article on Florida’s springs with camping.
Final Thoughts
Camping at Anastasia State Park is a relaxing experience for the family. You will get to enjoy several miles of pristine beaches and appreciate the beautiful sand dunes that line them. You will also be able to enjoy leisure bike rides along the park roads or even on the beach itself!
The sheltered waters of Salt Run will provide several hours of kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, and sailboating. Better yet? You will be able to observe Florida’s beautiful coastal wildlife while doing so!
And let us not forget how conveniently close the historic district is! With just a short 15 minute drive you will be able to enjoy the amazing cultural experience that St. Augustine offers, as well as boutique shops and great restaurants.
Anastasia State Park, without a doubt, needs to be a part of your bucket list!
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