Anastasia State Park in Florida is a natural area located just off SR A1A, minutes from downtown St. Augustine. Filled with a variety of wildlife, birds, and numerous landscapes including beaches, a tidal salt marsh and hammock lands, Anastasia State Park is a fantastic place to spend the day exploring. Much like most other places in St. Augustine, ASP is rich in history. In 1565 when the Spaniards first settled in St. Augustine, they used the lands that are now a part of the park for its pine streets and palmetto trees, which were perfect for constructing shelter and the early forts. After decades of watching their wooden structures be consumed by fires, the Spanish discovered a type of rock material that seemed to be almost fire retardant. The inflammable rock was coquina rock; a type of sedimentary rock that forms over time from tiny, broken sea shells. It was here, at the site of ASP that the Spanish established a coquina quarry. They ferried the mined coquina across the Amanas Bay to the settlement of St. Augustine in order to build new structures including the spectacular Castillo de San Marcos. The coquina quarry or Old Spanish Quarry as it is also known is a protected area in Anastasia State Park.
Visitors to Anastasia State Park can enjoy the beach activities like picnicking, biking, kayaking, fishing, canoeing, birding and sometimes surfing. The self guided walking path, the Old Spanish Quarry Trail, traverses over the beautiful sand dunes, and a variety of different wildlife including loggerhead sea turtles and wading birds like herons, egrets, ibis, wood storks, roseate spoonbills, hawks, eagles, and osprey and owls are also worthy of your time and admiration. The views from the beach at ASP are phenomenal, and you can see symbols of the Old City and St Augustine Attractions like the Bridge of Lions and the St. Augustine Lighthouse. Lifeguards are on duty from Memorial Day through Labor Day, while ASP is open year-round from 8:00 am to sunset. If you plan to visit Anastasia State Park, you may want to plan to see the Fort Mose Historic State Park during your visit. Fort Mose Historic State Park is adjacent to Anastasia and is an equally historic site. Fort Mose was the site of the first free African American community in the United States and today is a wonderful state park area to explore as well.
St Augustine is a wonderful place to enjoy a Beach Vacation. Come to the Old City and relax, unwind, and fulfill all your guilty pleasures while you stay in one of our Bed and Breakfasts. Each St Augustine B&B within our association is among the best Places to Stay in our region. Learn more about Romantic Getaways in Florida and vacation packages to the Old City or contact us to book your trip today! All of the St Augustine Bed and Breakfasts that we work with are nearby to great places to visit like Potter's Wax Museum, Ripley's Believe it or Not, the Bridge of Lions, Art Galleries, and the Lightner Museum. Let us help you plan a fantastic St Augustine Vacation that you will never forget.
