St. George Island is a barrier island with by far one of the prettiest beaches I have ever seen in my life. 22 miles long, and ranging from high density beach housing to luxury vacation rentals to desolate wind-blown beaches, it is easy to see why it is such a popular area. Steve and I bypassed the more crowded areas and headed directly for the State Park at the east end of the island. As we showed our annual pass at the gatehouse, we were warned of both red- and purple-flag conditions. No swimming, because of dangerous currents (due to Hurricane Sally a few days before), and wading only if you know the Stingray Shuffle, because stinging rays were in the area.
As we progressed from the gatehouse to the parking area, we knew that not being able to enjoy the water was not going to limit our fun. The dune system that forms the island and protects the mainland was clearly visible, with its marshes and dune forest apparent. Both parking areas have picnic pavilions and boardwalks. The area is known for good birding, with over 300 species included on the park’s birding list.
We visited on an extremely windy day, and the sand was blown in intriguing patterns all along the beach. In many areas, it was easy to see how, with time and the right conditions, a single tuft of grass could catch enough sand to change the shape of an island.
We spent a couple of hours walking the beach, but the wind finally wore us down. We headed back toward the car, still amazed by the way the sand was building up behind everything on the surface of the sand.
