St. George Island | My Exquisite Florida

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.

Florida’s coastline is protected in many places by barrier islands. These islands are generally long and narrow and are separated from the mainland by a narrow lowland area. This lowland can take the form of a lagoon, a marsh, an estuary, or a combination of these. Occasionally, a peninsula may be long and narrow enough to be considered a barrier island.

Our recent trip to the Florida’s panhandle put us on three barrier islands that highlight the variety and beauty of these coastal protectors. We visited St. Andrews State Park (partially situated on a peninsula), Dr. Julian G Bruce St. George Island State Park, T.H.Stone Memorial St. Joseph State Park at Cape San Blas (another peninsular barrier island). All of these parks are known for their crystalline green water, but we arrived right after Hurricane Sally and the water was not beautiful. It looked like any north Florida Atlantic beach, and the water was too rough to allow swimming.

Tag: St. George Island

Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park

Barrier Islands