St. George Island Beaches Named to Top Ten List For 4th Year!
St. George Island's Julian G. Bruce State Park has again been voted one of the Top 10 Beaches in the U.S.
Dr. Stephen Leatherman (Dr. Beach) announced the annual ranking of beaches this week. The 2014 ranking maintains the SGI beach in its #3 position that it reached in 2013. This is the fourth year that the nine mile beach park located at the east end of St. George Island has made Dr. Beach's list.
The continued Top 10 ranking is good news for Josh Hodson, St. George Island State Park manager. "This is a testament to our great beaches and also to the staff and volunteers here." According to Hodson, park attendance has increased by approximately 10 percent each year since the island park has made Dr. Beach's list.
Want to get a real feel for the beaches of Franklin County? Click here to walk the St. George Island beach via a Google BeachTrek 360 satellite beach tour. The Google team visited Franklin County last spring and walked miles of coastal beaches as part of a Visit Florida partnership to showcase the state's beautiful beaches.
About The Park
The St. George Island State Park features miles of undeveloped beaches which offers ample opportunities for sunbathing, swimming, canoeing, boating, hiking, camping and nature study.
Two natural boat ramps provide access to the bay for small boats. Anglers can fish for flounder, redfish, sea trout, pompano, whiting, Spanish mackerel and other fish off the beach or in the bay. Few parks offer better opportunities for shelling. Sea turtles and shore birds such as the snowy plover, least tern, black skimmer and willet nest in the park during the summer. The park has six large picnic shelters equipped with grills, tables and nearby restrooms.
The St. George Island State Park Beach is one of a string of many beaches in Franklin County. Total, Franklin County features more than 250 miles of beach. To learn more about each of the county's beaches and amenities, visit Saltyflorida.com
Let's Camp At the Beach
Many visitors think of the Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park as a secluded beach perfect for a quiet weekend stroll. However, this 1,962 acre park located at the eastern end of St. George Island offers a full facility family campground that would rival some of the best campgrounds in the country! The park features 60 campsites, a playground, electricity, water hookups and dump station nearby. Two buildings provide hot showers and restrooms. The park also has a youth camp available for group camping.
A primitive campsite can be accessed by a 2.5-mile trail or by canoe or kayak. A group camp area is available for scouts and other organized groups.
To learn more about camping opportunities at the SGI State Park and throughout Franklin County, click here.
Cape St. George Lighthouse Features Full Moon Climb
Watch the sun set and full moon rise from the top of the Cape St. George Lighthouse on Sunday, June 12 from 8-9:30pm. Tickets are $15.00 per person, or $10.00 for St. George Lighthouse Association members, and include light hors d'oeuvres and a sparkling cider toast to the Full Moon. After sunset, additional climbers are welcome at the top for a view of the Full Moon, as time and space permit. Reservations are recommended. Click here for more information.
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Where to Stay?
Many lodging providers are kicking off the summer season with promotions and packages.
for a list
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Turtles are Beach Visitors Too
The St. George Island State Park is home to several threatened and endangered species. Park Manager Joshua Hodson reminds visitors to be respectful of the wildlife, including the endangered loggerhead sea turtles which arrive annually at this time of year to nest on the beach.Visitors interested in learning about sea turtle nesting can attend 2 pm turtle orientation meetings on Wednesdays during June at the Apalachicola National Estaurine Research Reserve Visitor Center in Eastpoint. The presentations are hosted by the SGI Volunteer Turtlers and ANERR. Common sense turtle tips include removing all beach chairs and umbrellas at the end of the day and use red filtered flashlights when walking on the beach at night to avoid disorienting hatchlings. Click here to learn more.
Independence Day Festivities Planned
From Alligator Point to Apalachicola, almost every community is planning Independence Day festivities.
In Apalachicola,the Historic Apalachicola Main Street group presents Apalachicola Independence Day Celebration on Thursday, July 3 featuring seafood in the park, a silent auction, parade, ice cream social, live auction and fireworks at 9 p.m. Click here for details.
On St. George Island, everyone is welcome to join in the annual July 4th Stick around all day and enjoy fireworks and festivities on the beach about dark-thirty.
In Carrabelle, the town will gather for annual festivities there as well.
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Red Snapper Season Opens
The Gulf recreational red snapper season in state waters will begin May 24 and remain open through July 14, 2014. The federal water season begins June 1 and remains open through June 11.
Florida state waters in the Gulf are from shore to 9 nautical miles. Federal waters extend from where state waters end, out to about 200 nautical miles. The daily bag limit will remain 2 per person in state and federal waters.
Fish Free During June
Visiting anglers may fish free in Franklin County (and throughout the rest of the state) during two Saturdays in June.
The Florida Wildlife Commission (FWC) has declared June 7-8 as a free saltwater fishing days and June 14-15 as free freshwater fishing days. On these days, the state fishing license requirement is waived for all recreational anglers.
Consider the free fishing days as a warmup for all the fishing tourneys happening this month!
Fishing Tournaments
Here are a few of the upcoming fishing tournaments scheduled throughout the county.
June 7
June 14-15
Father's Day Weekend Event with more than $50,000 in cash and prizes.
June 7-8
$10,000 payout. 1-10 places. C-Quarters Marina, Carrabelle.
July 19
August 2-3
Fundraiser for the Luekemia Society. C-Quarters Marina, Carrabelle.
For a complete list of tournaments planned for later this summer as well as other events in the county, click here. For area marina, charter and general fishing information, click here.
Annual SGI Mullet Toss
The fish will be flying June 14 on St. George Island at the annual St. George Island Mullet Toss. This quirky annual island event is a kid pleaser. A donation gets you a chance to fling fish for a good cause. The event is held on the public beach in front of the Blue Parrot Ocean Front Cafe and features men's, women's and children's divisions. For more information click here.
Upcoming Summer Art Workshops
The Apalachicola School of Art continues a series of art workshops this summer.
Tea ching basic principals of portraiture by painting from a live model.
Spend 4 days working en plein air with American Impressionist Lori Putnam, capturing the culture and history of Apalachicola.
Upcoming Events
Take a Video Tour of Events and Festivals
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