Camping Anastasia State Park Florida
Camp Florida: I’m talking with Brittany Sims today. She’s the Park Specialist at Anastasia State Park in Florida. How’s it going this morning, Britney?
Brittany Sims: It’s going great. How are you doing?
CF: I’m having a good day. So, let’s talk a little bit. Let’s start with how long Anastasia State Park has been there and how it got its start.
Brittany Sims: Anastasia State Park has been around for a while. It was actually founded in 1949.
CF: Okay. And what are the most popular activities for guests at the Park?
Brittany Sims: I would say the beach is definitely a huge attraction. We get a lot of people who come in to visit our beautiful beach. Also, the nature trails are quite popular. People love to either hike on them or also ride their bikes. Another big attraction is the Salt Run, which is our saltwater estuary, and that’s kind of how it got its nickname. People love to go out and canoe, kayak, and even stand-up paddleboard down there. Some people go fishing. It’s really a popular area for the Park.
CF: Okay, fun. Now, do you rent any of those canoes or paddleboards for the guests there?
Brittany Sims: We do. We have a private concessionaire that runs here, in the Park. It’s called Anastasia Water Sports, and they do rent all of the above as well as sailboats.
CF: Fun. Paddle boarding is a blast, isn’t it?
Brittany Sims: Yes.
CF: I just got into it last summer for the first time and thought it was going to be really difficult, and it’s actually not too bad to get the hang of it.
Brittany Sims: Yeah. Yeah, it’s not bad.
CF: And so, let’s say I was staying there for the weekend. Maybe I wanted to venture out for the afternoon. What are some other attractions in the area worth checking out?
Brittany Sims: Some popular attractions around the area that I know of are the Alligator Farm. It’s very close by. Also, the Castillo de San Marcos is very close by, maybe about ten minutes from the Park. A lot of people visit that while they’re in the area. Fort Matanzas is maybe about twenty minutes south, so that’s pretty close by as well. A lot of people like to go visit that. And also, we have a sister Park, called Fort Mose Historic State Park, which is about ten to fifteen minutes from Anastasia. It doesn’t have camping, but it does have a lot of other great attractions, like an interactive museum and video on the history of the area. They have a boardwalk that goes out to a beautiful marsh area. There’s a free public kayak launch. That’s a lot of fun as well.
CF: Cool. Two more questions for you. If you could spend just one hour in Anastasia State Park, how would you spend your time?
Brittany Sims: I would probably go to the beach because that’s just my favorite pastime; is just to go hang out at the beach, and it’s really beautiful. It’s not as busy as like a public access beach would be. You’re going to have a little more privacy and it’s just really serene.
CF: That sounds like a great way to spend an afternoon. And Brittany, if you could spend just one night in Anastasia State Park, which specific campsite would you choose and why?
Brittany Sims: Oh, that’s a good question. I don’t know if I have a specific number in mind, but I know the loop that I would choose is our (Unclear) Loop. And that’s just because it’s closest to the beach. It’s sort of set off from the other camp loops, so it’s a little more private. I just like it a little quieter, and I know it’s one of our more popular loops as well, and I think it’s because it’s the closest walking distance to the beach.
CF: Perfect. We’ll pass that tip on to our guests a Florida-Camp.com. Thank you so much for taking some time out of your morning, Brittany, to talk to us about Anastasia State Park in Florida.
Brittany Sims: No problem. It was a pleasure.
