A Week at Florida's Sebastian Inlet State Park

About midway between Vero Beach and Palm Bay, a great park, especially if you like the beach, fishing, and boating.  There are also several miles of hiking and biking trails on either side of the inlet. I say either side as the park is divided into two parts separated by the inlet.   The park has good clean facilities, great staff, and most sites have partial shade and side privacy by virtue of foliage or distance.

Looking at the campground entrance building from the other side of the inlet. 

The  campground is on the south side of the inlet.  One thing is apparent.  No, two things. One, there are few sites that are level.  Two, no-see-ems.  Keep your windows and doors closed. We liked the view of this site, #15, but had to use all our lego blocks to get close to level.  A RV with jacks would fare better.  Also, the picnic table area is on the "wrong" side, ie, drivers side, not awning side.  Oh well, still like the site and the campground.  I'll just take more blocks next time. And, bug repellent.

These are the sites along the front of the loop.  This is not the loop road, but is the road to the day park.  The view from these sights, however is of the inlet.  

 The view of the inlet from one of the sites along the inlet.

The backside of the loop.  Plenty of privacy in back and a good bit on the sides.

The A1A bridge crosses the inlet. On the other side of the bridge is the Atlantic Ocean, behind is the Indian River. To the right is the campground and day park. To the left is the other half of the day park which has a separate entrance.  One entry fee allows you to enter both sides.

Just before you get to the campground entrance there is an area for fishing and picnicking.  It has a pier to fish from...

 ..or you can fish from the rocks or boat.  There is no boat ramp here, but it is just a short distance further to the day park.

Friday brought out the fisherman in droves.  The ocean was still rough, but the inlet and river were perfectly sheltered.



There are picnic tables, a small pavilion, and, plenty of grassy areas if you don't fish.  There are also restrooms.  

A variety of birds hang out in this area.  And, there are some neat works of art by mother nature.

Waiting on a fisherman to toss some bait?  Not going to happen.

I've never seen a stork sitting before. Looks like it should sitting be on a pedestal next to Jeff Dunham.  Achmed II?

 

 Sunsets are pretty here.  I imagine sunrise on the beach would be good, also.  We've never seen it.

Further down the road is a large day park that has a boat ramp to access the river, inlet and the ocean.  It also has some calmer fishing, several benches and picnic tables, restrooms, a playground and pavilions.

Or, you can wind surf into the sunset.

Across the bridge is the other half of the state park.  There are picnic tables, a beach and "swimming hole" and fishing from the beach or the rock jetty.  On this side is a marina and a couple of long trails for hiking and biking.  Also, equestrian trails.  

Across the road is a large building with a small grill & camp store, indoor and outdoor eating area, and on the second floor a large room for available for events.  To the left of the building is a change/restroom house, a nice shaded picnic area, and.....

 
  

...access to the beach.  Very windy all week, rough seas and beached jellyfish. 

Rough as it is, it is the beach.  No swimmers today, but a few out there getting a tan.  Not these.  They were waiting for food to come in with the waves.

 

This side is also the entrance to the north pier, the longest of the two piers jutting into the Atlantic.  Very windy at the end.

Even on a weekday it gets crowded early at the end.

 Soaring with the wind.

 

Still early on the south pier.

Some go beyond the pier and fish the rocks at the end. 

You lookin' at  me?

Pretty complete fishing rig. Tundra tires for beach trolling.  Notice the net flying.  Still windy, but sunny. 
  

Net fishing for bait at the entrance to the south pier.  As the netter moved along the rocks so did that heron.  Stalking.  Any extra bait fish, sir?

On the first day we were here it was not so sunny.  But the fishermen are still out.

The rest of the week not too shabby.

Under the bridge, on each side, is a catwalk to fish from.  People do pole or net fishing from here.

Certain birds hang out there, too.  Just maybe one of those netters will toss me a morsel or two.

A few extras:

Tasty morsel?



Washing off after eating, I guess. Thought he was going to twist his head off.

Side Trip to Jekyll Island, Georgia.

We took a day trip to Jekyll Island, GA when we were at Ft. Clinch State Park, Florida. The island is a Georgia state park even though there are a lot of private homes and businesses present.  A great day trip or spend a few days there.  Plenty to see and do.  Great golf course, beaches, hotels, campground, museum, sea turtle center, etc.

We drove in from I-95.  If you come from Brunswick down Hwy 17 you get to cross the Sydney Lanier Bridge.

The first stop we made was at the Great Dune Park.  

 

 Very nice pavilions and boardwalks to.....



....the beach.   Not much beach right now.  High tide.

While driving north we ran across the Horton House ruin.  Once an elegant plantation home of Major William Horton, second in command of General James Oglethorpe.  The house was built around 1740 and made of "tabby", a mixture of sand, water and lime obtained from burning oyster shells.

A bridge crossing a marshy area on the N. Loop Trail, a paved bicycle loop around the island.

More of the marsh land around the north end.

 

Moving along we came to the island campground. A large shady RV/tent campground with full hook-ups, camp store, playgrounds, etc.  A world of difference than the many high-end resorts and hotels on the island.  While nice, we like the camping way to go these days.

Across from the entrance to the campground is the road to Driftwood Beach and Jekyll Fishing Center.   There is a little park with pavilions, picnic benches and a bridge to fish the marsh river. 

There is also a huge fishing pier and boat ramp to enable fishing in deeper waters.

The pier offers a good view of the bridge to Brunswick.

Adjacent to the fishing pier is Driftwood beach.

Cross the bridge and walk the beach or take the Driftwood Beach Trail by foot or bike for a long venture into the woods and marsh on the north side of the island.

More specimens of driftwood on the beach.

 On the south end of the island is St. Andrews picnic area and beach. A very nice beach park and picnic area to spend the day.  Parking, pavilions, picnic tables, etc.



A bar and grill, restaurant, pier fishing, and marina adjacent to the Historic District.



 Along with the Jekyll Island Club, there are some very nice homes transformed into shoppes, galleries, etc, along with the Georgia Sea Turtle Center and Jekyll Island Museum.

Besides he Historic District more shopping can be found at the newer shopping complex near the convention center.  A wide variety of retailers. 

On the way to Jekyll Island we stopped off at the King's Bay Submarine Base.  Due to the recent Paris terrorist attacks, the base was closed and no tours scheduled.  Bummer.

And finally, an unashamed plug for this restaurant at the Great Dunes Park.  Great Mexican food, dine indoors or out overlooking the dunes.  

Good food, nice folks.