When visiting St. Augustine in the summer, chances are you’re wanting to find any way you can to soak up the Florida sun. Although there are tons of things to do on land, there are so many things to do exclusive to our waters – an extremely popular option being stand-up paddleboarding!
Locations Guaranteed to Wow the Whole Family
The Florida coast never fails to impress its audience. If in the city, the intercoastal waterway features hands down some of the best locations to paddleboard, but the sky’s the limit! Here are some of the local favorites when it comes to paddleboarding in St. Augustine:
- Fort Matanzas State Park offers breathtaking views of St. Augustine along with some extraordinary wildlife. Fort Matanzas is a very common place to see dolphins and manatees. This destination is a bit further from our Crescent Beach location, but your adventure will be worth the drive!
- Head on over to Anastasia State Park. This location is very popular among locals. This area features very calm water, and a number of locations within itself including access to estuaries, where your chances of seeing dolphins, manatees, and sea turtles are very high. Also, from this park there is easy access to Salt Run, a popular location along St. Augustine’s intercoastal.
- Trout Creek is another great location. The creek feeds into the St. Johns river and because of this, you have the choice to paddle either north or south on the river. Here the current is very tame, so your experience is guaranteed to be relaxing. Along Trout Creek and the St. Johns River, there is an abundance of shade and amazing views of Florida’s flora and fauna, along with a sneak peak of several conservation areas along the way.
- Pellicer Creek is another great location to paddleboard in the St. Augustine/Crescent Beach area. Although the opportunity for shade is low, the location makes up for it. The paddling trail is through a salt marsh, which is very different from anything you would see along the coast. The creek is located within Faver-Dykes State Park, and if you do make it to this location, be sure to check out Princess Place Preserve which is nearby.
- Lighthouse Park, which is a quick two minute walk from Florida’s first lighthouse, the St. Augustine Light, is another extremely popular flat-water location to paddle. Here they have easy access to free parking and full use of docks for a comfortable, stress-free experience.
If those locations leave you wanting more, you can also paddle right alongside St. Augustine Beach or Crescent Beach. Furthermore, consider renting kayaks or partaking in one of the city’s many boat tours or charters, giving you many more opportunities to be as close to the water as possible, and to see marine life exclusive to Florida’s coast.
Where To Rent Stand Up Paddle Boards
Chances are if you’re just visiting St. Augustine, you don’t have your own paddleboard. Don’t let that stop you because there are a number of places in St. Augustine and Crescent Beach where you can rent paddle boards or kayaks for days, even weeks! Here are a few places you can rent from:
- Pit Surf Shop located in the heart of St. Augustine Beach
- Anastasia Watersports located right next door to Anastasia State Park
- Kayak St. Augustine located near Salt Run and the St. Augustine Lighthouse
- St. Augustine Paddle Sports located right off State Road 16
Things To Keep In Mind
When spending time in any of Florida’s waterways, it is important to always remember that the ocean is home to many animals all of which are important to our ecosystem. In the state of Florida, it is illegal to touch or pursue a manatee, dolphin, sea turtle or their nests/eggs, and any other marine mammal. Doing so could result in huge fines and can be extremely detrimental to the animals’ lives as well as their ecosystem. Enjoy the view and the experience.