Discover Beautiful St. George Island Florida

The Crooked River Lighthouse will be hosting a Full Moon Lighthouse Climb on Friday, January 6, 2023 from 6:00-8:00 pm in Carrabelle, FL. Visitors can enjoy this opportunity to see the gorgeous natural surroundings of the St. George Sound and Carrabelle Beach under the glow of the rising Wolf Moon. If the night skies are clear enough, guest might be able to spot Dog Island. There will also be fun entertainment with karaoke night. Guests are invited to come share their vocal skills and win fun awards. There will be prizes for best single act, duo act and group act. In addition, there will also be an extraordinary one night performance by a very unique Kiss tribute karaoke group solely made up for this special evening and complete with outfits! This is a not-to-be-missed spectacle. While at Carrabelle’s lighthouse, guests can enjoy a visit inside the Keeper’s House Museum and browse some unique nautical gifts and souvenirs in the gift shop. Visitors can also enjoy the glowing fire pit (weather permitting). Bring a chair and enjoy the evening. The climb to the top of the tallest Forgotten Coast lighthouse rewards bold climbers with breathtaking views of the bay. Cost is $10 for adults and $3 for kids. All climbers must be at least 44 inches tall. Advance reservations are required for those who wish to climb the lighthouse tower during this event by calling the Lighthouse gift shop.

March 18 @ 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm

The March Sunset and Full Moon Climb at the Cape St. George Lighthouse on St. George Island will be held on Friday, March 18, 2022. This is a unique opportunity to enjoy the view of St. George Island, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Apalachicola Bay under the evening sky from the top of the lighthouse.

The Sunset and Full Moon Climb will begin at 7:30 p.m. and run until 9:30 p.m. Fifteen-minute time slots will be allotted for each group on a first-come, first-served basis. No advanced reservations will be taken. You will purchase your tickets in the gift shop and then sign up for your 15-minute time slot with the lighthouse keeper. Up to 12 persons are allowed in each 15-minute time slot. The gift shop will open at 7:00 pm to begin selling tickets.

Cost is $10.00 per climber for the general public and $7.00 for members of the St. George Lighthouse Association. Cash or credit card payments accepted. All climbers must be at least 40 inches tall to climb the tower and children must be age 13 and over to access the outside catwalk. For more information, please contact the Lighthouse Gift Shop at 850-927-7745.

The sun will set at 7:49 p.m. and the “Worm” moon will rise at 8:24 p.m. on March 18th. The March full moon is called the Worm Moon because as the snows melt and the ground thaws, earthworms begin to appear and the robins of spring are not far behind. Full Moon names are attributable to native American tribes, most notably the Algonquin, who named the moons to mark the changing seasons.

The Cape St. George Light is located in St. George Lighthouse Park at the center of St. George Island, where Island Drive (the road off the bridge) ends at Gulf Beach Drive. Parking is available in lots at either side of the park.

Are you visiting the Forgotten Coast and looking for pickleball courts in Franklin County, FL? We are excited to announce that St. George Island has joined the Pickleball craze!

Pickleball is a paddle sport that combines tennis, ping pong, and badminton and is the fastest growing sport in America. Pickleball is played in singles or doubles matches, and many larger areas around the country have pickleball leagues.

In the center of St. George Island, you’ll find a pickleball court beside the lighthouse. Courtesy of the St. George Island Civic Club’s donation, the basketball court doubles as a pickleball court. Visitors interested in playing pickleball are welcome to borrow the net, balls, and paddles free of charge from the St. George Island Visitors center. The court and equipment are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

There are other pickleball courts in our area though they offer limited access. The gated community of St. George Plantation has three new regulation standard pickleball courts. Many who rent vacation homes in the St. George Plantation will have access to these pickleball courts. However, the use of these courts is subject to the St. George Plantation amenities rules. Those interested in playing pickleball in St. George Plantation should contact the owner of their vacation rental for more information.

Loggerheads and Greens Are Coming to St. George Island

EASTPOINT, Fla. — Summer sea turtle season is right around the corner. Starting in May, sea turtles—including loggerhead sea turtles, green sea turtles and, very rarely, leatherback sea turtles—will come ashore on Florida’s coastlines and barrier islands to nest. A lucky few visitors and residents might catch a glimpse of these mothers-to-be during their brief return to shore.

Perhaps a more common summertime scene for folks in Franklin County is the St. George Island Volunteer Turtle Patrol. Easily identified by their emblematic ocean-blue shirts, this volunteer group from Apalachicola National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR) scouts the beaches in search of fresh turtle tracks to observe and chart. They are often seen up to their elbows in the sand or hauling flagging tape to the next nest in need of marking.

This patrol is a long-established and well-known part of Apalachicola NERR’s sea turtle monitoring program. Sea turtles aren’t coming home only to St. George Island (SGI) to nest; their second-favorite stretch of Franklin County is the 9 miles of undeveloped beach on Little St. George Island (LSGI), which lies between St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge and SGI.

Fabulous Fishing

Whether you’re reel rookie or an angling pro, St. George Island is every fisherman and fisherwoman’s wonderland. When you throw out a line in the bay, you can expect to land sheepshead, speckled trout, flounder, whiting, redfish and tripletail. If you’re fishing in the Gulf, get ready to hook up with snapper, grouper, amberjack, sea bass, mackerel, mahi-mahi, cobia and sharks. Here at St. George Island, there are plentiful inshore and offshore fishing opportunities. Cast a rod from the shore, skim the flats, or venture out to deeper water with a charter boat captain. Our island is home to several bait and tackle shops as well as two public boat ramps. Several businesses on St. George Island rent kayaks, paddle boards and boats for adventurous anglers. Not ready to go at it alone? Charter a fishing excursion with one of our experienced fishing and tour guides.